What's happening
This bill creates a temporary program providing one-time grants to help middle-income New York households pay for home heating fuel.
Why it matters
Targets a gap in energy assistance. by providing help specifically to middle-income households, who often earn too much to qualify for existing low-income programs but still struggle with rising fuel costs.
Covers a broad range of heating fuels. (including oil, gas, electricity, wood, propane, coal, kerosene, and steam), making the grants relevant to households across urban, suburban, and rural areas regardless of how they heat their homes.
Ensures grants won’t affect eligibility for other benefits. , as the assistance received is not counted as income or resources under any state law, preventing unintended loss of other support.
Limited by available funding and duration. , with a $1 million appropriation and a firm expiration date (April 1, 2019), meaning the program is both temporary and subject to resource constraints, potentially leaving some eligible households without aid if funds run out.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Help with Home Heating Costs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to energy
- Referred to energy
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Help Paying Heating Bills
In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
775
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to authorizing the New York state energy research and development authority to develop a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; making an appropriation therefor and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
9. Temporary middle income home energy assistance program. (a) The authority is authorized, in conjunction with the department of taxation and finance, to develop, implement, administer and operate a plan, and hold funds available for such plan, to make available one-time supplementing grants for the purpose of assisting eligible households to obtain home heating fuel.
(b) For purposes of this subdivision, the term "home heating fuel" shall mean fuel oil, coal, wood, propane, natural gas, electricity, steam, kerosene and any other fuel when used for residential heating purposes.
(c) The authority is required, in accordance with the plan established in paragraph (a) of this subdivision, to participate in the temporary middle income home energy assistance program and to assist eligible households to obtain middle income home energy assistance.
(d) Persons who qualify for middle income home energy assistance in accordance with standards promulgated by the authority, shall be certified as eligible for and entitled to receive such home energy assistance. No person, however, shall be certified as eligible for and entitled to receive such home energy assistance if no state funds are available for such purpose.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02149-01-7
A. 775 2
(e) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the contrary, the amount of any home energy assistance payments or allowances provided to an eligible household under such plan shall not be considered income or resources of such households, or of any member thereof, for any purpose under any state law.
§ 2. The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the New York state energy research and development authority out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes fund, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of supporting the temporary middle income home energy assistance program. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the New York state energy research and development authority in the manner prescribed by law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed April 1, 2019.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.