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A00775 Summary:

A00775 Actions:

A00775 Memo:

NEW 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:

 
                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.
                                                                   LBD02149-01-7
        A. 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.