HR0841 LRB094 15900 HSS 51124 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The LIHEAP program is a federal program
3 administered by the Illinois Department of Health and Family
4 Services to help low income households pay for home heating and
5 cooling bills and to reduce energy consumption; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Approximately $150 million is dedicated to home
7 heating grants, with remaining funds of $50 million used for
8 weatherization, summer cooling programs, and other energy
9 assistance initiatives; and
 
10     WHEREAS, In Fiscal Year 2005, more than $155 million was
11 granted to over 342,000 households for winter heating needs;
12 and
 
13     WHEREAS, This winter the Department of Health and Family
14 Services hopes to provide assistance to 315,500 households; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The service target for this winter season is only
16 40% of eligible households, and nearly 474,000 households will
17 go without assistance; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The spending authority for the FY 2006 program
19 remains at the same level that was in place for FY 2005; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The U.S. Energy Information Administration
21 announced that Americans nationwide should be prepared to pay
22 up to 48% more on home heating costs this winter; therefore, in
23 light of rising energy prices, funding at the same level year
24 after year is not sufficient; and
 
25     WHEREAS, Estimates for the current fiscal year indicate
26 that the State will collect $1 billion in revenue from all
27 public utility taxes, and by diverting 2% of those tax dollars
28 to the LIHEAP program, the State would generate a consistent

 

 

HR0841 - 2 - LRB094 15900 HSS 51124 r

1 funding stream of at least $20 million; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4 we urge the Governor, in cooperation with the Department of
5 Health and Family Services, to increase State funding for the
6 LIHEAP program in order to provide assistance to more of the
7 households in need; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
9 delivered to Governor Rod Blagojevich and the Director of
10 Health and Family Services.