2008 Legislative Summit LIHEAP update

Human Services & Welfare and Agriculture & Energy Committees Federal Update: LIHEAP Remains a Focal Point for Congress

Updated July 18, 2008

Where We've Been So Far…
Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and other members have made several attempts to offering amendments to include more funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in various legislative packages moving through the Senate since January. A $1 billion increase was almost included in the Stimulus Package, which was signed into law by President Bush on February 13, 2008 but was dropped during final negotiations on the package. In June, $1 billion almost made it into the supplemental defense appropriation bill. The funding was dropped from the spending bill due to a veto threat from the Bush administration, who professed that the bill would not receive the President’s signature unless all nondefense spending was removed.

In the meantime, the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), which represents the state LIHEAP directors, announced that the number of households receiving LIHEAP funds is at its highest in 16 years, up to 5.8 million households, and that the number of households in arrears to utilities are at record levels, up 14.8 percent from last year.

The Administration has also made efforts to help address funding shortfalls and alleviate the crunch of high energy costs through several releases from the LIHEAP Contingency Fund including two 50 state distributions in September 2007 and January 2008. See the attached chart for a review of the last seven contingency distributions. As of July 2008, $120 million remains available for distribution in the contingency fund.

What's Going on NOW
Senator Sanders, in his continuing fight to get more funding for LIHEAP, has decided to introduce a bill that would add an additional $2.53 billion to the program’s FY 2008 funding, to be divided equally between the formula and emergency contingency portions of the program. The bill, S. 3186 and titled Warm in Winter, Cool in Summer Act, has41 co-sponsors and was brought up on the Senate floor on July 17 twice; Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nevada) first attempted to pass S. 3186 by unanimous consent, but an objection was heard. He then tried to give each side of the aisle the opportunity to offer up to three germane amendments a piece, but again an objection was heard. The bill is still on the list for consideration, and is expected to be brought to the floor again before Congress breaks for its August recess.

Additionally, Senators Jack Reed (Rhode Island) and Susan Collins (Maine) are urging Senate leadership to include $2.5 billion for FY 2008 LIHEAP funding in any future economic stimulus package or other appropriate legislative vehicle.

On the House side, Representatives James Oberstar (Minnesota), Steven LaTourette (Ohio), and Ed Markey (Massachusetts) are following a similar path as Senators Reed and Snowe, and are urging the House leadership to include at least $3.12 billion for FY 2008 LIHEAP funding in any future economic stimulus package or other appropriate legislative vehicle. NCSL has sent letters of support of these efforts.

Appropriations for FY 2009
On June 19, the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education Appropriations added $200 million for FY 2009 LIHEAP funding. The full House Appropriations Committee, however, has yet to take up the report from the subcommittee.

On the Senate side, the Appropriations Committee has recommended that the funding for FY 2009 remain at FY 2008 levels, $2.57 billion. The breakdown between the grant program and the contingency fund would also remain at FY 2008 levels; $1.98 billion for the State grant program and $590 million for the contingency fund.

Although chairs of both the Senate and House Appropriations committees, Senator Robert Byrd (West Virginia) and Representative Dave Obey (Wisconsin) have expressed a desire to finish all appropriations bills, the general consensus on Capitol Hill is that a Continuing Resolution will be passed to fund almost all government agencies until a new administration has taken office.

For more information on LIHEAP and for state-by-state breakdowns, please visit the following sites:

·         The Campaign for Home Energy Assistance – LIHEAP State Fact Sheets: http://www.liheap.org/factsheet.html
·         The Northeast-Midwest Coalitions – bipartisan Senate and House coalitions that advance federal policies to enhance the region’s economy and environment.  www.nemw.org/energy_coalition.htm
·         The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) – only nonprofit organization that represents the Governor-designated energy officials from each state and territory. http://www.naseo.org/
·         National Association for State Community Services Programs – http://www.nascsp.org/
·         Federal LIHEAP Office - www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/
·         LIHEAP Clearinghouse - http://liheap.ncat.org/

For more information, please contact:
Sheri Steisel, Committee Director, Human Services (Sheri.Steisel@ncsl.org), Lee Posey, Committee Director, Human Services and Agriclulture & Energy (Lee.Posey@ncsl.org), Tamra Speilvogel, Committee Director, Agriculture & Energy and Environment (Tamra.Spielvogel@ncsl.org), or Amanda Naughton, Policy Specialist, Agriculture & Energy, environment, and Human Services (Amanda.Naughton@ncsl.org) at 202.624.5400

