Chuck
January 18th, 2006, 11:53 AM
FRANKFORT -- The House budget committee approved legislation today that would free up $5 million in state budget reserve funds for emergency home heating assistance statewide.
Should House Bill 283 pass this session, $5 million in state budget reserve, or "rainy day," funds would be made immediately available for home heating assistance through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. A lack of federal funding for the 2005-06 LIHEAP program has left many states scrambling to meet their citizens' low-energy heating assistance needs.
Kip Bowmar, executive director of the Kentucky Association of Community Action Agencies, told the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee that the emergency funding would be the first state allocation ever made by the Commonwealth to supplement LIHEAP.
The state's current LIHEAP funding, which is distributed by community action agencies statewide, is expected to be exhausted within three weeks. With at least six weeks of winter left, Bowmar said the extra funds are needed.
"As we all know from opening our own gas bills this winter, there is clearly a crisis in home heating," he said.
Kentucky would join a number of states including Pennsylvania and Virginia that supplement the federal LIHEAP program should the bill become law, according to Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, who is the primary sponsor of HB 283.
HB 283 also proposes that regulated utilities report to the Kentucky Public Service Commission each year on their participation in and planning for residential weatherization and low-income heating assistance programs.
HB 283 now goes to the full House for its consideration
Should House Bill 283 pass this session, $5 million in state budget reserve, or "rainy day," funds would be made immediately available for home heating assistance through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. A lack of federal funding for the 2005-06 LIHEAP program has left many states scrambling to meet their citizens' low-energy heating assistance needs.
Kip Bowmar, executive director of the Kentucky Association of Community Action Agencies, told the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee that the emergency funding would be the first state allocation ever made by the Commonwealth to supplement LIHEAP.
The state's current LIHEAP funding, which is distributed by community action agencies statewide, is expected to be exhausted within three weeks. With at least six weeks of winter left, Bowmar said the extra funds are needed.
"As we all know from opening our own gas bills this winter, there is clearly a crisis in home heating," he said.
Kentucky would join a number of states including Pennsylvania and Virginia that supplement the federal LIHEAP program should the bill become law, according to Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, who is the primary sponsor of HB 283.
HB 283 also proposes that regulated utilities report to the Kentucky Public Service Commission each year on their participation in and planning for residential weatherization and low-income heating assistance programs.
HB 283 now goes to the full House for its consideration