093_SB1066sam001











                                     LRB093 08059 DRJ 13628 a

 1                    AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1066

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend Senate Bill 1066 on page 1, by
 3    replacing lines 4 and 5 with the following:

 4        "Section 1.  Short title. This Act may be  cited  as  the
 5    Good Samaritan Energy Plan Act.

 6        Section 5.  Definitions. In this Act:
 7        "Department"   means   the  Department  of  Commerce  and
 8    Economic Opportunity.
 9        "LIHEAP" means the energy assistance program  established
10    under the Energy Assistance Act of 1989.

11        Section  10.  Legislative  findings. The General Assembly
12    finds that high  electric  and  gas  bill  arrearages  are  a
13    serious problem for low-income utility consumers in Illinois,
14    often  impeding  access to service. The General Assembly also
15    finds that the inability to  have  electric  or  gas  service
16    connected  due  to  high arrearages is a threat to the health
17    and safety of many low-income  households  in  Illinois.  The
18    General  Assembly  further  finds that eligibility for LIHEAP
19    does  not  alleviate  the  burden  of  high  arrearages   for
20    low-income utility consumers and is not enough to enable many
21    households to have electric or gas service connected.
 
                            -2-      LRB093 08059 DRJ 13628 a
 1        Section  15.  Good  Samaritan Energy Trust Fund. The Good
 2    Samaritan Energy Trust Fund is created as a special  fund  in
 3    the State treasury. The Department shall administer the Fund.
 4    The   Department  shall  deposit  moneys  received  from  the
 5    following sources into the Fund:
 6             (1)  Voluntary    donations    from     individuals,
 7        foundations, corporations, and other sources.
 8             (2)  Proceeds  from  fundraising events held for the
 9        purpose of generating moneys for the Fund.

10        Section 20.  Solicitation of contributions to  Fund.  The
11    Department   may   insert  a  fundraising  letter  requesting
12    voluntary contributions to the Fund in utility bills 2  times
13    each  year  to  solicit contributions to the Fund. All public
14    utilities doing business in  the  State  shall  cooperate  in
15    allowing  the  Department  to insert fundraising solicitation
16    letters in their utility bills.

17        Section 25.  Administration of Fund. The Department shall
18    administer the Good Samaritan  Energy  Trust  Fund  with  the
19    advice and consent of the Low Income Energy Assistance Policy
20    Advisory  Council established under the Energy Assistance Act
21    of 1989. Donations  received  for  the  Fund  shall  be  made
22    available   for  the  purpose  of  alleviating  utility  bill
23    arrearages for households  determined  eligible  for  LIHEAP.
24    Resources  from  the  Fund  shall  be  awarded  to local area
25    agencies that have existing contracts with the Department  to
26    administer LIHEAP in Illinois.

27        Section   30.  Distribution  of  moneys  from  Fund.  The
28    Department, with the advice and consent  of  the  Low  Income
29    Energy  Assistance  Policy  Advisory Council, shall establish
30    priorities for the  distribution  of  moneys  from  the  Good
31    Samaritan Energy Trust Fund to low-income consumers to enable
 
                            -3-      LRB093 08059 DRJ 13628 a
 1    them  to pay gas or electric bill arrearages in order to have
 2    household  gas  or  electric   utility   service   connected.
 3    Low-income  consumers  who  are  unable to have their service
 4    connected even with a LIHEAP grant shall be given preference.

 5        Section 35.  Annual report. On or before May 31  of  each
 6    year,  beginning  in  2005,  the  Department shall provide an
 7    annual  report  to  the  General  Assembly  on  the  use  and
 8    effectiveness of the Good Samaritan Energy  Trust  Fund.  The
 9    report  shall  include the amount of money deposited into the
10    Fund, the amount of money  allocated  by  the  Fund  for  the
11    direct   benefit  of  low-income  consumers,  the  number  of
12    low-income households served by  the  Fund,  by  county,  and
13    recommendations for improving the operation and effectiveness
14    of the Fund.

15        Section  90.  The  State Finance Act is amended by adding
16    Section 5.595 as follows:

17        (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new)
18        Sec. 5.595.  The Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund.

19        Section 99.  Effective date. This Act takes  effect  upon
20    becoming law.".