A00775 Summary:
BILL NO | A00775 |
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SAME AS | SAME AS S02357 |
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SPONSOR | Bichotte |
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COSPNSR | Mosley, Joyner, D'Urso, Buchwald, Pichardo |
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MLTSPNSR | Cook |
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Amd §1854, Pub Auth L | |
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Authorizes the New York state energy research and development authority to develop, implement, administer and operate a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; makes an appropriation therefor. |
A00775 Actions:
BILL NO | A00775 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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01/09/2017 | referred to energy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
01/03/2018 | referred to energy |
A00775 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)   BILL NUMBER: A775 SPONSOR: Bichotte
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to authorizing the New York state energy research and develop- ment authority to develop a temporary middle income home energy assist- ance program; making an appropriation therefor and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: 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 SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section one of the legislation establishes, within the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), and with the assist- ance of the Department of Taxation and Finance, the Temporary Middle Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Section two appropriates $1,000,000 for the purpose of enacting this temporary program of assist- ance to middle-income New Yorkers. Section three enacts the legislation immediately and sunsets the program on April 1, 2017.   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 the 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.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2015-16: A. 6816A - Referred to Energy 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, 2018.
A00775 Text:
Go to top STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 775 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Energy AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to authorizing the New York state energy research and development authority to devel- op a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; making an appropriation therefor and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows: 3 9. Temporary middle income home energy assistance program. (a) The 4 authority is authorized, in conjunction with the department of taxation 5 and finance, to develop, implement, administer and operate a plan, and 6 hold funds available for such plan, to make available one-time supple- 7 menting grants for the purpose of assisting eligible households to 8 obtain home heating fuel. 9 (b) For purposes of this subdivision, the term "home heating fuel" 10 shall mean fuel oil, coal, wood, propane, natural gas, electricity, 11 steam, kerosene and any other fuel when used for residential heating 12 purposes. 13 (c) The authority is required, in accordance with the plan established 14 in paragraph (a) of this subdivision, to participate in the temporary 15 middle income home energy assistance program and to assist eligible 16 households to obtain middle income home energy assistance. 17 (d) Persons who qualify for middle income home energy assistance in 18 accordance with standards promulgated by the authority, shall be certi- 19 fied as eligible for and entitled to receive such home energy assist- 20 ance. No person, however, shall be certified as eligible for and enti- 21 tled to receive such home energy assistance if no state funds are 22 available for such purpose. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02149-01-7A. 775 2 1 (e) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the contrary, 2 the amount of any home energy assistance payments or allowances provided 3 to an eligible household under such plan shall not be considered income 4 or resources of such households, or of any member thereof, for any 5 purpose under any state law. 6 § 2. The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000), or so much thereof 7 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the New York state energy 8 research and development authority out of any moneys in the state treas- 9 ury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes fund, not 10 otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose 11 of supporting the temporary middle income home energy assistance 12 program. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the 13 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the New York state 14 energy research and development authority in the manner prescribed by 15 law. 16 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 17 deemed repealed April 1, 2019.