Full Text of HB0245 95th General Assembly
HB0245 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008 HB0245
Introduced 1/19/2007, by Rep. David Reis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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305 ILCS 20/6 |
from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1406 |
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Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Provides that if a recipient of energy assistance ceases to receive winter energy service from an energy provider before the end of the winter for which that energy assistance is provided, the energy provider shall credit the remaining unused balance of that recipient's energy assistance to the Local Administering Agency (LAA). Provides that the LAA shall hold those moneys in escrow until the recipient resumes receipt of winter energy service. Provides that when the recipient resumes receipt of winter energy service, the LAA shall ensure that the escrowed moneys are credited to the recipient's new winter energy service account for the remainder of that winter. Provides that the LAA may transfer the escrowed moneys to a different LAA if the recipient establishes an account for the supply of winter energy service in an area under the jurisdiction of a different LAA, and in that case the new LAA shall pay the moneys to the energy provider supplying winter energy service to the recipient. Provides that if the recipient does not establish another account for the supply of winter energy service during that winter, the original LAA may use the escrowed moneys to make energy assistance grants for the following winter.
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A BILL FOR
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HB0245 |
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LRB095 03791 DRJ 23821 b |
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| AN ACT concerning public aid.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Energy Assistance Act is amended by changing | 5 |
| Section 6 as follows:
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| (305 ILCS 20/6) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1406)
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| Sec. 6. Eligibility, Conditions of Participation, and | 8 |
| Energy Assistance.
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| (a) Any person who is a resident of the State of Illinois | 10 |
| and whose
household income is not greater than an amount | 11 |
| determined annually by the
Department, in consultation with the | 12 |
| Policy Advisory Council, may
apply for assistance pursuant to | 13 |
| this Act in accordance with regulations
promulgated by the | 14 |
| Department. In setting the annual eligibility level, the
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| Department shall consider the amount of available funding and | 16 |
| may not set a
limit higher than 150% of the federal nonfarm | 17 |
| poverty level as established by
the federal Office of | 18 |
| Management and Budget.
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| (b) Applicants who qualify for assistance pursuant to | 20 |
| subsection (a) of
this Section shall, subject to appropriation | 21 |
| from the General Assembly and
subject to availability of funds | 22 |
| to the Department, receive energy
assistance as provided by | 23 |
| this Act. The Department, upon receipt
of monies authorized |
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HB0245 |
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LRB095 03791 DRJ 23821 b |
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| pursuant to this Act for energy assistance, shall commit
funds | 2 |
| for each qualified applicant in an amount determined by the
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| Department. In determining the amounts of assistance to be | 4 |
| provided to or
on behalf of a qualified applicant, the | 5 |
| Department shall ensure that the
highest amounts of assistance | 6 |
| go to households with the greatest energy
costs in relation to | 7 |
| household income. The Department shall include
factors such as | 8 |
| energy costs, household size, household income, and region
of | 9 |
| the State when determining individual household benefits. In | 10 |
| setting
assistance levels, the Department shall attempt to | 11 |
| provide assistance to
approximately the same number of | 12 |
| households who participated in the 1991
Residential Energy | 13 |
| Assistance Partnership Program. Such assistance levels
shall | 14 |
| be adjusted annually on the basis of funding
availability and | 15 |
| energy costs. In promulgating rules for the
administration of | 16 |
| this
Section the Department shall assure that a minimum of 1/3 | 17 |
| of funds
available for benefits to eligible households with the | 18 |
| lowest incomes and that elderly and
disabled households are | 19 |
| offered a priority application
period.
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| (c) If the applicant is not a customer of an energy | 21 |
| provider for winter
energy services or an applicant for such | 22 |
| service, such applicant shall
receive a direct energy | 23 |
| assistance payment in an amount established by the
Department | 24 |
| for all such applicants under this Act; provided, however, that
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| such an applicant must have rental expenses for housing greater | 26 |
| than 30% of
household income.
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HB0245 |
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LRB095 03791 DRJ 23821 b |
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| (d) If the applicant is a customer of an energy provider, | 2 |
| such
applicant shall receive energy assistance in an amount | 3 |
| established by the
Department for all such applicants under | 4 |
| this Act, such amount to be paid
by the Department to the | 5 |
| energy provider supplying winter energy service to
such | 6 |
| applicant. Such applicant shall:
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| (i) make all reasonable efforts to apply to any other | 8 |
| appropriate
source of public energy assistance; and
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| (ii) sign a waiver permitting the Department to receive | 10 |
| income
information from any public or private agency | 11 |
| providing income or energy
assistance and from any | 12 |
| employer, whether public or private.
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| (d-5) If a recipient of energy assistance under this Act | 14 |
| ceases to receive winter energy service from an energy provider | 15 |
| before the end of the winter for which that energy assistance | 16 |
| is provided, the energy provider shall credit the remaining | 17 |
| unused balance of that recipient's energy assistance to the | 18 |
| Local Administering Agency. The Local Administering Agency | 19 |
| shall hold those moneys in escrow until the recipient resumes | 20 |
| receipt of winter energy service. When the recipient resumes | 21 |
| receipt of winter energy service, the Local Administering | 22 |
| Agency shall ensure that the escrowed moneys are credited to | 23 |
| the recipient's new winter energy service account for the | 24 |
| remainder of that winter. The Local Administering Agency may | 25 |
| transfer the escrowed moneys to a different Local Administering | 26 |
| Agency if the recipient establishes an account for the supply |
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HB0245 |
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LRB095 03791 DRJ 23821 b |
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| of winter energy service in an area under the jurisdiction of a | 2 |
| different Local Administering Agency, and in that case the new | 3 |
| Local Administering Agency shall pay the moneys to the energy | 4 |
| provider supplying winter energy service to the recipient. If | 5 |
| the recipient does not establish another account for the supply | 6 |
| of winter energy service during that winter, the original Local | 7 |
| Administering Agency may use the escrowed moneys to make energy | 8 |
| assistance grants under this Act for the following winter.
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| (e) Any qualified applicant pursuant to this Section may | 10 |
| receive or have
paid on such applicant's behalf an emergency | 11 |
| assistance payment to enable
such applicant to obtain access to | 12 |
| winter energy services. Any such
payments shall be made in | 13 |
| accordance with regulations of the Department.
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| (f) The Department may, if sufficient funds are available, | 15 |
| provide
additional benefits to certain qualified applicants:
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| (i) for the reduction of past due amounts owed to | 17 |
| energy providers;
and
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| (ii) to assist the household in responding to | 19 |
| excessively high summer
temperatures or energy costs. | 20 |
| Households containing elderly members, children,
a person | 21 |
| with a disability, or a person with a medical need for | 22 |
| conditioned air
shall receive priority for receipt of such | 23 |
| benefits.
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| (Source: P.A. 91-936, eff. 1-10-01; 92-690, eff. 7-18-02.)
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