PRINTER'S NO. 37
No. 33 Special Session No. 1 of 2007-2008
INTRODUCED BY VEREB, GEORGE, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BLACKWELL,
BRENNAN, BROOKS, CLYMER, CURRY, DALLY, DePASQUALE, EVERETT,
FREEMAN, HARPER, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KILLION, KOTIK, LEACH,
MAHONEY, MANDERINO, MANN, R. MILLER, MOYER, MUNDY, MYERS,
D. O'BRIEN, PETRONE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, QUIGLEY, RAPP,
READSHAW, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SOLOBAY, STERN, WALKO, WOJNAROSKI
AND YOUNGBLOOD, OCTOBER 18, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
OCTOBER 18, 2007
AN ACT
1 Providing for the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program
2 and for an evaluation of the program; and authorizing
3 additional funding for the program through interfund
4 transfers.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Low-Income
9 Home Energy Weatherization Improvement Act.
10 Section 2. Declaration of policy.
11 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
12 (1) Many residents of this Commonwealth are finding it
13 difficult to pay for energy services, due to the sharp energy
14 price increases experienced by many Pennsylvanians recently.
15 (2) The Department of Energy has projected that natural
16 gas heating costs this winter are expected to rise over 30%
1 from last winter and home heating oil costs are expected to
2 also rise over 30% this winter.
3 (3) In view of these sharp increases, Commonwealth
4 residents can expect to pay higher costs to heat and cool
5 their homes.
6 (4) The current high and volatile nature of energy
7 prices has made it essential to consider increased funding
8 for energy assistance programs.
9 (5) Studies have predicted that the price of fossil
10 fuels will rise at the rate of 6% to 10% per year for the
11 next 20 years. If the cost of energy increases at 6% per year
12 by 2024, it will cost the average low-income household in
13 Philadelphia, for example, almost $8,000 to meet that
14 household's energy and water needs.
15 (6) Energy conservation helps to maintain affordable
16 energy bills and reduces our nation's dependence on foreign
17 oil; therefore, it serves a public purpose to provide support
18 to programs which can reduce home energy costs and
19 consumption.
20 (7) It serves a public purpose to provide supplemental
21 funding to the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program
22 in order to help eligible families with reducing their home's
23 energy consumption.
24 (8) Increases in energy prices have generated additional
25 unanticipated sales tax revenue to the Commonwealth that can
26 be used to offset the costs of supplemental funding under
27 this act.
28 Section 3. Definitions.
29 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
30 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
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1 context clearly indicates otherwise:
2 "Commission." The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
3 "Department." The Department of Community and Economic
4 Development of the Commonwealth.
5 "Eligible household." The term includes a household with
6 income at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level.
7 "Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program" or "program."
8 The program established by Title XXVI of The Omnibus Budget
9 Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35, 42 U.S.C. § 8621
10 et. seq.) and administered by the Department of Community and
11 Economic Development with funds received through the Department
12 of Public Welfare and the Department of Energy.
13 Section 4. Administration of Low-Income Weatherization
14 Assistance Program.
15 (a) Revisions to current program guidelines.--The department
16 shall develop revisions to the current program guidelines so
17 that the program is positioned to take advantage of the greatest
18 possible savings in terms of energy and energy costs and shall
19 expand the list of eligible energy conservation measures to
20 include new measures that are shown to be cost effective.
21 (b) Independent evaluation.--The department shall undertake
22 an independent evaluation of the program for the purpose of
23 improving the quality and effectiveness of the program. The
24 evaluation shall at a minimum include:
25 (1) A determination of the overall effectiveness in
26 terms of the cost versus the benefits of the program.
27 (2) A determination of the level of energy savings
28 achieved by each grantee or subgrantee and on a per home
29 basis by each grantee or subgrantee.
30 (3) The effectiveness of the energy conservation
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1 measures being installed.
2 (4) Other improvements, including, but not limited to:
3 (i) Jobs created.
4 (ii) Peak load reductions.
5 (iii) Any recommendations to improve the program's
6 effectiveness, especially in service delivery and in
7 increasing the types of energy conservation measures to
8 be installed.
9 (c) Increased program promotion.--The department shall
10 develop methods to increase awareness of the program and shall
11 work with local program providers to ensure that the highest
12 possible form of public awareness campaign is implemented to
13 provide information about the availability and purpose of the
14 program to eligible residents.
15 (d) Final inspections.--
16 (1) The department shall adopt procedures to ensure that
17 local program providers verify and inspect that the
18 weatherization work is performed and performed to the
19 appropriate standards on 100% of the homes receiving
20 weatherization services.
21 (2) The department shall ensure that all local program
22 providers are sufficiently trained on proper inspection and
23 verification procedures and shall conduct a program of
24 continuing education as necessary to ensure compliance with
25 this subsection.
26 (e) Schedule for ongoing evaluations.--The department shall
27 develop a schedule for conducting ongoing evaluations of the
28 program. The department shall submit copies of the evaluation
29 report to the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate,
30 the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate,
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1 the Health and Human Services Committee of the House of
2 Representatives and the Environmental Resources and Energy
3 Committee of the House of Representatives.
4 (f) Joint study.--The department and the commission shall
5 jointly conduct an annual review of the program and the
6 universal service and energy conservation policies, protections
7 and services defined in 66 Pa.C.S. § 2803 (relating to
8 definitions), specifically low-income usage reduction programs
9 conducted by public utilities. The review shall include, but not
10 be limited to:
11 (1) Methods to improve the coordination and
12 effectiveness between the program and those programs.
13 (2) Opportunities to increase the energy savings
14 resulting from activities of the program and those programs.
15 Any written report or evaluation of the review shall be a public
16 record open to public inspection under the act of June 21, 1957
17 (P.L.390, No.212), referred to as the Right-to-Know Law.
18 Section 5. Transfer of funds.
19 On or before September 1 of fiscal years 2008-2009, 2009-2010
20 and 2010-2011, the State Treasurer shall transfer the amount of
21 $15,000,000 each year from the General Fund to the Emergency
22 Energy Assistance Fund administered by the Department of Public
23 Welfare and used exclusively for providing supplemental funding
24 to the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program administered
25 by the department. Any of the transferred funds that are
26 unencumbered and unexpended by June 30, 2010, shall be
27 immediately transferred to the General Fund.
28 Section 6. Report to General Assembly.
29 On or before June 30, 2009, the department and the Department
30 of Public Welfare shall jointly submit a report to the
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1 Appropriations Committee of the Senate, the Public Health and
2 Welfare Committee of the Senate, the Environmental Resources and
3 Energy Committee of the Senate, the Appropriations Committee of
4 the House of Representatives, the Health and Human Services
5 Committee of the House of Representatives and the Environmental
6 Resources and Energy Committee of the House of Representatives
7 providing an overall evaluation of the program to date.
8 Section 7. Effective date.
9 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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