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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1063

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 913 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY VEREB, BELFANTI, CURRY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE,
           DeWEESE, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS,
           GOODMAN, HENNESSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, LEACH,
           MAHONEY, MANDERINO, MANN, MOYER, MUNDY, PETRONE, PICKETT,
           RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROSS, RUBLEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH,
           SOLOBAY, J. TAYLOR, THOMAS AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 22, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 22, 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%
    17     from last winter and home heating oil costs are expected to

     1     also rise over 30% this winter.
     2         (3)  In view of these sharp increases, Commonwealth
     3     residents can expect to pay higher costs to heat and cool
     4     their homes.
     5         (4)  The current high and volatile nature of energy
     6     prices has made it essential to consider increased funding
     7     for energy assistance programs.
     8         (5)  Studies have predicted that the price of fossil
     9     fuels will rise at the rate of 6% to 10% per year for the
    10     next 20 years. If the cost of energy increases at 6% per year
    11     by 2024, it will cost the average low-income household in
    12     Philadelphia, for example, almost $8,000 to meet that
    13     household's energy and water needs.
    14         (6)  Energy conservation helps to maintain affordable
    15     energy bills and reduces our nation's dependence on foreign
    16     oil; therefore, it serves a public purpose to provide support
    17     to programs which can reduce home energy costs and
    18     consumption.
    19         (7)  It serves a public purpose to provide supplemental
    20     funding to the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program
    21     in order to help eligible families with reducing their home's
    22     energy consumption.
    23         (8)  Increases in energy prices have generated additional
    24     unanticipated sales tax revenue to the Commonwealth that can
    25     be used to offset the costs of supplemental funding under
    26     this act.
    27  Section 3.  Definitions.
    28     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
    29  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
    30  context clearly indicates otherwise:
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     1     "Commission."  The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
     2     "Department."  The Department of Community and Economic
     3  Development of the Commonwealth.
     4     "Eligible household."  The term includes a household with
     5  income at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level.
     6     "Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program" or "program."
     7  The program established by Title XXVI of The Omnibus Budget
     8  Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35, 42 U.S.C. § 8621
     9  et. seq.) and administered by the Department of Community and
    10  Economic Development with funds received through the Department
    11  of Public Welfare and the Department of Energy.
    12  Section 4.  Administration of Low-Income Weatherization
    13                 Assistance Program.
    14     (a)  Revisions to current program guidelines.--The department
    15  shall develop revisions to the current program guidelines so
    16  that the program is positioned to take advantage of the greatest
    17  possible savings in terms of energy and energy costs and shall
    18  expand the list of eligible energy conservation measures to
    19  include new measures that are shown to be cost effective.
    20     (b)  Independent evaluation.--The department shall undertake
    21  an independent evaluation of the program for the purpose of
    22  improving the quality and effectiveness of the program. The
    23  evaluation shall at a minimum include:
    24         (1)  A determination of the overall effectiveness in
    25     terms of the cost versus the benefits of the program.
    26         (2)  A determination of the level of energy savings
    27     achieved by each grantee or subgrantee and on a per home
    28     basis by each grantee or subgrantee.
    29         (3)  The effectiveness of the energy conservation
    30     measures being installed.
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     1         (4)  Other improvements, including, but not limited to:
     2             (i)  Jobs created.
     3             (ii)  Peak load reductions.
     4             (iii)  Any recommendations to improve the program's
     5         effectiveness, especially in service delivery and in
     6         increasing the types of energy conservation measures to
     7         be installed.
     8     (c)  Schedule for ongoing evaluations.--The department shall
     9  develop a schedule for conducting ongoing evaluations of the
    10  program. The department shall submit copies of the evaluation
    11  report to the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate,
    12  the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate,
    13  the Health and Human Services Committee of the House of
    14  Representatives and the Environmental Resources and Energy
    15  Committee of the House of Representatives.
    16     (d)  Joint study.--The department and the commission shall
    17  jointly conduct an annual review of the program and the
    18  universal service and energy conservation policies, protections
    19  and services defined in 66 Pa.C.S. § 2803 (relating to
    20  definitions), specifically low-income usage reduction programs
    21  conducted by public utilities. The review shall include, but not
    22  be limited to:
    23         (1)  Methods to improve the coordination and
    24     effectiveness between the program and those programs.
    25         (2)  Opportunities to increase the energy savings
    26     resulting from activities of the program and those programs.
    27  Any written report or evaluation of the review shall be a public
    28  record open to public inspection under the act of June 21, 1957
    29  (P.L.390, No.212), referred to as the Right-to-Know Law.
    30  Section 5.  Transfer of funds.
    20070H0913B1063                  - 4 -     

     1     On or before September 1 of fiscal years 2007-2008, 2008-2009
     2  and 2009-2010, the State Treasurer shall transfer the amount of
     3  $15,000,000 each year from the General Fund to the Emergency
     4  Energy Assistance Fund administered by the Department of Public
     5  Welfare and used exclusively for providing supplemental funding
     6  to the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program administered
     7  by the department. Any of the transferred funds that are
     8  unencumbered and unexpended by June 30, 2010, shall be
     9  immediately transferred to the General Fund. On or before June
    10  30, 2009, the department and the Department of Public Welfare
    11  shall jointly submit a report to the Appropriations Committee of
    12  the Senate, the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the
    13  Senate, the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the
    14  Senate, the Appropriations Committee of the House of
    15  Representatives, the Health and Human Services Committee of the
    16  House of Representatives and the Environmental Resources and
    17  Energy Committee of the House of Representatives providing an
    18  overall evaluation of the program to date.
    19  Section 6.  Effective date.
    20     This act shall take effect in 60 days.







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