SLS 11RS-872 ORIGINAL
Page 1 of 3
Regular Session, 2011
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 33
BY SENATOR BROOME
CONGRESS. Memorializes Congress to sustain home energy assistance for at-risk
Louisianians and declares June 2011 as "Save LIHEAP" Month.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To memorialize the Congress of the United States to sustain home energy assistance for at-2
risk Louisianians and to declare June 2011 as "Save LIHEAP" Month.3
WHEREAS, the federal home energy assistance program is of vital interest to the4
state of Louisiana and to low to moderate income households, especially the elderly,5
disabled, or young citizens, who struggle disproportionately to afford heating and cooling6
costs; and7
WHEREAS, Congress is considering the proposed budget to reduce the fiscal year8
2012 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) formula grant funding by9
fifty-seven percent nationally; and10
WHEREAS, this reduction is disproportionately more damaging in Louisiana,11
triggering a sixty-seven percent loss, resulting in the life-threatening decrease of thirty-four12
point seven million dollars to Louisiana; and13
WHEREAS, due to the loss of these funds, tens of thousands of vulnerable Louisiana14
citizens will lose access to the LIHEAP's vital energy services; and15
WHEREAS, more than four hundred and seventy-six thousand Louisiana households16
meet LIHEAP's stringent income eligibility requirements; and17
WHEREAS, of these households, one hundred eighty-four thousand shelter someone18 SCR NO. 33
SLS 11RS-872 ORIGINAL
Page 2 of 3
over the age of sixty, ninety-six thousand are children under the age of six, and one hundred1
and fifty-four thousand are handicapped individuals, including disabled veterans; and2
WHEREAS, for a Louisiana family of four to be eligible for LIHEAP, the family3
must earn no more than twenty-seven dollars per day, per capita; and4
WHEREAS, although nearly a half-million Louisiana households meet LIHEAP's5
federal income criteria, only a small fraction of eligible households are actually helped due6
to already limited federal funding; and7
WHEREAS, Louisiana's ability to reach at-risk families through LIHEAP is entirely8
dependent upon the provision of adequate funding from Congress; and9
WHEREAS, home energy assistance is particularly important in Louisiana due to10
intermittent intense heat and humidity, which is especially threatening to the elderly,11
disabled, and young citizens; and12
WHEREAS, if the program's core block grants were reduced as proposed,13
Louisianians would be disproportionately affected, because the national program would be14
statutorily precluded from considering current population, poverty, and energy price data and15
mirroring outdated needs of twenty-five years ago; and16
WHEREAS, unless Congress sustains LIHEAP, Louisiana's most vulnerable citizens17
will be placed at an unnecessarily greater risk.18
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Legislature hereby declares19
June, 2011 to be "Save LIHEAP Month" and encourages public and private citizens to join20
in by encouraging their respective congressional delegation to sustain this vital program at21
its long-standing national appropriation of five point one billion dollars during federal Fiscal22
Year 2012.23
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana hereby24
memorializes the Congress of the United States to sustain home energy assistance for at-risk25
Louisianians and to declare June 2011 as "Save LIHEAP" Month.26
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted27
to the secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of28
Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States29
Congress.30 SCR NO. 33
SLS 11RS-872 ORIGINAL
Page 3 of 3
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Michelle Broussard-Johnson.
DIGEST
Broome SCR No.
Memorializes Congress to sustain home energy assistance for at-risk Louisianians and
declares June 2011 as "Save LIHEAP Month."