Sec. 16a-41a. Implementation of block grant program authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act. Annual plan. Program for purchase of deliverable fuel at a reduced rate for low-income h
Sec. 16a-41a. Implementation of block grant program authorized under the
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act. Annual plan. Program for purchase of
deliverable fuel at a reduced rate for low-income households. Annual Reports. (a)
The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit to the joint standing committees of
the General Assembly having cognizance of energy planning and activities, appropriations, and human services the following on the implementation of the block grant program authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as
amended:
(1) Not later than August first, annually, a Connecticut energy assistance program
annual plan which establishes guidelines for the use of funds authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as amended, and includes the following:
(A) Criteria for determining which households are to receive emergency and weatherization assistance;
(B) A description of systems used to ensure referrals to other energy assistance
programs and the taking of simultaneous applications, as required under section 16a-41;
(C) A description of outreach efforts;
(D) Estimates of the total number of households eligible for assistance under the
program and the number of households in which one or more elderly or physically
disabled individuals eligible for assistance reside; and
(E) Design of a basic grant for eligible households that does not discriminate against
such households based on the type of energy used for heating;
(2) Not later than January thirtieth, annually, a report covering the preceding months
of the program year, including:
(A) In each community action agency geographic area and Department of Social
Services region, the number of fuel assistance applications filed, approved and denied,
the number of emergency assistance requests made, approved and denied and the number
of households provided weatherization assistance;
(B) In each such area and district, the total amount of fuel, emergency and weatherization assistance, itemized by such type of assistance, and total expenditures to date; and
(C) For each state-wide office of each state agency administering the program, each
community action agency and each Department of Social Services region, administrative expenses under the program, by line item, and an estimate of outreach expenditures; and
(3) Not later than November first, annually, a report covering the preceding twelve
calendar months, including:
(A) In each community action agency geographic area and Department of Social
Services region, (i) seasonal totals for the categories of data submitted under subdivision
(1) of this subsection, (ii) the number of households receiving fuel assistance in which
elderly or physically disabled individuals reside, and (iii) the average combined benefit
level of fuel, emergency and renter assistance;
(B) Types of weatherization assistance provided;
(C) Percentage of weatherization assistance provided to tenants;
(D) The number of homeowners and tenants whose heat or total energy costs are
not included in their rent receiving fuel and emergency assistance under the program
by benefit level;
(E) The number of homeowners and tenants whose heat is included in their rent
and who are receiving assistance, by benefit level; and
(F) The number of households receiving assistance, by energy type and total expenditures for each energy type.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement a program to purchase
deliverable fuel for low-income households participating in the Connecticut energy
assistance program and the state-appropriated fuel assistance program. The commissioner shall ensure that no fuel vendor discriminates against fuel assistance program
recipients who are under the vendor's standard payment, delivery, service or other similar plans. The commissioner may take advantage of programs offered by fuel vendors
that reduce the cost of the fuel purchased, including, but not limited to, fixed price,
capped price, prepurchase or summer-fill programs that reduce program cost and that
make the maximum use of program revenues. As funding allows, the commissioner
shall ensure that all agencies administering the fuel assistance program shall make payments to program fuel vendors in advance of the delivery of energy where vendor provided price-management strategies require payments in advance.
(c) Each community action agency administering a fuel assistance program shall
submit reports, as requested by the Commissioner of Social Services, concerning pricing
information from vendors of deliverable fuel participating in the program. Such information shall include, but not be limited to, the state-wide or regional retail price per unit
of deliverable fuel, the reduced price per unit paid by the state for the deliverable fuel
in utilizing price management strategies offered by program vendors for all consumers,
the number of units delivered to the state under the program and the total savings under
the program due to the purchase of deliverable fuel utilizing price-management strategies offered by program vendors for all consumers.
(d) If funding allows, the Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with
the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall require that, each community action agency administering a fuel assistance program begin accepting applications
for the program not later than September first of each year.
(Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-9, S. 1, 4; P.A. 91-234, S. 1, 3; P.A. 93-113, S. 2, 3; P.A. 93-262, S. 12, 87; P.A. 05-123, S. 1;
P.A. 07-242, S. 66; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 102.)
History: P.A. 91-234 deleted obsolete language re first report after January 27, 1982, required in Subsec. (a)(1), and
added a new Subsec. (e) requiring the secretary to implement a program to purchase number two home heating oil at a
reduced rate for the Connecticut energy assistance program and the state-appropriated fuel assistance program; P.A. 93-113 amended Subsec. (a) by adding the appropriations committee, amending Subdiv. (1) by substituting annual plan for
two initial reports, deleting Subpara. (B) regarding emergency request system, relettering Subparas. (C) to (E), and relettered
Subpara. (D) deleting provision requiring that estimates be made by geographic area and income maintenance district,
amending Subdiv. (2) by substituting an annual report for six monthly reports, and in Subpara. (B) adding total expenditures
to date, amending Subdiv. (3) by changing September first to November first, in Subpara. (A) changing data submitted
under Subdiv. (2) to data submitted under Subdiv. (1), deleting provisions regarding number of appeals, assistance for
households receiving weatherization assistance and processing time averages, and adding benefit level of renter assistance,
deleting Subparas. (D) and (E) regarding percentage of fuel assistance provided to tenants with heat not included in rent
and recipients of 100% of eligible assistance, relettering Subpara. (F) as (D) and changing categories of amount of assistance
received to "by benefit level", adding new Subparas. (E), regarding the number of recipients with heat included in rent,
and (F), regarding number of recipient households, deleted Subsecs. (c) and (d) regarding low-income home energy assistance reports and costs of carrying out the provisions of section, and relettered Subsec. (e) as (c), effective June 3, 1993;
P.A. 93-262 replaced secretary of the office of policy and management with commissioner of social services, replaced
references to income maintenance districts with references to social services regions, deleted Subsec. (b) requiring human
resources and income maintenance departments to submit information requested by the secretary for inclusion in his reports,
relettering remaining Subsecs. as necessary, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 05-123 added Subsec. (a)(1)(E) re basic grant
that does not discriminate based on the type of energy used; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (b) to change fuel purchased
from number two home heating oil to deliverable fuel, move reporting requirements to new Subsec. (c), prohibit discrimination against program participants, require commissioner to take advantage of any price-reduction programs and provide
for payments to be made in advance and added new Subsec. (d) re applications to be accepted before September first each
year, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4 amended Subsec. (b) to delete requirement that commissioner ensure
that all fuel assistance recipients are treated the same as any other similarly situated customer, change "commissioner
shall" to "commissioner may" take advantage of programs offered by vendors, and provide that commissioner shall ensure
that all agencies make payments in advance of delivery "as funding allows" and amended Subsec. (d) to provide that
Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall require
agencies to begin accepting applications if funding allows, effective July 1, 2007.