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92_SB2170
LRB9215956DJgc
1 AN ACT in relation to low-income assistance.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Energy Assistance Act of 1989 is amended
5 by changing Section 6 as follows:
6 (305 ILCS 20/6) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1406)
7 Sec. 6. Eligibility, Conditions of Participation, and
8 Energy Assistance.
9 (a) Any person who is a resident of the State of
10 Illinois and whose household income is not greater than an
11 amount determined annually by the Department, in consultation
12 with the Policy Advisory Council, may apply for assistance
13 pursuant to this Act in accordance with regulations
14 promulgated by the Department. In setting the annual
15 eligibility level, the Department shall consider the amount
16 of available funding and may not set a limit higher than 60%
17 of the State median income for a family of 4 150% of the
18 federal nonfarm poverty level as established by the federal
19 Office of Management and Budget.
20 (b) Applicants who qualify for assistance pursuant to
21 subsection (a) of this Section shall, subject to
22 appropriation from the General Assembly and subject to
23 availability of funds to the Department, receive energy
24 assistance as provided by this Act. The Department, upon
25 receipt of monies authorized pursuant to this Act for energy
26 assistance, shall commit funds for each qualified applicant
27 in an amount determined by the Department. In determining
28 the amounts of assistance to be provided to or on behalf of a
29 qualified applicant, the Department shall ensure that the
30 highest amounts of assistance go to households with the
31 greatest energy costs in relation to household income. The
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1 Department shall include factors such as energy costs,
2 household size, household income, and region of the State
3 when determining individual household benefits. In setting
4 assistance levels, the Department shall attempt to provide
5 assistance to approximately the same number of households who
6 participated in the 1991 Residential Energy Assistance
7 Partnership Program. Such assistance levels shall be
8 adjusted annually on the basis of funding availability. In
9 promulgating rules for the administration of this Section the
10 Department shall assure that a minimum of 1/3 of funds
11 available for benefits to eligible households are made
12 available to households who are eligible for public
13 assistance and that elderly and disabled households are
14 offered a one-month application period.
15 (c) If the applicant is not a customer of an energy
16 provider for winter energy services or an applicant for such
17 service, such applicant shall receive a direct energy
18 assistance payment in an amount established by the Department
19 for all such applicants under this Act; provided, however,
20 that such an applicant must have rental expenses for housing
21 greater than 30% of household income.
22 (d) If the applicant is a customer of an energy
23 provider, such applicant shall receive energy assistance in
24 an amount established by the Department for all such
25 applicants under this Act, such amount to be paid by the
26 Department to the energy provider supplying winter energy
27 service to such applicant. Such applicant shall:
28 (i) make all reasonable efforts to apply to any
29 other appropriate source of public energy assistance; and
30 (ii) sign a waiver permitting the Department to
31 receive income information from any public or private
32 agency providing income or energy assistance and from any
33 employer, whether public or private.
34 (e) Any qualified applicant pursuant to this Section may
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1 receive or have 20id on such applicant's behalf an emergency
2 assistance payment to enable such applicant to obtain access
3 to winter energy services. Any such payments shall be made
4 in accordance with regulations of the Department.
5 (Source: P.A. 91-936, eff. 1-10-01.)