1Providing for home energy assistance to certain persons through
2payment of matching funds to the hardship funds of certain
3home energy providers and for powers and duties of the
4Department of Public Welfare.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Short title.

8This act shall be known and may be cited as the Home Energy
9Assistance Act.

10Section 2. Declaration of policy.

11The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

12(1) The Federal Government recognized the importance of
13aiding low-income families with heating their homes when it
14created the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program in
151981.

16(2) Other states have recognized the need to supplement
17these Federal funds for home energy assistance with state
18funds.

1(3) The Commonwealth recognizes the importance of
2allocating State funds to aid families struggling with
3heating costs that do not fall within the guidelines of the
4Federal program.

5(4) Heating oil and propane gas companies and public
6utilities that provide electricity and natural gas also
7recognize the need to contribute funds for home energy
8assistance by their establishment of hardship funds.

9Section 3. Definitions.

10The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12context clearly indicates otherwise:

13"Average monthly degree day." The average daily temperature 
14for a given month.

15"Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the 
16Commonwealth.

17"Eligible ratepayer." A ratepayer whose payment to a home 
18energy provider for service is delinquent or has otherwise 
19extenuating circumstances and whose income falls between 151% 
20and 200% of the Federal poverty guidelines as reported by the 
21United States Department of Health and Human Services.

22"Hardship fund." Funds established by a home energy provider 
23to provide cash assistance to those ratepayers who have 
24exhausted all other resources for payment of electricity, 
25heating oil, natural gas or propane gas bills.

26"Heating season." The months of November, December, January, 
27February and March, consecutively.

28"Home energy provider." A heating oil or propane gas company 
29or a public utility that provides electricity or natural gas to 
30ratepayers in this Commonwealth.

1"Ratepayer." A person in whose name a residential service 
2account is listed with a home energy provider and who is 
3primarily responsible for payment of a bill rendered for 
4service.

5Section 4. Matching funds.

6(a) Commonwealth share.--The department shall provide
7matching funds based upon the amount contributed by the
8stockholders, employees and ratepayers of home energy providers
9to their hardship funds as contained in the most recent data
10reported to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or
11obtained otherwise.

12(b) Distribution.--The department shall only distribute
13matching funds when the Statewide average monthly degree days in
14a heating season are 10% colder than the Statewide average
15monthly degree days for a heating season for the previous ten
16years as reported by the National Weather Service or obtained
17otherwise.

18Section 5. Application procedure.

19(a) Time for filing.--A home energy provider may apply for
20matching funds and must notify the department of its intent to
21do so during the period of January 1 to February 1.

22(b) Contents of application.--The application shall be in
23such form as prescribed by the department and shall contain:

24(1) The amount to be credited to the home energy
25provider into its hardship fund.

26(2) Identification of a nonprofit entity that has agreed
27to evaluate the financial condition of ratepayers, with their
28consent, in order to assist the home energy provider with its
29determination of whether the ratepayers should receive credit
30through the hardship fund.

1(3) Such other information as required by the
2department.

3Section 6. Distribution.

4Moneys appropriated to the department for purposes of section
54 shall, upon certification by the department of qualified funds
6in a home energy provider's hardship fund, remit the matching
7funds to the home energy provider no later than April 1.

8Section 7. Rules and regulations.

9The department may promulgate any rules and regulations it
10determines necessary for the administration of this act.

11Section 20. Effective date.

12This act shall take effect in 60 days.