Sec. 7. Conditions for funding
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Section 2605 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 ( 42 U.S.C. 8624 ) is amended— in subsection (b)— in paragraph (1)(C), by inserting before the semicolon the following: , using toxics-free materials that do not contain asthmagens or respiratory sensitizers, giving priority in the use of those funds under this subparagraph, to the greatest extent practicable, to supporting emergency home repairs that foster energy efficiency, decarbonization, and climate resilience, including through beneficial electrification of heating and cooling ; in paragraph (8), as so redesignated— in subparagraph (C), by striking and at the end; and by adding at the end the following: ensure that— the home energy supplier will not charge late fees for any payment, by a household receiving assistance through the program funded under section 2602(b), during the period beginning 6 months before and ending 6 months after a date on which the supplier receives funds through the program for the household; and if the supplier receives funds through the program for such a household and charged such late fees during that period, the supplier shall refund the fees to the household not later than 7 days after the date the supplier receives the funds; ensure that the home energy supplier will not shut off home energy from a household that received assistance through the program funded under section 2602(b), within the 2-year period beginning on the date the household received the assistance; ensure that the home energy supplier, in return for receiving funds through the program funded under section 2602(b)— will provide to the State data on households that have not paid their home energy bills, to enable the State and the supplier to carry out coordinated outreach concerning assistance available through the program funded under section 2602(b); and will, when sending a notice of late payments to such households, include information on such assistance, on how to access such assistance through the program, and on eligibility criteria for the program; and ensure that the home energy supplier will, not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, in return for receiving assistance under the program funded under section 2602(b) and through a partnership with the State, offer a low-income energy affordability payment program; ; and in paragraph (10), as so redesignated— in subparagraph (A)— by striking 10 percent and inserting 15 percent ; and by striking and at the end; and by adding at the end the following: in planning and administering that program, the State shall use the portion of the amount described in subparagraph (A), that exceeds 10 percent of the funds described in subparagraph (A), to expand the State program funded under section 2602(b) so that the State operates the program on a year-round basis; and in planning and administering that program, the State— shall make technological changes to allow, not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, for online submission of applications for assistance through that program; and shall, to the extent practicable— conduct outreach activities, including activities to increase enrollment as described in subsection (p); ensure that all HEAP coordinators in the State receive wages, for administration funded under section 2602(b), at not less than the greater of $15 per hour or the applicable Federal, State, or local minimum wage rate; conduct training for HEAP coordinators, State agency staff, and community partners on best practices for outreach, application processing, and assisting eligible households; as needed, conduct outreach relating to the program funded under section 2602(b) to rural electric cooperatives, home energy suppliers owned by a political subdivision of a State, such as a municipally owned electric utility, and home energy suppliers owned by any agency, authority, corporation, or instrumentality of a political subdivision of a State; and ensure autoenrollment of eligible households into the program funded under section 2602(b), and in the process document any potential barriers to autoenrollment that need to be clarified or otherwise addressed at the Federal level; ; in subsection (c)(1)— in subparagraph (G), by striking and at the end; by redesignating subparagraph
(H)as subparagraph (I); and by inserting after subparagraph
(G)the following: describes how the State will expand the State program funded under section 2602(b) so that the State operates the program on a year-round basis in accordance with subsection (b)(10)(C) and the measures the State has taken so far to carry out that expansion; and ; and by adding at the end the following: The Secretary shall allow, to the greatest extent possible, eligible households to obtain assistance with minimal administrative burden, by carrying out subsection (c)(1)(A)(i). The Secretary shall, by grant or contract, provide for a study that examines the rates of home energy shutoffs and assessments of late fees among eligible households, relative to those rates for households that are not eligible households, over a period of several years. The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to States to support partnerships described in subsection (b)(8)(H). The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall issue guidance for use of funds for administrative activities described in subsection (b)(10) to increase, through partnerships with elementary schools, secondary schools, and local educational agencies, enrollment in the program funded under section 2602(b) among eligible households that include children and that have high energy burdens. The Secretary shall issue guidance for use by States on outreach relating to assistance through the program funded under section 2602(b) to high-risk individuals, with relevant medical conditions, that benefit from the use of medical equipment that requires electricity, including a ventilator, an oxygen concentrator, or another medical device that requires electricity. The Secretary shall issue guidance for use by States on how to ensure that eligible households are aware of additional grants, tax credits, and rebates, made available under Public Law 117–169 , or an amendment made by such law. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, the Secretary shall require each State receiving funds under this title, including allotments under subsection
(a)or
(e)of section 2604, to develop and update as necessary, an action plan for a period of extreme heat, which shall describe how the State will use its allotments under this title to assist eligible households in covering cooling costs and mitigating heat-related health risks. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Heating and Cooling Relief Act , the Secretary shall conduct a review of eligibility criteria for assistance under this title and identify additional vulnerable populations to include under such criteria, such as pregnant women and individuals with medical conditions exacerbated by a period of extreme heat. The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall require State energy offices receiving Federal funds under this title to develop plans— to retrofit low-income housing stock to adapt to rising temperatures and address environmental hazards, including— deploying highly efficient cooling systems, including heat pumps; expanding weatherization and passive cooling strategies; addressing structural and health hazards, including mold, lead, asbestos, and pest infections; and ensuring that necessary electrical panel and wiring upgrades are completed to support the installation of cooling systems and energy efficiency improvements; and to assess and adapt existing (as of the date of development of the plan) shutoff policies to protect all households while considering the impact on energy affordability and energy grid reliability. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Heating and Cooling Relief Act , the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall submit a report to Congress that— identifies safe residential temperature standards for federally assisted dwelling units, considering risks of periods of extreme heat and extreme cold and regional climate variations; and proposes strategies to ensure compliance with the standards, including permitting covered utility allowances to be used for cooling assistance where feasible, taking into account regional climate variations and housing stock differences. In this subsection, the term covered utility allowance means a utility allowance— applicable to public housing dwelling units under section 3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437a ); or under the housing choice voucher program under section 8(o)(2)(D) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(2)(D) ). .
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