093_SB1066enr SB1066 Enrolled LRB093 08059 DRJ 08260 b 1 AN ACT in relation to energy. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Good Samaritan Energy Plan Act. 6 Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: 7 "Department" means the Department of Commerce and 8 Economic Opportunity. 9 "LIHEAP" means the energy assistance program established 10 under the Energy Assistance Act of 1989. 11 Section 10. Legislative findings. The General Assembly 12 finds that high electric and gas bill arrearages are a 13 serious problem for low-income utility consumers in Illinois, 14 often impeding access to service. The General Assembly also 15 finds that the inability to have electric or gas service 16 connected due to high arrearages is a threat to the health 17 and safety of many low-income households in Illinois. The 18 General Assembly further finds that eligibility for LIHEAP 19 does not alleviate the burden of high arrearages for 20 low-income utility consumers and is not enough to enable many 21 households to have electric or gas service connected. 22 Section 15. Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund. The Good 23 Samaritan Energy Trust Fund is created as a special fund in 24 the State treasury. The Department shall administer the Fund. 25 The Department shall deposit moneys received from the 26 following sources into the Fund: 27 (1) Voluntary donations from individuals, 28 foundations, corporations, and other sources. 29 (2) Proceeds from fundraising events held for the SB1066 Enrolled -2- LRB093 08059 DRJ 08260 b 1 purpose of generating moneys for the Fund. 2 Section 20. Solicitation of contributions to Fund. The 3 Department may insert a fundraising letter requesting 4 voluntary contributions to the Fund in utility bills 2 times 5 each year to solicit contributions to the Fund. All public 6 utilities doing business in the State shall cooperate in 7 allowing the Department to insert fundraising solicitation 8 letters in their utility bills. The solicitation letter from 9 the Department must be sized so as to fit into the utility's 10 standard bill envelope, and must be of sufficiently light 11 weight so as not to cause any increase in postage cost to the 12 utility. 13 Section 25. Administration of Fund. The Department shall 14 administer the Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund with the 15 advice and consent of the Low Income Energy Assistance Policy 16 Advisory Council established under the Energy Assistance Act 17 of 1989. Donations received for the Fund shall be made 18 available for the purpose of alleviating utility bill 19 arrearages for households determined eligible for LIHEAP, 20 except that the Department may use up to 10% of the moneys 21 donated for the Fund for the expenses of the Department and 22 the local area agency incurred in administering the Fund. 23 Resources from the Fund shall be awarded to local area 24 agencies that have existing contracts with the Department to 25 administer LIHEAP in Illinois. 26 Section 30. Distribution of moneys from Fund. Subject 27 to appropriations made by the General Assembly, the 28 Department may spend moneys from the Good Samaritan Energy 29 Trust Fund for the purpose of providing assistance authorized 30 under Section 25. The Department, with the advice and consent 31 of the Low Income Energy Assistance Policy Advisory Council, SB1066 Enrolled -3- LRB093 08059 DRJ 08260 b 1 shall establish priorities for the distribution of moneys 2 from the Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund to low-income 3 consumers to enable them to pay gas or electric bill 4 arrearages in order to have household gas or electric utility 5 service connected. Low-income consumers who are unable to 6 have their service connected even with a LIHEAP grant shall 7 be given preference. The Department shall ensure that moneys 8 donated for the Fund (other than moneys used for 9 administrative expenses as authorized in Section 25) are 10 distributed to low-income consumers who reside in the county 11 from which those moneys were received. 12 Section 35. Annual report. On or before May 31 of each 13 year, beginning in 2005, the Department shall provide an 14 annual report to the General Assembly on the use and 15 effectiveness of the Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund. The 16 report shall include the amount of money deposited into the 17 Fund, the amount of money allocated by the Fund for the 18 direct benefit of low-income consumers, the number of 19 low-income households served by the Fund, by county, and 20 recommendations for improving the operation and effectiveness 21 of the Fund. 22 Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 23 Section 5.595 as follows: 24 (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new) 25 Sec. 5.595. The Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund. 26 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 27 becoming law.