50 State Chart: Distribution by State of LIHEAP
Contingency Funds (March 2006-July 2008)

State

3/24/2006

9/12/2006

8/29/2007

9/27/2007

9/27/2007

1/16/2008

2/21/2008

TOTALS

AL

$4,523,491

$911,873

$1,288,320

$6,723,684

AK

$3,902,854

$1,430,796

$1,167,785

$582,069

$3,557,138

$778,303

$11,418,945

AZ

$440,993

$623,047

$1,064,040

AR

$2,256,931

$695,802

$983,049

$3,935,782

CA

$4,891,934

$6,911,464

$11,803,398

CO

$11,436,722

$1,705,665

$8,059,412

$21,201,799

CT

$14,919,607

$6,073,328

$4,956,918

$2,225,100

$13,598,024

$3,303,678

$45,076,655

DE

$541,480

$295,339

$826,638

$294,546

$1,958,003

DC

$345,562

$488,219

$833,781

FL

$1,442,856

$2,038,508

$3,481,364

GA

$6,444,253

$1,140,799

$1,611,753

$9,196,805

HI

$114,885

$162,313

$277,198

ID

$665,323

$939,987

$1,605,310

IL

$41,294,895

$6,158,693

$29,100,350

$76,553,938

IN

$18,697,169

$2,788,483

$13,175,820

$34,661,472

IA

$13,250,934

$1,976,235

$9,337,881

$24,565,050

KS

$2,148,099

$907,576

$4,288,374

$7,344,049

KY

$3,872,747

$1,451,117

$2,050,180

$7,374,044

LA

$4,422,321

$932,250

$1,317,110

$6,671,681

ME

$9,665,527

$7,067,369

$5,768,233

$1,441,510

$8,809,352

$3,844,401

$36,596,392

MD

$1,878,119

$1,703,731

$2,407,080

$5,988,930

MA

$29,844,155

$9,177,848

$7,490,761

$4,450,937

$27,200,551

$4,992,428

$83,156,680

MI

$39,205,884

$5,847,139

$27,628,231

$72,681,254

MN

$28,245,621

$4,212,533

$19,904,577

$52,362,731

MS

$2,712,464

$781,790

$1,104,535

$4,598,789

MO

$16,494,794

$4,945,219

$2,460,022

$11,623,816

$35,523,851

MT

$5,232,567

$780,382

$3,687,369

$9,700,318

NE

$6,553,095

$977,324

$4,617,940

$12,148,359

NV

$207,121

$292,627

$499,748

NH

$5,648,890

$2,981,438

$2,433,385

$842,472

$5,148,509

$1,621,798

$18,676,492

NJ

$27,705,656

$5,271,777

$4,132,003

$25,251,481

$2,867,662

$65,228,579

NM

$552,092

$780,012

$1,332,104

NY

$90,463,157

$25,821,368

$13,491,614

$82,449,906

$14,045,921

$226,271,966

NC

$2,099,841

$6,986,902

$2,010,660

$2,840,718

$13,938,121

ND

$5,684,151

$847,730

$4,005,599

$10,537,480

OH

$36,531,507

$5,448,284

$25,743,608

$67,723,399

OK

$3,028,964

$838,199

$1,184,231

$5,051,394

OR

$1,321,962

$1,867,706

$3,189,668

PA

$48,592,062

$11,268,959

$7,246,987

$44,287,763

$6,129,919

$117,525,690

RI

$4,912,518

$1,550,154

$1,265,202

$732,650

$4,477,366

$843,229

$13,781,119

SC

$3,593,166

$724,213

$1,023,189

$5,340,568

SD

$4,616,526

$688,506

$3,253,247

$8,558,279

TN

$5,065,443

$1,469,951

$2,076,788

$8,612,182

TX

$2,400,430

$3,391,396

$5,791,826

UT

$5,314,672

$792,627

$3,745,228

$9,852,527

VT

$4,234,044

$2,349,628

$1,917,716

$631,462

$3,858,991

$1,278,115

$14,269,956

VA

$2,447,895

$2,075,335

$2,932,092

$7,455,322

WA

$2,174,446

$3,072,119

$5,246,565

WV

$960,314

$1,356,760

$2,317,074

WI

$25,425,115

$3,791,884

$17,916,977

$47,133,976

WY

$2,127,878

$317,352

$1,499,507

$3,944,737

Territories

$143,784

$203,142

$346,926

Total

$500,000,000

$79,960,000

$50,000,000

$25,000,000

$106,170,000

$450,000,000

$40,000,000

$1,251,130,000

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

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Human Services & Welfare and Agriculture & Energy Committees Federal Update: LIHEAP Remains a Focal Point for Congress

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