NY State Senate Bill 2011-S1091

Senate Bill S1091

2011-2012 Legislative Session

Provides for home cooling needs assistance through the low-income home energy assistance program

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 04, 2012	referred to social services
Jan 05, 2011	referred to social services

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2011-S1091 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §97, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2009-2010 Legislative Session:: S2276

2011-S1091 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for home cooling needs assistance through the low-income home energy assistance program developed by the office of temporary and disability assistance.

2011-S1091 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S1091

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the social services law, in relation to providing for home
cooling needs assistance for low income households

PURPOSE:
Provides for home cooling needs assistance through the Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1.  Section 97 of the social services law is amended by
adding a new subdivision 6.

The office of temporary and disability assistance is authorized to
develop a plan, in accordance with state plan and federal regulations,
which would establish a program to help eligible low-income households
meet their home cooling needs.

It authorizes the department to act for the state in negotiations with
the federal government relative to the plan, and make arrangements to
submit, implement, administer and operate the plan.

It authorizes the department to secure for the state the benefits
available under the act.

It allows for the purchase of air conditioners and/or monetary
assistance with energy cooling bills.

Section two is the enacting clause.

EXISTING LAW:
Currently, the HEAP program, as administered by the state's Office of
Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Office for the Aging, the
Division of Housing and Community Renewal and local
Departments of Social Services, grants money to qualifying low-income
households for help with heating bills.

JUSTIFICATION:
Summer heat waves can be deadly to older people and people with
disabilities who do not have access to air conditioning.

Energy bills have gone up by as much as 40% recently, and are
anticipated to continue climbing. The price of energy spikes during
the summer months when more electricity is used than at any other
time. Summer cooling, especially in urban areas, will become even
more expensive over time, when energy shortages are expected. These
higher bills, coupled with the sluggish economy, can be lethal for
many low-income people.

This bill will allow qualifying low-income families, people with
disabilities and older people to access grant money to buy air
conditioners and/or pay for electric bills in the summer.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:


2009-10:  S.2276/A.1459 - Passed both houses, veto memo 6742
2008-09:  S.2474/A.700
2006-07:  S.1354/A.6794

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The LIHEAP program is a federally-funded program, currently funded to
New York State as the HEAP program (Home Energy Assistance Program)
at $220 million. This bill will expand the program to include summer
cooling needs, and direct the State to negotiate with the federal
government for additional funding.

LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act shall take effect immediately.

2011-S1091 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1091

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             January 5, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER,  DIAZ,  DILAN, HASSELL-THOMPSON, KRUEGER,
  MONTGOMERY, PERKINS, SAMPSON -- read twice and  ordered  printed,  and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services

AN  ACT  to  amend the social services law, in relation to providing for
  home cooling needs assistance for low income households

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Section 97 of the social services law is amended by adding
a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
  6. THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE IS AUTHORIZED  TO
DEVELOP  A  PLAN  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  THE STATE PLAN AND FEDERAL REGU-
LATIONS, TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO HELP ELIGIBLE LOW  INCOME  HOUSEHOLDS
MEET  THEIR  HOME COOLING NEEDS, AND TO AMEND AND TO TAKE WHATEVER OTHER
ACTION MAY BE NECESSARY WITH RESPECT TO SUCH PLAN,  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
LIMITED  TO,  ACTING  FOR  THE STATE IN ANY NEGOTIATIONS RELATIVE TO THE
SUBMISSION OF SUCH PLAN, AND MAKING SUCH ARRANGEMENTS  AND  TAKING  SUCH
ACTION,  NOT INCONSISTENT WITH LAW, AS MAY BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT, IMPLE-
MENT, ADMINISTER AND OPERATE SUCH PLAN, AND TO SECURE FOR THE STATE  THE
BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER SUCH ACT. SUCH COOLING NEEDS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
NOT  BE LIMITED TO, PURCHASES OF AIR CONDITIONERS AND/OR ASSISTANCE WITH
ENERGY COOLING BILLS.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.




 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01716-01-1

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.