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 Section 16a-41b of the general statutes is repealed and the 1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