PRINTER'S NO. 3898
No. 526 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY STERN, MICHLOVIC, CALTAGIRONE, GEORGE, MUNDY,
READSHAW, S. H. SMITH, BELARDI, DALEY, HERMAN, HESS, SANTONI,
THOMAS, ARMSTRONG, SHANER, COY, ARGALL, STABACK, CAWLEY,
FARGO, TANGRETTI, GORDNER, JAROLIN, FICHTER, TIGUE, ADOLPH,
BAKER, RAMOS, GODSHALL, VAN HORNE, DeLUCA, PHILLIPS, McCALL,
MELIO, ROSS, DALLY, COWELL, SEMMEL, CARN, LAUGHLIN, WILT,
BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, WOJNAROSKI, MASLAND, SATHER, RUBLEY,
SCHULER, GIGLIOTTI, EACHUS, PESCI, CLARK, PETRONE,
E. Z. TAYLOR, GEIST, BARD, J. TAYLOR, MANDERINO, SEYFERT,
PLATTS, YOUNGBLOOD, LEVDANSKY, SAYLOR, KAISER, C. WILLIAMS,
ITKIN AND MAITLAND, SEPTEMBER 29, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, SEPTEMBER 29, 1998
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to appropriate
2 certain funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
3 Program.
4 WHEREAS, The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
5 (LIHEAP) is a vital lifeline to low-income families, working
6 poor households, senior citizens and persons with disabilities
7 in meeting their energy needs; and
8 WHEREAS, Low-income families, the elderly and many working
9 poor Pennsylvanians face a continuing energy crisis with energy
10 burdens that well exceed 15% of their household incomes; and
11 WHEREAS, The Federal funding for LIHEAP significantly eases
12 the home energy affordability crisis faced by millions of
13 Americans; and
14 WHEREAS, LIHEAP is an important part of a two-part energy
1 assistance strategy designed by states to provide energy
2 assistance payments to low-income households through LIHEAP
3 while promoting energy efficiency through the United States
4 Department of Energy's weatherization program; and
5 WHEREAS, LIHEAP is a targeted block grant program, which
6 provides built-in flexibility in Federal-State partnerships, and
7 is the foundation for many programs authorized by state public
8 utility commissions and many gas and electric companies and
9 community service organizations which assist low-income
10 customers:
11 (1) To meet their bill payment obligations through
12 direct assistance, arrearage forgiveness and reduction of
13 bills to more affordable levels.
14 (2) To prevent service terminations in winter as well as
15 during heat emergencies.
16 (3) To help keep working poor households self-
17 sustainable.
18 (4) To help households make the transition from public
19 assistance.
20 (5) To weatherize homes, to repair defective heating
21 equipment and to reduce usage;
22 and
23 WHEREAS, Many low-income Pennsylvanians do not have
24 sufficient income to pay for the basic necessities of life and
25 are experiencing a crisis in paying home energy bills, thereby
26 contributing to a health and safety crisis which is a national,
27 not a local, crisis; and
28 WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives Committee
29 on Appropriations is currently considering a bill that does not
30 include any funding for LIHEAP in fiscal year 1999-2000; and
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1 WHEREAS, The total elimination of funding for LIHEAP will
2 threaten the continuation of the Pennsylvania program that is
3 the foundation for providing a modest amount of energy security
4 for low-income Pennsylvanians; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
6 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of the
7 United States to appropriate at least $1.3 billion for fiscal
8 year 1999-2000 and an advance appropriation of at least $1.3
9 billion for fiscal year 2000-2001 for the Low-Income Home Energy
10 Assistance Program; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
12 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of the
13 United States to reauthorize the LIHEAP program at authorization
14 levels enacted in the Human Services Amendments of 1994 (Public
15 Law 103-252) to ensure that this program more adequately meets
16 the needs of low-income households.
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