No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2486 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2486
To amend the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to increase
the availability of heating and cooling assistance, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 31, 2025
Ms. Ansari (for herself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Bell, Mr. Carson, Mr. Carter
of Louisiana, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr.
Cleaver, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. DeGette,
Mr. Doggett, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mr. Fields, Mr. Huffman, Mr.
Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mrs. McIver,
Ms. Meng, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Norton, Ms. Ocasio-
Cortez, Ms. Omar, Ms. Pettersen, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Sanchez, Ms.
Schakowsky, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Thompson of
Mississippi, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to increase
the availability of heating and cooling assistance, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Heating and Cooling Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that:
(1) Energy remains unaffordable for low-income households.
Nationally, low-income households spend a larger portion of
their income on home energy costs than other households. While
the average energy burden for non-low-income households is
approximately 3 percent, low-income households experience
energy burdens that are 3 times higher, with 1 in 4 low-income
households spending more than 15 percent of their income on
energy bills. The report for the Household Pulse Survey of the
Bureau of the Census, issued on October 3, 2024, noted that,
for families with incomes of less than $35,000 a year, about 54
percent said that they reduced or went without basic household
necessities, such as medicine or food, in order to pay an
energy bill, for at least one month in the last year.
(2) The Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program was
authorized by Congress to reduce home energy burdens with
heating and cooling assistance. In 2023, only 18 percent of
income-eligible households received a subsidy under the
program.
(3) Climate change is fueling increasingly intense winter
storms, frequent hurricanes and wildfires, and extreme
temperatures. Over the past 2 decades, the United States has
seen a 135 percent increase in billion-dollar winter disasters,
fueled by climate change, rising from 31 of those disasters
from 1985 through 2004, to 73 of those disasters from 2005
through 2024.
(4) Heat waves are increasingly common as climate change
accelerates, and now occur more often in major cities across
the United States. According to reports from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2024 was the hottest year
on record in Earth's history. The average heat wave season
across 50 cities is approximately 46 days longer now than it
was in the 1960s, and the American Medical Association found
that heat-related deaths have increased by over 16 percent per
year since 2016. However, in fiscal year 2023, less than 3
percent of income-eligible households received cooling
assistance under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program,
with only 7 percent of funding from the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program going toward cooling needs. As a result, the
Federal Government should provide further cooling assistance
for communities in need.
(5) As a result of rising home energy bills and
insufficient Federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program, residential utility arrears, or the amount
of funds owed by households to their utilities, has climbed to
an all-time high of over $21,000,000,000 as of September 2024,
with over 21,000,000 households in debt to electric utilities
and over 15,000,000 households in debt to natural gas
companies. Nearly 1 out of every 7 households is behind on
their electric or gas bill.
(6) While most States have shutoff protections that prevent
utility companies from disconnecting a customer's energy
service during the coldest winter months, 10 States have no
winter shutoff protections, and 29 States have no summer
shutoff protections. Even in certain States with winter or
summer shutoff protections, shutoffs continue to increase as
the period around the hottest and coldest months lengthens.
(7) The loss of home energy service due to high energy
burdens is one of the primary reasons for homelessness,
especially for families with children. In some housing
contexts, loss of home energy service is a grounds for
eviction.
(8) The Federal Government should expand and update the
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, as part of a robust
Federal social safety net, to--
(A) protect families against unaffordable home
energy bills and home energy shutoffs, by providing
sufficient funding and imposing regulations where
necessary;
(B) ensure all low- and moderate-income families
have access to affordable home cooling powered by
renewable energy, which will enable households to adapt
to rising temperatures due to climate change and
promote climate and energy resiliency;
(C) enhance timely and meaningful public
participation and outreach--
(i) by including nontraditional partners,
including home energy suppliers, local
educational agencies, and entities carrying out
other programs for low-income people, to assist
with signups; and
(ii) by adding stronger provisions for
presumed eligibility and waiving documentation
requirements for eligibility; and
(D) further Federal efforts to weatherize housing
for low- and moderate-income households, to help
families struggling to pay their home energy bills and
to meet national clean energy goals.
SEC. 3. FUNDING.
Section 2602 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8621) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``section 2607A)'' and inserting
``section 2604(e), 2605(u), 2607A, 2607B, or 2607C)'';
and
(B) by striking ``$2,000,000,000'' and all that
follows and inserting ``such sums as may be necessary,
including such sums as may be necessary to enable the
States to assist all households that meet the
eligibility requirements established under this title
and to enable States to implement home energy
affordability measures described in section
2605(b)(3).'';
(2) in subsection (e), in the first sentence--
(A) by striking ``in each fiscal year'';
(B) by striking ``$600,000,000'' and inserting
``$2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, and
$2,000,000,000 plus such additional sums as may be
necessary for each fiscal year thereafter,''; and
(C) by inserting ``, or arising from a major
disaster, as defined in section 2604(e)(1)'' before the
period at the end; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(f) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section
2607C, including making grants under that section, $1,000,000,000 for
fiscal year 2026, and $1,000,000,000 plus such additional sums as may
be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.''.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
Section 2603 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8622) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6), (7)
through (10), and (11), as paragraphs (6) through (8), (10)
through (13), and (15), respectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) The terms `extreme heat' and `extreme cold', used
with respect to a period, means a period in which there is an
increased risk of--
``(A) heat-related or cold-related, respectively,
illness, hospitalization, or death; or
``(B) failures or energy shutoffs of home cooling
or heating, respectively.
``(5) The term `HEAP coordinator' means an employee--
``(A) who administers a program funded under
section 2602(b); and
``(B) whose salary is paid, partly or wholly, with
funds made available under that section.'';
(3) by inserting after paragraph (8), as so redesignated,
the following:
``(9) The term `local coordinating agency' means any local
organization or local office that receives funds under section
2602(b) to perform customer intake, or approval of benefits, on
behalf of the State agency.''; and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (13), as so redesignated,
the following:
``(14) The term `State agency' means any State agency that
administers the program funded under section 2602(b).''.
SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE FOR EMERGENCIES AND MAJOR DISASTERS, INCLUDING
EXTREME HEAT AND COLD.
Section 2604 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8623) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B), by striking ``section
2605(b)(9)(B)'' and inserting ``section 2605(b)(10)(B)''; and
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``(e)'' and inserting the
following:
``(e)(1) In this subsection:
``(2)'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the
following:
``(A) The term `covered household' means an
eligible household in an area where the President, or
the Secretary, as the case may be, has declared or
determined the occurrence of a natural disaster,
emergency, or major disaster.
``(B) The term `major disaster' means--
``(i) a major disaster or emergency
declared under section 401 or 501,
respectively, of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191);
``(ii) a public health emergency determined
under section 319 of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d); or
``(iii) a period of extreme heat or extreme
cold, as determined by the Secretary.'';
(C) in paragraph (2), as so designated, by striking
``natural disaster or other emergency involved'' and
inserting ``natural disaster, emergency, or major
disaster involved''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Upon a declaration or a determination of a natural
disaster, emergency, or major disaster, for an area, the
Secretary and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency shall, to the extent practicable, provide
heating or cooling assistance through such an allotment to a
State for covered households in that area.
``(4) To receive assistance under this subsection, the
State that has jurisdiction over the covered households shall
provide assurances to the Secretary that the State--
``(A) will not preclude a household that receives
heating assistance or cooling assistance under this
title during a calendar year, on the basis of obtaining
that assistance, from receiving cooling assistance or
heating assistance, respectively, under this title
during that year;
``(B) will not require a household to indicate that
a household member has a medical need for assistance
under this title, to be eligible for that assistance;
and
``(C) will allow use of such assistance for
purposes for which heating or cooling assistance is
available under the program funded under section
2602(b), including for providing energy-efficient air
conditioners, and other equipment needed for home
cooling, to eligible households.''.
