Full Text of HR0605 95th General Assembly
HR0605 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0605 |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The purpose of the Low Income Home Energy | 3 |
| Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is to assist low income citizens by | 4 |
| offsetting the rising cost of home energy (principally heating) | 5 |
| through direct financial assistance, energy counseling, | 6 |
| outreach, and education; and
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| WHEREAS, Because of the electric rate increase that took | 8 |
| effect on January 1, 2007, after a 10-year rate freeze, many | 9 |
| individuals and families in Illinois were overwhelmed with much | 10 |
| higher electric utility bills; and
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| WHEREAS, Because many Illinois individuals and families | 12 |
| were unable to cope with those suddenly higher electric utility | 13 |
| bills, moneys appropriated for LIHEAP were quickly used up in | 14 |
| many communities throughout the State; and
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| WHEREAS, Based on the availability of limited funds, a | 16 |
| LIHEAP Summer Energy Assistance Program will be implemented in | 17 |
| the summer of 2007; a total amount of $6 million from state and | 18 |
| federal funding sources will be allocated to local agencies for | 19 |
| the summer program; due to the limited funding, and the brevity | 20 |
| of the program, the provision of fans and air conditioners or | 21 |
| air conditioner repair will not be done; and
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| WHEREAS, Because of the limited funding for the summer | 2 |
| program, many households who need assistance will be unable to | 3 |
| get it and will therefore incur substantial health risks; and
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| WHEREAS, An emergency transfer of moneys is necessary to | 5 |
| enable LIHEAP to serve households throughout the State who | 6 |
| desperately need assistance to keep their homes cool this | 7 |
| summer; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, Sales taxes generated from sales of motor fuel in | 9 |
| Illinois are available to enable the LIHEAP Summer Cooling | 10 |
| Program to serve more households and fund more services; | 11 |
| therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 13 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 14 |
| urge the Governor, the State Comptroller, the Governor's Office | 15 |
| of Management and Budget, and the General Assembly to move with | 16 |
| all deliberate speed to transfer $50,000,000 from the sales tax | 17 |
| line item from sales taxes received on sales of motor fuel to a | 18 |
| LIHEAP account and to arrange for the release of those moneys | 19 |
| to certified community-based organizations for use in the | 20 |
| LIHEAP Summer Cooling Program; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 22 |
| delivered to the Governor, the State Comptroller, the Director |
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| of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, the Director | 2 |
| of Healthcare and Family Services, and the President and the | 3 |
| Minority Leader of the Senate.
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