BILL NUMBER: S2588A
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to authorizing the
department of public service to develop a temporary middle income home
energy assistance program; making an appropriation therefor and provid-
ing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
PURPOSE:
To establish a program which will provide home heating fuel assistance
to middle-income families who would otherwise not qualify under the
State/Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the legislation establishes, within the Department of
Public Service, the Temporary Middle Income Home Energy Assistance
Program.
Section two appropriates $1,000,000 for the purpose of enacting this
temporary program of assistance to middle-income New Yorkers.
Section three enacts the legislation immediately and sunsets the program
on April 1, 2025.
 
EXISTING LAW:
This is a new program. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program,
after which this program is modeled, is established in Social Services
Law § 97. LIHEAP is administered by the Office of Temporary and Disabi-
lAssistance, is federally-funded, and has income eligibility criteria.
(See, http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap)
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Although natural gas prices have stabilized, the cost of heating oil,
wood pellets and propane has not remained stable. With the onset of
colder weather, it is anticipated home heating costs may approach or
exceed the record costs seen in the winter of 2010-2011. When coupled
with the continuing slow recovery of New York's employment, stagnation
of wages and erosion of middle-class savings during the "Great
Recession," it is a clear that there may be widespread inability of New
Yorkers to pay their heating bills. At the same time, funding for low
income heating assistance is falling. Over the last two years, heating
assistance funding has been cut to $3.5 billion from $5.1 billion in
2010. Finally, the number of households receiving assistance fell by 1.1
million over that period. Averting a catastrophe is imperative. And by
providing a State-funded Middle Income Home Energy Assistance program we
are delivering immediate help on an emergency basis to middle-income
families.
The program will be funded through proceeds from carbon permits
auctioned as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2020/21: S3322 - REFERRED TO FINANCE
2019/20: S4179 - REFERRED TO FINANCE
2017/18: S.2357 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2015-16: S.2529A -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2013-14: S.16148-Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2011-12: S.1064-A-Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2009-2010: S.2457 -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2008-2009: S.8757-A- Referred to Rules
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
This bill is estimated to cost $1 million in State revenue.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed April 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S2588: 1854 public authorities law