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| [ Introduced ] | [ Engrossed ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB0448ham002
LRB9203750DJgcam02
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 448
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 448, AS AMENDED, by
3 replacing the title with the following:
4 "AN ACT in relation to assistance for low-income
5 persons."; and
6 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
7 following:
8 "Section 5. The Energy Assistance Act of 1989 is amended
9 by changing Section 6 as follows:
10 (305 ILCS 20/6) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1406)
11 Sec. 6. Eligibility, Conditions of Participation, and
12 Energy Assistance.
13 (a) Any person who is a resident of the State of
14 Illinois and whose household income is not greater than an
15 amount determined annually by the Department, in consultation
16 with the Policy Advisory Council, may apply for assistance
17 pursuant to this Act in accordance with regulations
18 promulgated by the Department. In setting the annual
19 eligibility level, the Department shall consider the amount
20 of available funding and may not set a limit higher than the
21 household income level established pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
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1 8624(b)(2)(B). In the event that 42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2)(B)
2 authorizes more than one maximum household income level, the
3 Department may set the eligibility level at the level that
4 results in the largest number of persons eligible for
5 assistance. 150% of the federal nonfarm poverty level as
6 established by the federal Office of Management and Budget.
7 (b) Applicants who qualify for assistance pursuant to
8 subsection (a) of this Section shall, subject to
9 appropriation from the General Assembly and subject to
10 availability of funds to the Department, receive energy
11 assistance as provided by this Act. The Department, upon
12 receipt of monies authorized pursuant to this Act for energy
13 assistance, shall commit funds for each qualified applicant
14 in an amount determined by the Department. In determining
15 the amounts of assistance to be provided to or on behalf of a
16 qualified applicant, the Department shall ensure that the
17 highest amounts of assistance go to households with the
18 greatest energy costs in relation to household income. The
19 Department shall include factors such as energy costs,
20 household size, household income, and region of the State
21 when determining individual household benefits. In setting
22 assistance levels, the Department shall attempt to provide
23 assistance to approximately the same number of households who
24 participated in the 1991 Residential Energy Assistance
25 Partnership Program. Such assistance levels shall be
26 adjusted annually on the basis of funding availability. In
27 promulgating rules for the administration of this Section the
28 Department shall assure that a minimum of 1/3 of funds
29 available for benefits to eligible households are made
30 available to households who are eligible for public
31 assistance and that elderly and disabled households are
32 offered a one-month application period.
33 (c) If the applicant is not a customer of an energy
34 provider for winter energy services or an applicant for such
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1 service, such applicant shall receive a direct energy
2 assistance payment in an amount established by the Department
3 for all such applicants under this Act; provided, however,
4 that such an applicant must have rental expenses for housing
5 greater than 30% of household income.
6 (d) If the applicant is a customer of an energy
7 provider, such applicant shall receive energy assistance in
8 an amount established by the Department for all such
9 applicants under this Act, such amount to be paid by the
10 Department to the energy provider supplying winter energy
11 service to such applicant. Such applicant shall:
12 (i) make all reasonable efforts to apply to any
13 other appropriate source of public energy assistance; and
14 (ii) sign a waiver permitting the Department to
15 receive income information from any public or private
16 agency providing income or energy assistance and from any
17 employer, whether public or private.
18 (e) Any qualified applicant pursuant to this Section may
19 receive or have paid on such applicant's behalf an emergency
20 assistance payment to enable such applicant to obtain access
21 to winter energy services. Any such payments shall be made
22 in accordance with regulations of the Department.
23 (Source: P.A. 91-936, eff. 1-10-01.)
24 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25 becoming law.".