SEC. 6. ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.
Section 2605 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8624) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``paragraph
(5)'' and inserting ``paragraph (6)'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting ``, subject to subsection
(c)(1)(A),'' after ``only'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``(B)'' and all that follows through clause
(ii) and inserting the following:
``(B) households with incomes which do not exceed
the greater of--
``(i) an amount equal to 250 percent of the
poverty level; or
``(ii) an amount equal to 80 percent of the
State median income,''; and
(iii) in the matter following subparagraph
(B)--
(I) by striking ``may give'' and
inserting ``shall give''; and
(II) by inserting before the
semicolon the following: ``, and the
State may not exclude a household from
eligibility on the basis of citizenship
of 1 or more of the household
members'';
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (16) as
paragraphs (4) through (17), respectively;
(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) Energy burden limits.--To the extent practicable, the
Secretary shall work with States using funding under section
2602(b) (supplemented by funding available through State-level
energy programs, utility affordability initiatives, or other
mechanisms as determined by the State in consultation with the
Secretary) to implement home energy affordability measures--
``(A) to ensure that no household eligible under
paragraph (2) experiences an energy burden for which
the expenditures of the household for home energy
exceed 3 percent of household income; and
``(B) to prioritize the further reduction of energy
burdens for such eligible households with the lowest
incomes.''; and
(E) in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (10), as so
redesignated, by striking ``paragraph (16)'' and
inserting ``paragraph (17)'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``assistance
to be provided under this title, including criteria''
and inserting ``assistance to be provided under this
title, including--
``(i) certifying that the State and local
coordinating agencies in the State--
``(I) shall, to the greatest extent
possible, use data sharing agreements
with Federal and State low-income
assistance programs, including the
supplemental nutrition assistance
program established under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et
seq.), the Medicaid program established
under title XIX of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), and the
supplemental security income program
established under title XVI of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et
seq.), to verify eligibility;
``(II) shall implement simplified
re-enrollment procedures for households
with fixed incomes or households
already determined to be eligible under
other Federal and State low-income
assistance programs, to reduce
administrative burdens on applicants
and agencies;
``(III) shall not require
applicants to submit proof of
citizenship to establish status as an
eligible household; and
``(IV) if neither the verification
process described in subclause (I) nor
the re-enrollment process described in
subclause (II) apply to a household,
shall allow applicants to self-attest
that the applicants meet the criteria
established under this title for an
eligible household, to the extent
necessary to facilitate access to
assistance and prevent undue hardship
for applicants; and
``(ii) describing criteria.'';
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``paragraph
(5)'' and inserting ``paragraph (6)''; and
(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``clauses (3),
(4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (10), (12), (13), and (15) of
subsection (b)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (4), (5),
(6), (7), (8), (9), (11), (13), (14), and (16) of
subsection (b)'';
(3) in subsection (e), by striking ``subsection (b)(10)''
and inserting ``subsection (b)(11)'';
(4) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following:
``(3) For purposes of section 401(c), and the remainder of
title IV, of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611(a), 1601 et seq.),
assistance under this title shall not be considered to be a
Federal public benefit.''; and
(5) in subsection (j), by striking ``the State may apply''
and inserting ``the State may, subject to subsection
(c)(1)(A)(i), apply''.
SEC. 7. CONDITIONS FOR FUNDING.
Section 2605 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8624) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by inserting before the
semicolon the following: ``, using toxics-free
materials that do not contain asthmagens or respiratory
sensitizers, giving priority in the use of those funds
under this subparagraph, to the greatest extent
practicable, to supporting emergency home repairs that
foster energy efficiency, decarbonization, and climate
resilience, including through beneficial
electrification of heating and cooling'';
(B) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated--
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking
``and'' at the end; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) ensure that--
``(i) the home energy supplier will not
charge late fees for any payment, by a
household receiving assistance through the
program funded under section 2602(b), during
the period beginning 6 months before and ending
6 months after a date on which the supplier
receives funds through the program for the
household; and
``(ii) if the supplier receives funds
through the program for such a household and
charged such late fees during that period, the
supplier shall refund the fees to the household
not later than 7 days after the date the
supplier receives the funds;
``(F) ensure that the home energy supplier will not
shut off home energy from a household that received
assistance through the program funded under section
2602(b), within the 2-year period beginning on the date
the household received the assistance;
``(G) ensure that the home energy supplier, in
return for receiving funds through the program funded
under section 2602(b)--
``(i) will provide to the State data on
households that have not paid their home energy
bills, to enable the State and the supplier to
carry out coordinated outreach concerning
assistance available through the program funded
under section 2602(b); and
``(ii) will, when sending a notice of late
payments to such households, include
information on such assistance, on how to
access such assistance through the program, and
on eligibility criteria for the program; and
``(H) ensure that the home energy supplier will,
not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, in return for
receiving assistance under the program funded under
section 2602(b) and through a partnership with the
State, offer a low-income energy affordability payment
program;''; and
(C) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by striking ``10 percent'' and
inserting ``15 percent''; and
(II) by striking ``and'' at the
end; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) in planning and administering that program,
the State shall use the portion of the amount described
in subparagraph (A), that exceeds 10 percent of the
funds described in subparagraph (A), to expand the
State program funded under section 2602(b) so that the
State operates the program on a year-round basis; and
``(D) in planning and administering that program,
the State--
``(i) shall make technological changes to
allow, not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of the Heating and Cooling Relief
Act, for online submission of applications for
assistance through that program; and
``(ii) shall, to the extent practicable--
``(I) conduct outreach activities,
including activities to increase
enrollment as described in subsection
(p);
``(II) ensure that all HEAP
coordinators in the State receive
wages, for administration funded under
section 2602(b), at not less than the
greater of $15 per hour or the
applicable Federal, State, or local
minimum wage rate;
``(III) conduct training for HEAP
coordinators, State agency staff, and
community partners on best practices
for outreach, application processing,
and assisting eligible households;
``(IV) as needed, conduct outreach
relating to the program funded under
section 2602(b) to rural electric
cooperatives, home energy suppliers
owned by a political subdivision of a
State, such as a municipally owned
electric utility, and home energy
suppliers owned by any agency,
authority, corporation, or
instrumentality of a political
subdivision of a State; and
``(V) ensure autoenrollment of
eligible households into the program
funded under section 2602(b), and in
the process document any potential
barriers to autoenrollment that need to
be clarified or otherwise addressed at
the Federal level;'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (G), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (H) as
subparagraph (I); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (G) the
following:
``(H) describes how the State will expand the State program
funded under section 2602(b) so that the State operates the
program on a year-round basis in accordance with subsection
(b)(10)(C) and the measures the State has taken so far to carry
out that expansion; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(m) The Secretary shall allow, to the greatest extent possible,
eligible households to obtain assistance with minimal administrative
burden, by carrying out subsection (c)(1)(A)(i).
``(n) The Secretary shall, by grant or contract, provide for a
study that examines the rates of home energy shutoffs and assessments
of late fees among eligible households, relative to those rates for
households that are not eligible households, over a period of several
years.
``(o) The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to States to
support partnerships described in subsection (b)(8)(H).
``(p)(1) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Education, shall issue guidance for use of funds for administrative
activities described in subsection (b)(10) to increase, through
partnerships with elementary schools, secondary schools, and local
educational agencies, enrollment in the program funded under section
2602(b) among eligible households that include children and that have
high energy burdens.
``(2) The Secretary shall issue guidance for use by States on
outreach relating to assistance through the program funded under
section 2602(b) to high-risk individuals, with relevant medical
conditions, that benefit from the use of medical equipment that
requires electricity, including a ventilator, an oxygen concentrator,
or another medical device that requires electricity.
``(3) The Secretary shall issue guidance for use by States on how
to ensure that eligible households are aware of additional grants, tax
credits, and rebates, made available under Public Law 117-169, or an
amendment made by such law.
``(q) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Heating and Cooling Relief Act, the Secretary shall require each State
receiving funds under this title, including allotments under subsection
(a) or (e) of section 2604, to develop and update as necessary, an
action plan for a period of extreme heat, which shall describe how the
State will use its allotments under this title to assist eligible
households in covering cooling costs and mitigating heat-related health
risks.
``(r) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Heating and Cooling Relief Act, the Secretary shall conduct a review of
eligibility criteria for assistance under this title and identify
additional vulnerable populations to include under such criteria, such
as pregnant women and individuals with medical conditions exacerbated
by a period of extreme heat.
``(s) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy,
shall require State energy offices receiving Federal funds under this
title to develop plans--
``(1) to retrofit low-income housing stock to adapt to
rising temperatures and address environmental hazards,
including--
``(A) deploying highly efficient cooling systems,
including heat pumps;
``(B) expanding weatherization and passive cooling
strategies;
``(C) addressing structural and health hazards,
including mold, lead, asbestos, and pest infections;
and
``(D) ensuring that necessary electrical panel and
wiring upgrades are completed to support the
installation of cooling systems and energy efficiency
improvements; and
``(2) to assess and adapt existing (as of the date of
development of the plan) shutoff policies to protect all
households while considering the impact on energy affordability
and energy grid reliability.
``(t)(1) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Heating and Cooling Relief Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall submit a report to
Congress that--
``(A) identifies safe residential temperature standards for
federally assisted dwelling units, considering risks of periods
of extreme heat and extreme cold and regional climate
variations; and
``(B) proposes strategies to ensure compliance with the
standards, including permitting covered utility allowances to
be used for cooling assistance where feasible, taking into
account regional climate variations and housing stock
differences.
``(2) In this subsection, the term `covered utility allowance'
means a utility allowance--
``(A) applicable to public housing dwelling units under
section 3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437a); or
``(B) under the housing choice voucher program under
section 8(o)(2)(D) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(2)(D)).''.
SEC. 8. WEATHERIZATION.
Section 2605(k) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of
1981 (42 U.S.C. 8624(k)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``15 percent'' and
inserting ``25 percent''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding
clause (i)--
(i) by striking ``subparagraph (B)'' and
inserting ``subparagraph (C)''; and
(ii) by striking ``the greater of 25
percent'' and inserting ``a portion equal to
the greater of 35 percent'';
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the
following:
``(B) The State--
``(i) shall, to the extent practicable--
``(I) use the portion described in subparagraph (A)
for energy-related home repair that reduces dependence
on fossil fuel energy sources; and
``(II) use the portion to facilitate the use of
funds made available under section 2602(b) to increase
the participation of eligible households in community
solar programs, or to otherwise increase access to and
ownership of distributed renewable energy
infrastructure among eligible households; and
``(ii) shall if possible give the highest priority to using
the portion for home repair that replaces appliances that rely
on fossil fuels with appliances that use electric heating or
cooling technology, powered by renewable energy.''.
SEC. 9. HOME ENERGY PAYMENT ARREARS DATA COLLECTION.
Section 2605 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8624), as amended by section 7, is further amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(u)(1)(A) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Energy, shall develop a standardized template for States and home
energy suppliers to use to track and report data on eligible households
in arrears in home energy payments, including data on the related fees
and disconnections for such households.
``(B) The template developed under subparagraph (A) shall--
``(i) include a definition of an eligible household in
arrears, with respect to home energy payments, as an eligible
household that has not made payment on a home energy bill for
more than 60 to 90 days, as determined by the State agency or
local coordinating agency, unless otherwise specified by State
law;
``(ii) include metrics on related disconnections, late
fees, reconnections, and arrearage balances for eligible
households; and
``(iii) align with existing (as of the date of the
development) Federal and State reporting mechanisms where
applicable.
