PRINTER'S NO. 3339
No. 296 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY RICHARDSON, CARN, LINTON AND HUGHES, APRIL 4, 1990
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 4, 1990
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Health and Welfare Committee of the House of
2 Representatives to conduct a study of the Commonwealth's Low
3 Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the future funding
4 needs of the program.
5 WHEREAS, December 1989 was the coldest December in more than
6 a decade; and
7 WHEREAS, The prices of heating oil and other unregulated
8 fuels escalated during the same period at unprecedented rates;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, Since 1985, there has been a significant decrease in
11 the funding of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
12 (LIHEAP); the National appropriation in 1985 was 2.1 billion
13 dollars, in 1990 it was 1.39 billion dollars, and the Bush
14 Administration is calling for a further 25% decrease next year
15 to 1.05 billion dollars; and
16 WHEREAS, In 1985, the average benefit in Pennsylvania was
17 $317; in 1989 the average benefit was $224, a 28.4% decrease;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, An average middle-class family will spend between 4%
1 and 5% of their income for energy costs but a low-income family
2 may have to spend as much as 50% of their income for energy
3 costs; and
4 WHEREAS, The LIHEAP program provides the assistance that
5 Pennsylvania families at or below 150% of the Federal poverty
6 level need to heat their homes; and
7 WHEREAS, The General Assembly needs to be aware of the extent
8 to which this important Federal program alone is not able to
9 meet the fuel payment needs of low-income Pennsylvanians; and
10 WHEREAS, The General Assembly needs to be aware of the
11 funding problems in this important program; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Health
13 and Welfare Committee to conduct a study of the Low Income Home
14 Energy Assistance Program; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold hearings, take
16 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems
17 necessary in this Commonwealth. Each member of the committee
18 shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations to
19 witnesses appearing before the committee; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the committee shall report to the House of
21 Representatives on its activities, findings and recommendations
22 by June 1, 1990, and shall issue interim reports to the House of
23 Representatives as the committee deems necessary.
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