NY State Senate Bill 2019-S4179

Senate Bill S4179

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Authorizes the New York state energy research and development authority to develop a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; appropriation

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance 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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to finance
Mar 04, 2019	referred to finance

co-Sponsors

2019-S4179 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3290
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Laws Affected:: Amd §1854, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2457
2011-2012: S1064
2013-2014: S1614
2015-2016: S2529, A6816
2017-2018: S2357, A775
2021-2022: S3322, A6828
2023-2024: S2588, A1949

2019-S4179 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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.

2019-S4179 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S4179

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
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:

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 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 assistance to middle-income New Yorkers.

Section three enacts the legislation immediately and sunsets the program
on April 1, 2020.

 
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 Disabil-
ity Assistance, is federally-funded, and has income eligibility crite-
ria. (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 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.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017/18 - S2357 - 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, 2019.

2019-S4179 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4179
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 4, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER, BAILEY, KENNEDY, MONTGOMERY -- read twice
   and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
   on Finance
 
 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:
 
   Section 1. Section 1854 of the public authorities law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
   9.  TEMPORARY  MIDDLE  INCOME  HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (A) THE
 AUTHORITY IS AUTHORIZED, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF  TAXATION
 AND  FINANCE,  TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER AND OPERATE A PLAN, AND
 HOLD FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SUCH PLAN, TO MAKE AVAILABLE  ONE-TIME  SUPPLE-
 MENTING  GRANTS  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  ASSISTING ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS TO
 OBTAIN HOME HEATING FUEL.
   (B) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE  TERM  "HOME  HEATING  FUEL"
 SHALL  MEAN  FUEL  OIL,  COAL,  WOOD, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS, ELECTRICITY,
 STEAM, KEROSENE AND ANY OTHER FUEL WHEN  USED  FOR  RESIDENTIAL  HEATING
 PURPOSES.
   (C) THE AUTHORITY IS REQUIRED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLAN ESTABLISHED
 IN  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF THIS SUBDIVISION, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEMPORARY
 MIDDLE INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  AND  TO  ASSIST  ELIGIBLE
 HOUSEHOLDS TO OBTAIN MIDDLE INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE.
   (D)  PERSONS  WHO  QUALIFY FOR MIDDLE INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARDS PROMULGATED BY THE AUTHORITY, SHALL BE  CERTI-
 FIED  AS  ELIGIBLE  FOR AND ENTITLED TO RECEIVE SUCH HOME ENERGY ASSIST-
 ANCE. NO PERSON, HOWEVER, SHALL BE CERTIFIED AS ELIGIBLE FOR  AND  ENTI-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00368-01-9

 S. 4179                             2
 
 TLED  TO  RECEIVE  SUCH  HOME  ENERGY  ASSISTANCE  IF NO STATE FUNDS ARE
 AVAILABLE FOR SUCH PURPOSE.
   (E) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY,
 THE AMOUNT OF ANY HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS OR ALLOWANCES PROVIDED
 TO  AN ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD UNDER SUCH PLAN SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED INCOME
 OR RESOURCES OF SUCH HOUSEHOLDS, OR  OF  ANY  MEMBER  THEREOF,  FOR  ANY
 PURPOSE UNDER ANY STATE LAW.
   §  2.  The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000), or so much thereof
 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the New York state energy
 research and development authority out of any moneys in the state treas-
 ury in the general fund to the credit of the state  purposes  fund,  not
 otherwise  appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose
 of  supporting  the  temporary  middle  income  home  energy  assistance
 program.    Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the
 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved  by  the  New  York  state
 energy  research  and  development authority in the manner prescribed by
 law.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed April 1, 2021.

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Senate Bill S4179

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Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker