Bill Text: MI SB0353 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Human services: services or financial assistance; Michigan energy assistance act; modify. Amends secs. 2, 4 & 5 of 2012 PA 615 (MCL 400.1232 et seq.) and adds sec. 4a TIE BAR WITH: SB 0880'24, SB 0881'24, HB 6075'24
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-12-19 - Assigned Pa 0170'24 [SB0353 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2023-SB0353-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL NO. 353
A bill to amend 2012 PA 615, entitled
"Michigan energy assistance act,"
by amending sections 2 and 4 (MCL 400.1232 and 400.1234).
the people of the state of michigan enact:
(a) "Crisis" means 1 of the following:
(i) An individual or recipient has received a past due notice on an energy bill for his or her household.
(ii) A residential fuel tank is estimated to contain not more than 25% of its heating fuel capacity.
(iii) A stated need for deliverable fuel or a nontraditional fuel source in which there is no meter or regular energy bill provided.
(iv) A notice that the balance in a prepayment account is below a minimum amount.
(a) (b) "Department" means the department of health and human services.
(b) (c) "Eligible low-income household" means a household with a household income of not more than 150% 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
(c) (d) "Energy assistance" means a program to assist eligible low-income households in meeting their home energy costs for their primary residence through payment or partial payment of bills for 1 or more of the following:
(i) Electricity.
(ii) Natural gas.
(iii) Propane.
(iv) Heating oil.
(v) Any other deliverable fuel used to provide heat.
(d) (e) "Federal poverty guidelines" means the poverty guidelines published annually in the federal register by the United States department of health and human services Department of Health and Human Services under its authority to revise the poverty line under section 673(2) of subtitle B of title VI of the omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1981, 42 USC 9902.
(e) (f) "Funds" means a portion of the money received from the federal low income home energy assistance program block grant that is not used for the home heating credit, money received from the low-income energy assistance fund, or any other money appropriated for this program.
(f) (g) "Program" means the Michigan energy assistance program established in section 3.
Sec. 4. (1) The department shall only use money from the low-income energy assistance fund for energy assistance.
(2) Money from the low-income energy assistance fund may be used for the program's crisis season, which begins on November 1 and ends May 31 each year. Not more than 30% of the funds received for the program shall be spent outside of the crisis season.
