What's happening
This bill authorizes a temporary middle income home energy assistance program and appropriates $1 million for grants to help eligible households with heating costs.
Why it matters
Expands support to middle-income households. , who are often ineligible for existing low-income energy assistance, addressing gaps in home heating aid during periods of high fuel costs or economic strain.
Provides a one-time, direct grant for heating costs. that will not count as income or resources for state benefit eligibility, ensuring recipients don’t risk losing access to other programs.
Defines “home heating fuel” broadly. , including not just traditional fuels like oil and gas, but also wood, coal, propane, electricity, and more—making the program relevant to a wide range of households and heating situations.
Includes a funding cap and a sunset provision. , meaning only as much aid as the $1 million appropriation allows will be distributed, and the program will automatically end in April 2019, focusing the impact and requiring future legislative review for continuation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Help Paying Heating Bills
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
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 with Home Heating Costs
In Assembly Committee · Energy · Sponsor Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2357
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
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
S. 2357 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
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
Purpose
To establish a program which will provide home heating fuel assistance to middle-income families who would otherwise not qualify under the State/Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Summary of provisions
Section one of the legislation establishes, within the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), and with the assistance of the Department of Taxation and Finance, the Temporary Middle Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Section two appropriates $1,000,000 for the purpose of enacting this temporary program of assistance to middle-income New Yorkers.
Section three enacts the legislation immediately and sunsets the program on April 1, 2019.
Existing law
This is a new program. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, after which this program is modeled, is established in Social Services Law § 97. LIHEAP is administered by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, is federally-funded, and has income eligibility criteria. (See, http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap)
Justification
Although natural gas prices have stabilized, the cost of heating oil, wood pellets and propane has not remained stable. With the onset of colder weather, it is anticipated home heating costs may approach or exceed the record costs seen in the winter of 2010-2011. When coupled with the continuing slow recovery of New York's employment, stagnation of wages and erosion of middle-class savings during the "Great Recession," it is a clear that there may be widespread inability of New Yorkers to pay their heating bills. At the same time, funding for low income heating assistance is falling. Over the last two years, heating assistance funding has been cut to $3.5 billion from $5.1 billion in 2010. Finally, the number of households receiving assistance fell by 1.1 million over the period. Averting a catastrophe is imperative. And by providing a State-funded Middle Income Home Energy Assistance program we are delivering immediate help on an emergency basis to middle-income families.
The program will be funded through proceeds from carbon permits auctioned as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Legislative history
2015-16:S.2529A -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications 2013-14:S.16148-Referred to Energy & Telecommunications 2011-12:S.1064-A -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications 2009-2010:S.2457 -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications 2008-2009:S.8757-A- Referred to Rules
Fiscal implications
This bill is estimated to cost $1 million in State revenue.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed April 1, 2019.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.