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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 384
February Session, 2024
LCO No. 2728
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE LOW -INCOME ENERGY ADVISORY
BOARD.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 16a-41b of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 2
(a) There shall be a Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board 3
which shall consist of the following members or their designees: (1) A 4
representative of each electric and gas public service company 5
designated by each such company; (2) the chairperson of the Public 6
Utilities Regulatory Authority; (3) the Consumer Counsel; (4) the 7
executive director of Operation Fuel; (5) the executive director of 8
Infoline; (6) the director of the Connecticut Local Administrators of 9
Social Services; (7) [the executive director of Legal Assistance Resource 10
Center of Connecticut;] a representative from Connecticut Legal 11
Services, Inc., designated by such organization; (8) the Connecticut state 12
director of AARP; (9) a designee of the Norwich Public Utility; (10) a 13
designee of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association; (11) 14
two representatives of water companies as defined in section 25-32a, 15 Raised Bill No. 384
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designated by the Connecticut Water Works Association; (12) the 16
executive director of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center; (13) the 17
executive director of the Center for Children's Advocacy; (14) the 18
executive director of the Connecticut Green Building Council; and (15) 19
two representatives of the community action agencies administering 20
energy assistance programs under contract with the Department of 21
Social Services, designated by the Connecticut Association for 22
Community Action. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and 23
Management and the Commissioners of Social Services and Energy and 24
Environmental Protection, or their designees, shall serve as nonvoting 25
members of the board. 26
(b) The Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board shall advise 27
and assist the Office of Policy and Management and the Department of 28
Social Services in the planning, development, implementation and 29
coordination of energy-assistance-related programs and policies and 30
low-income weatherization assistance programs and policies, shall 31
advise the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection 32
regarding the impact of utility rates and policies, and shall make 33
recommendations to the General Assembly regarding (1) legislation and 34
plans subject to legislative approval, and (2) administration of the block 35
grant program authorized under the Low-Income Energy Assistance 36
Act, as described in section 16a-41a, as amended by this act, to ensure 37
affordable access to residential energy services to low-income state 38
residents. 39
(c) The Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board may advise 40
and assist the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of 41
Social Services and the Department of Energy and Environmental 42
Protection in the planning, development, implementation and 43
coordination of water-assistance-related programs and policies, 44
including programs and policies to alleviate the impact of utility rates, 45
and shall make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding 46
the availability and implementation of heating and water assistance 47
programs that benefit low-income and moderate-income households, 48
including, but not limited to, the Connecticut Low Income Household 49 Raised Bill No. 384
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Water Assistance Program. 50
[(c)] (d) The board shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson 51
from among its voting members. 52
[(d)] (e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, 53
or his or her designee, shall provide notice of meetings to the members 54
of the Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board, provide space 55
for such meetings, maintain minutes and publish reports of the board. 56
[(e)] (f) The Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board shall 57
convene and devise recommendations to improve the availability, 58
administration and implementation of heating and water assistance 59
programs, particularly those created to benefit low-income households, 60
through coordination and optimization of existing energy efficiency, 61
water conservation and energy assistance programs. [Such 62
recommendations shall consider: (1) How the Department of Energy 63
and Environmental Protection, Department of Social Services, 64
community action agencies, as defined in section 17b-885, electric 65
distribution companies, as defined in section 16-1, and municipal 66
electric utilities, as defined in section 7-233b, can securely share heating 67
assistance program applicant data, with respect to customer energy 68
usage levels, past participation and eligibility for energy assistance and 69
energy efficiency programs, and other data deemed relevant to improve 70
coordination among such programs and program administrators; (2) the 71
costs and benefits of current energy assistance and energy efficiency 72
programs and how to maximize customer benefits through such 73
customers' participation in any combination of energy assistance and 74
energy efficiency programs; (3) how to streamline the application 75
process for energy assistance and energy efficiency program applicants 76
and the possible development of joint electronic applications; (4) how to 77
make energy assistance and energy efficiency programs more accessible 78
and feasible for tenants in rental housing units, including, but not 79
limited to, how to best secure landlord permission for such services; and 80
(5) coordination efforts to best improve boiler and furnace replacement 81
programs.] Not later than [January 1, 2016,] October 15, 2024, and 82 Raised Bill No. 384
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biennially thereafter, the Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory 83
Board shall report such recommendations, in accordance with section 84
11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 85
cognizance of matters relating to energy, appropriations and human 86
services. 87
Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 16a-41a of the 2024 supplement to the 88
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 89
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 90
(g) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit each plan or 91
report described in subsection (a) of this section to the Low-Income 92
Energy and Water Advisory Board, established pursuant to section 16a-93
41b, as amended by this act, not later than seven days prior to 94
submitting such plan or report to the joint standing committee of the 95
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and 96
technology, appropriations and human services. 97
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2024 16a-41b
Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 16a-41a(g)
Statement of Purpose:
To change the composition and duties of the Low-Income Energy
Advisory Board and rename it the Low-Income Energy and Water
Advisory Board.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]