Bill Text: CT SB00565 | 2015 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Energy Audits And Heating Assistance.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-06-02 - Senate Recommitted to Energy and Technology [SB00565 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-SB00565-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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January Session, 2015 |
*_____SB00565ET____032515____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING ENERGY AUDITS AND HEATING ASSISTANCE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Energy assistance program" means a state or federally funded program that provides homeowners and renters with heating and energy assistance.
(2) "Energy conservation program" means an energy savings and weatherization program funded by electric distribution company ratepayers for eligible ratepayers.
(3) "Applicant" means a natural person or a household seeking energy assistance, energy conservation or both.
(4) "Energy assistance and conservation application" means an application that aggregates all energy assistance programs and energy conservation programs on one application form.
(5) "Conservation and load management program charge" means an electric distribution company or gas company customer charge, as provided in section 16-245m of the general statutes, that is dedicated to funding energy conservation programs.
(6) "Home Energy Solutions program" means a home energy efficiency audit and energy conservation program funded by electric distribution company ratepayers for eligible ratepayers.
(7) "Home Energy Solutions - Income Eligible program" means a home energy efficiency audit and energy conservation program at no cost to homeowners and renters whose income falls below a designated level.
(8) "Tenant-applicant" means a tenant or household that rents a home or dwelling unit from a landlord and completes an energy assistance and conservation application.
(9) "Electric distribution company" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-1 of the general statutes.
(10) "Gas company" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-1 of the general statutes.
(11) "Community action agency" has the same meaning as provided in section 17b-885 of the general statutes.
(b) Not later than October 1, 2015, the Department of Social Services shall, in consultation with the Energy Conservation Management Board, established in section 16-245m of the general statutes, and the Low-Income Energy Advisory Board, established in section 16a-41b of the general statutes, create an energy assistance and conservation application. Said application's purpose shall be to consolidate all energy assistance programs and energy conservation programs into a single application form and to enable applicants to apply for both energy assistance programs and energy conservation programs simultaneously. The energy assistance and conservation application shall include, but not be limited to, the following programs: (1) The Connecticut energy assistance program, pursuant to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, (2) the contingency heating assistance program, (3) the state appropriated fuel assistance program, (4) the Home Energy Solutions program, (5) the Home Energy Solutions - Income Eligible program, (6) the Home Performance with Energy Star program, and (7) the weatherization assistance program, established in section 17b-801 of the general statutes.
(c) Not later than January 1, 2016, the Department of Social Services shall, in consultation with electric distribution companies, gas companies and community action agencies, create, develop and launch an Internet web site that permits applicants to register and complete an energy assistance and conservation application from any location that has Internet access. A hyperlink to the energy assistance and conservation application Internet web site shall be made available by the Department of Social Services, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, each electric distribution company, each gas company and each community action agency, on their respective Internet web sites.
(1) The back end of the energy assistance and conservation application Internet web site is the portion of the web site that is only accessible by the Department of Social Services, electric distribution companies, gas companies and community action agencies. The back end of such Internet web site shall serve as a database and an electronic record and filing storage space where each registered energy assistance and conservation applicant's application is stored.
(2) The back end of such Internet web site shall be programmed to send out simultaneous application alerts (A) to the office or offices of the Department of Social Services that screen and review energy assistance program applications, and (B) to the office or offices of electric distribution companies and gas companies that screen and review energy conservation program applications, whenever a new energy assistance and conservation application is received on the database. A copy of each such application shall be sent to the reviewing offices as an electronic attachment to the alert.
(3) Each electric distribution company and gas company that screens and reviews energy conservation program applications shall verify whether an applicant's home or dwelling unit has previously received energy conservation services by means of an energy conservation program. Applicant records on the energy assistance and conservation application database shall indicate what energy conservation program an applicant's home or dwelling unit has benefited from.
(4) Community action agencies shall accept hard copy and electronic versions of energy assistance and conservation application forms. Community action agencies shall scan each hard copy application into the energy assistance and conservation application database. After the application is scanned and submitted by the community action agency, a simultaneous alert shall be sent to the application screening and reviewing offices of the Department of Social Services and the electric distribution companies and gas companies, with an electronic version of such application attached. Community action agencies shall not require that applicants complete hard copy applications. Community action agencies shall promote and encourage applicants to complete the energy assistance and conservation application electronically on such Internet web site.
(5) Funding for the creation, development and launch of the energy assistance and conservation application Internet web site and database shall be made available through the conservation and load management program charge on electric distribution company customer electric bills, federal block grants and other funding when available.
(d) Upon approval of an energy assistance and conservation application, a tenant-applicant shall receive oral and written explanations of his or her right to implement energy conservation measures pursuant to section 47a-13a of the general statutes.
(1) Written notice shall be sent, at no expense to the tenant-applicant, to the tenant-applicant's landlord pursuant to section 47a-13a of the general statutes by the electric distribution company or gas company administering the tenant-applicant's energy conservation program. Such electric distribution company or gas company shall be reimbursed through the conservation and load management program charge.
(2) No community action agency, electric distribution company or gas company shall require a tenant-applicant to have his or her landlord complete an owner's permission statement prior to participating in an energy conservation program.
(e) Each electric distribution company and gas company administering, accepting, screening and reviewing applications for energy conservation programs shall prioritize the facilitation and performance of energy conservation audits and services for applicants eligible for the Home Energy Solutions - Income Eligible program over other energy conservation program applicants.
(f) Not later than January 1, 2016, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall, in consultation with the Energy Conservation Management Board, determine what measures of improvement can be made to eliminate the Home Energy Solutions - Income Eligible program application backlog. Not later than July 1, 2016, the department shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, regarding such measures to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and technology.
Sec. 2. Section 16a-46k of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
[On or before July 1, 2014] (a) Not later than October 1, 2015, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall, in consultation with the Energy Conservation Management Board and the Department of Housing, develop weatherization standards and procedures for properties participating in the rental assistance program, including, but not limited to, a consideration to expedite scheduling of an energy efficiency audit pursuant to this section. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, regarding such weatherization standards and procedures to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and technology.
(b) When a tenant secures or renews a lease under the rental assistance program on or after [the effective date such weatherization standards and procedures are adopted] October 1, 2015, the landlord shall (1) schedule an energy efficiency audit administered by the Home Energy Solutions program or a program deemed comparable by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection for the property, and (2) complete the installation of free weatherization measures pursuant to a program described in subdivision (1) of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2015 |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2015 |
16a-46k |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(a)(8), the order of the words "unit" and "dwelling" was reversed for consistency, in Section 1(c)(1), a comma was added and the word "and" deleted for accuracy, and in Section 1(b) the word "is" was deleted and replaced with the phrase "shall be" for accuracy.
ET |
Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO |