THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, PIPPY, RAFFERTY, COSTA, ALLOWAY, EARLL, ERICKSON, FARNESE, SCHWANK, M. WHITE, PILEGGI, BROWNE, FERLO, STACK, YUDICHAK, BOSCOLA, BRUBAKER, MENSCH, BLAKE, HUGHES, WOZNIAK, YAW, BREWSTER, TARTAGLIONE, WARD AND LEACH, AUGUST 2, 2011

REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, AUGUST 2, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study

the efficiency of the administrative functions and operations

of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and

make recommendations on how the program can increase

efficiency.

WHEREAS, The mission of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance

Program (LIHEAP) is to assist low-income households,

particularly those with the lowest incomes that pay a high

proportion of household income for home energy, primarily in

meeting their immediate home energy needs; and

WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, LIHEAP helps low-income people pay

their heating bills through home heating energy assistance

grants and crisis grants; and

WHEREAS, Eligibility requirements were recently expanded to

Pennsylvanians earning up to $35,280 for a family of four (an

increase from 150% to approximately 160% of the Federal poverty

level); and

WHEREAS, Under the new guidelines, upwards of 533,376

Pennsylvanians are eligible to receive assistance through

LIHEAP; and

WHEREAS, Further efficiencies and streamlining of functions

may result in savings through administrative and operations

changes, with more funding available to assist low-income

Pennsylvanians; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and

Finance Committee to conduct a study on the efficiency of the

current LIHEAP administrative and operations functions; and be

it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

study at least all of the following:

(1)  Number of telephone calls answered, and those going

unanswered, at the Statewide LIHEAP telephone number and its

staffing levels.

(2)  Reason for the applicant's call to the Statewide

LIHEAP telephone number.

(3)  Average time to process applications, cash or

crisis, and for applicants to be notified of their grants,

cash or crisis.

(4)  Number of ineligible applications and reasons for

ineligibility.

(5)  Staffing for crisis, contracted and internal, as

well as for the cash program on State and county levels.

(6)  Number of intake sites and average distance and wait

time for applicants traveling to those intake sites.

(7)  Level of use of the PROMISe system by utility

companies, requirements in utilizing the system and time per

account with use of the PROMISe system.

(8)  Average time for a utility company to be paid for a

cash program or crisis payment and how paid, including method

and number of payments.

(9)  Use of supplemental payments when not based on need.

(10)  Use of cash grant and application to future utility

payments versus arrearages.

(11)  Review of mailing costs, paper application costs

and record retention, particularly as it relates to ID theft

prevention through a paperless system;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

study the efficiency of the administrative functions and

operations of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

(LIHEAP) within the Department of Public Welfare; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

provide the Senate with its findings and recommendations on how

the Commonwealth can increase the efficiency of the LIHEAP

program to better serve its citizenry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

report its findings and recommendations to the Senate no later

than one year after the adoption of this resolution.