State of Illinois
91^st General Assembly
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91_HB0050enr

HB0050 Enrolled                                LRB9100312JSgc

 1        AN ACT to amend the Energy  Assistance  Act  of  1989  by
 2    changing Section 6.

 3        Be it  enacted  by  the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.  The Energy Assistance Act of 1989 is amended
 6    by changing Section 6 as follows:

 7        (305 ILCS 20/6) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1406)
 8        Sec. 6.  Eligibility, Conditions  of  Participation,  and
 9    Energy Assistance.
10        (a)  Any  person  who  is  a  resident  of  the  State of
11    Illinois and whose household income is not  greater  than  an
12    amount determined annually by the Department, in consultation
13    with the Policy Advisory Council, 125% of the federal nonfarm
14    poverty  level  as  established  by  the  federal  Office  of
15    Management  and  Budget  may apply for assistance pursuant to
16    this Act in accordance with regulations  promulgated  by  the
17    Department.  In  setting  the  annual  eligibility level, the
18    Department shall consider the amount of available funding and
19    may not set a limit higher than 150% of the  federal  nonfarm
20    poverty  level  as  established  by  the  federal  Office  of
21    Management and Budget.
22        (b)  Applicants  who  qualify  for assistance pursuant to
23    subsection  (a)   of   this   Section   shall,   subject   to
24    appropriation  from  the  General  Assembly  and  subject  to
25    availability  of  funds  to  the  Department,  receive energy
26    assistance as provided by this  Act.   The  Department,  upon
27    receipt  of monies authorized pursuant to this Act for energy
28    assistance, shall commit funds for each  qualified  applicant
29    in  an  amount  determined by the Department.  In determining
30    the amounts of assistance to be provided to or on behalf of a
31    qualified applicant, the Department  shall  ensure  that  the
 
HB0050 Enrolled            -2-                 LRB9100312JSgc
 1    highest  amounts  of  assistance  go  to  households with the
 2    greatest energy costs in relation to household  income.   The
 3    Department  shall  include  factors  such  as  energy  costs,
 4    household  size,  household  income,  and region of the State
 5    when determining individual household benefits.   In  setting
 6    assistance  levels,  the  Department shall attempt to provide
 7    assistance to approximately the same number of households who
 8    participated  in  the  1991  Residential  Energy   Assistance
 9    Partnership   Program.    Such  assistance  levels  shall  be
10    adjusted annually on the basis of funding  availability.   In
11    promulgating rules for the administration of this Section the
12    Department  shall  assure  that  a  minimum  of  1/3 of funds
13    available  for  benefits  to  eligible  households  are  made
14    available  to  households  who  are   eligible   for   public
15    assistance  and  that  elderly  and  disabled  households are
16    offered a one-month application period.
17        (c)  If the applicant is not  a  customer  of  an  energy
18    provider  for winter energy services or an applicant for such
19    service,  such  applicant  shall  receive  a  direct   energy
20    assistance payment in an amount established by the Department
21    for  all  such  applicants under this Act; provided, however,
22    that such an applicant must have rental expenses for  housing
23    greater than 30% of household income.
24        (d)  If   the  applicant  is  a  customer  of  an  energy
25    provider, such applicant shall receive energy  assistance  in
26    an   amount  established  by  the  Department  for  all  such
27    applicants under this Act, such amount  to  be  paid  by  the
28    Department  to  the  energy  provider supplying winter energy
29    service to such applicant.  Such applicant shall:
30             (i)  make all reasonable efforts  to  apply  to  any
31        other appropriate source of public energy assistance; and
32             (ii)  sign  a  waiver  permitting  the Department to
33        receive income information from  any  public  or  private
34        agency providing income or energy assistance and from any
 
HB0050 Enrolled            -3-                 LRB9100312JSgc
 1        employer, whether public or private.
 2        (e)  Any qualified applicant pursuant to this Section may
 3    receive  or have paid on such applicant's behalf an emergency
 4    assistance payment to enable such applicant to obtain  access
 5    to  winter  energy services.  Any such payments shall be made
 6    in accordance with regulations of the Department.
 7    (Source: P.A. 87-14; 88-391.)

 8        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 9    becoming law.

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