PRINTER'S NO. 625
No. 568 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY PIPPY, BOYES, ADOLPH, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, BARRAR,
BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BUNT, BUXTON,
CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAPPABIANCA, CAWLEY, CLARK, CLYMER,
L. I. COHEN, COLAFELLA, COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, COSTA, COY, CRUZ,
CURRY, DAILEY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DERMODY, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO,
EACHUS, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FORCIER, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE,
GORDNER, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HESS,
HUTCHINSON, JADLOWIEC, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ,
LEVDANSKY, MACKERETH, MAHER, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MANN,
MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McCALL, McILHATTAN, McNAUGHTON, MELIO,
MICHLOVIC, MICOZZIE, MUNDY, NAILOR, ORIE, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS,
PISTELLA, RAYMOND, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROONEY, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHULER,
SCRIMENTI, SHANER, B. SMITH, STABACK, STAIRS, T. STEVENSON,
STRITTMATTER, STURLA, SURRA, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRELLO, WALKO,
WANSACZ, WATERS, WATSON, J. WILLIAMS, WILT, WOGAN,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, ZUG, STEELMAN, R. MILLER
AND HORSEY, FEBRUARY 8, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 8, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for a home energy assistance grant program; imposing
2 powers and duties on the Department of Public Welfare; and
3 making an appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
8 Seniors Home Energy Assistance Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
1 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
2 context clearly indicates otherwise:
3 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
4 Commonwealth.
5 "Eligible person." A person who is:
6 (1) 65 years of age or older, or whose spouse, if a
7 member of the household, is 65 years of age or older;
8 (2) 50 years of age or older and who is a widow or
9 widower who has not remarried; or
10 (3) 18 years of age or older and who is unable to engage
11 in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any
12 medically determinable physical or mental impairment which
13 can be expected to continue indefinitely.
14 "Income." The types of income used in determining
15 eligibility for LIHEAP as provided in the State plan for the
16 applicable fiscal year.
17 "LIHEAP." The program providing low-income home energy
18 grants authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
19 Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35, 42 U.S.C. § 8621 et seq.) and
20 administered by the Department of Public Welfare.
21 "Poverty level." The poverty level published by the United
22 States Department of Health and Human Services and used by the
23 Department of Public Welfare in determining eligibility for
24 LIHEAP.
25 "State plan." The State plan for LIHEAP prepared by the
26 Department of Public Welfare as required by section 2605(c) of
27 the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (Public Law
28 97-35, 42 U.S.C. § 8624(c)).
29 Section 3. Heating assistance grants authorized.
30 (a) Income eligibility.--The department shall make annual
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1 heating assistance cash grants to eligible persons who have a
2 household income exceeding the limits for LIHEAP grants
3 established by the department under the State plan for the
4 applicable fiscal year, but whose income does not exceed 150% of
5 the poverty level.
6 (b) Limits.--The grants authorized under subsection (a)
7 shall not be less than $50 per household per year, nor shall the
8 grants exceed $200 per household per year. Grants shall be
9 limited to one for each household.
10 Section 4. Administration.
11 The department shall administer the grant program under this
12 act in a manner consistent with the administration of grants
13 under LIHEAP as provided in the State plan for the applicable
14 fiscal year.
15 Section 5. Appropriation.
16 The sum of $11,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
17 necessary, is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the
18 Department of Public Welfare for the fiscal year July 1, 2001,
19 to June 30, 2002, for the purpose of making the heating
20 assistance grants as authorized by this act.
21 Section 6. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect immediately.
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