``(2) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Heating and Cooling Relief Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation
with the Secretary of Energy, issue guidance on best practices for
States (including through partnerships with home energy suppliers) to
pay for home energy payment arrearages with assistance provided through
the program funded under section 2602(b), including by paying for such
arrearages at the time of dissemination of assistance through that
program. Such guidance shall prohibit any home energy supplier
receiving funds through the program from recovering arrearage
assistance costs through rate increases or other charges to customers,
including cost recovery mechanisms that disproportionately impact low-
income households.
``(3) To the extent practicable, the Secretary and the Secretary of
Energy shall jointly--
``(A) implement a data tracking system, aligned with the
standardized reporting template developed under paragraph (1),
to collect aggregate data regarding the number of eligible
households in arrears and their respective energy burdens and
develop recommendations to HEAP coordinators on how to minimize
energy burdens for the households; and
``(B) issue guidance to home energy suppliers with
recommendations for working with State agencies to address home
energy payment arrearages of eligible households.
``(4) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy,
may make grants to States to assist the States in implementing data
tracking and reporting requirements under this subsection.
``(5) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
subsection such sums as may be necessary.''.
SEC. 10. PROGRAM NAME CHANGE.
(a) LIHEAP.--The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 is
amended--
(1) in section 2607A(b) (42 U.S.C. 8626a(b)), in the matter
preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``low-income'' the first
place it appears; and
(2) in section 2607B(e)(2)(B)(ii) (42 U.S.C.
8626b(e)(2)(B)(ii)), by striking ``Low-Income''.
(b) Other Law.--A reference in any other Federal law (other than
that Act), Executive order, rule, regulation, or delegation of
authority, or any document, of or relating to the Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program, shall be deemed to refer to the Home Energy
Assistance Program.
SEC. 11. JUST TRANSITION GRANTS.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 is amended by
inserting after section 2607B (42 U.S.C. 8626b) the following:
``SEC. 2607C. HEAP JUST TRANSITION GRANTS.
``(a) Grant Program.--The Secretary and the Secretary of Energy
shall jointly carry out a grant program under this section. In carrying
out the program, the Secretaries shall make grants for a period of 3
years to States and local governments to support the development and
implementation of interagency plans to reduce energy burdens for
eligible households with high home energy use. The plans shall promote
the reduction of those burdens in a manner that supports a just
transition away from fossil fuel energy and protects eligible
households from the threats of climate change. The Secretaries shall
make the grants for a period of 3 years.
``(b) Preferences.--In making the grants, the Secretary shall give
a preference to States, and local governments, who set up coordination
systems--
``(1) to identify eligible households, that are recipients
of assistance through the program funded under section 2602(b),
with high home energy use;
``(2) to prioritize eligible households with the highest
energy burdens and lowest incomes, in alignment with the
priority provisions in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section
2605(b), to receive emergency repair, weatherization, and
retrofit assistance that results in decarbonization and
reductions in energy use; and
``(3) to partner with entities carrying out workforce
development initiatives, unions, or minority or women-owned
business enterprises to provide emergency repairs,
weatherization, and retrofit assistance.
``(c) Report to Congress.--At the conclusion of the 3-year grant
period, the Secretaries shall--
``(1) conduct an evaluation of the program's outcomes; and
``(2) prepare and submit to Congress a report containing
the results of the evaluation and policy recommendations.''.
SEC. 12. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621
et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 2607B(e)(2)(K) (42 U.S.C. 8626b(e)(2)(K)) by
striking ``paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (7), (9), (10), (11),
(12), (13), and (14) of section 2605(b)'' and inserting
``paragraphs (2), (4), (5), (6), (8), (10), (11), (12), (13),
(14), and (15) of section 2605(b)''; and
(2) in section 2610(b)(1) (42 U.S.C. 8629) by striking
``clauses (2), (5), (8), and (15) of section 2605(b)'' and
inserting ``paragraphs (2), (6), (9), and (16) of section
2605(b)''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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