EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0998*
HOUSE BILL 998
C5 2lr1961
CF SB 905
By: Delegate Carey
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2022
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 10, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Human Services – Silver Energy Savers Program and Energy Assistance Fund 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Office of Home Energy Programs to establish a Silver 3
Energy Savers Program to provide bill assistance to eligible energy customers who 4
are at least a certain age; requiring the Office to approve a third–party supplier enter 5
into a contract with 2–1–1 Maryland to provide assistance with the Program; 6
requiring the Office 2–1–1 Maryland to designate four centers in certain regions of 7
the State to administer the Program; requiring the Office to perform certain duties 8
to carry out the Program, including establishing a certain communication system, 9
requiring certain local offices to perform certain functions, and authorizing the 10
third–party supplier 2–1–1 Maryland to allow telephonic signatures for a certain 11
purpose; establishing the Office of Home Energy Programs Energy Assistance Fund 12
as a special, nonlapsing fund; and generally relating to the Office of Home Energy 13
Programs and bill assistance for eligible energy customers. 14
BY renumbering 15
Article – Human Services 16
Section 5–5A–09 17
to be Section 5–5A–10 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 21
Article – Human Services 22
Section 5–5A–01(d) 23 2 HOUSE BILL 998
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 2
BY adding to 3
Article – Human Services 4
Section 5–5A–09 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That Section(s) 5–5A–09 of Article – Human Services of the Annotated Code of Maryland 9
be renumbered to be Section(s) 5–5A–10. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED , That the Laws of Maryland read 11
as follows: 12
Article – Human Services 13
5–5A–01. 14
(d) “Office” means the Office of Home Energy Programs. 15
5–5A–09. 16
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “2–1–1 MARYLAND” MEANS THE MARYLAND 17
INFORMATION NETWORK, A 501(C)(3) CORPORATION IN THE STATE. 18
(A) (B) THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH A SILVER ENERGY SAVERS 19
PROGRAM TO PROVIDE BILL ASSISTA NCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HIS SECTION TO 20
ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE AT LEAST 60 YEARS OLD. 21
(B) (C) THE OFFICE SHALL APPROVE A THIRD –PARTY SUPPLIER ENTER 22
INTO A CONTRACT WITH 2–1–1 MARYLAND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANC E THROUGH THE 23
SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM BY: 24
(1) HELPING ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND ANY 25
FORMS; 26
(2) HELPING ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS WITH ANY REQUIRED 27
APPLICATION INFORMATION ; AND 28
(3) TRANSPORTING APPLICA TIONS FROM AN ELIGIBLE ENERGY 29
CUSTOMER TO A LOCAL OFFICE TH ROUGH THE PROCESS ES TABLISHED BY THE 30
THIRD–PARTY SUPPLIER . 31
HOUSE BILL 998 3
(C) (D) THE OFFICE 2–1–1 MARYLAND SHALL DESIGNATE FOUR 1
CENTERS TO ADMINIS TER THE SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM, INCLUDING: 2
(1) ONE LOCATION IN CENTRAL MARYLAND; 3
(2) ONE LOCATION ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND; 4
(3) ONE LOCATION IN SOUT HERN MARYLAND; AND 5
(4) ONE LOCATION IN WESTERN MARYLAND. 6
(D) (E) CENTERS DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICE 2–1–1 MARYLAND UNDER 7
SUBSECTION (C) (D) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L: 8
(1) ESTABLISH CALL CENTE RS TO PROVIDE ASSIST ANCE TO ELIGIBLE 9
ENERGY CUSTOMERS ; 10
(2) ASSIST ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS IN GATHERI NG THE 11
INFORMATION REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO A LOCAL OFFICE; 12
(3) COLLECT DATA FOR EAC H ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMER THAT IS 13
PROVIDED ASSISTANCE , INCLUDING THE CUSTOM ER’S: 14
(I) NAME; 15
(II) ADDRESS; 16
(III) AGE; 17
(IV) TELEPHONE NUMBER ; AND 18
(V) UTILITY COMPANY ; AND 19
(4) MAINTAIN WRITTEN REC ORDS OF THEIR ACTIONS. 20
(E) (F) THE OFFICE SHALL: 21
(1) ESTABLISH A COMMUNIC ATION SYSTEM BETWEEN LOCAL OFFICES 22
AND THE THIRD–PARTY SUPPLIER APPRO VED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 23
SECTION 2–1–1 MARYLAND TO ENABLE COMMUNICAT ION ABOUT THE 24
APPLICATIONS OF ELIG IBLE ENERGY CUSTOMER S, THE GRANTS PROCESS , AND THE 25
REASONS FOR DENIAL OF AN A PPLICATION; 26
4 HOUSE BILL 998
(2) REQUIRE LOCAL OFFICE S TO: 1
(I) PERFORM HOME VISITS TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTS FROM 2
ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUST OMERS WHEN NECESSARY ; AND 3
(II) ESTABLISH A SYSTEM T O COORDINATE THE TRA NSFER OF 4
DOCUMENTS TO THE THIRD–PARTY SUPPL IER 2–1–1 MARYLAND; AND 5
(3) AUTHORIZE THE THIRD–PARTY SUPPLIER 2–1–1 MARYLAND TO 6
ALLOW TELEPHONIC SIG NATURES FOR ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS IN THE 7
SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM. 8
(F) (G) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE OFFICE OF 9
HOME ENERGY PROGRAMS ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUND. 10
(2) THERE IS AN OFFICE OF HOME ENERGY PROGRAMS ENERGY 11
ASSISTANCE FUND. 12
(3) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO ADMINISTER THE SILVER 13
ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM. 14
(4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE FUND. 15
(5) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL, NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 16
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 17
(6) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 18
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 19
(7) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 20
(I) MONEY A PPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE 21
FUND; AND 22
(II) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED 23
FOR THE BENEFIT OF T HE FUND. 24
(8) FOR BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 25
THEREAFTER , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN 26
APPROPRIATION OF $200,000 TO THE FUND. 27
HOUSE BILL 998 5
(9) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE C OSTS OF 1
2–1–1 MARYLAND AND THE SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM, INCLUDING 2
STAFFING. 3
(10) (I) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE 4
FUND IN THE SAME MANNER AS O THER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 5
(II) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE 6
CREDITED TO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE. 7
(11) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN 8
ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 9
(12) MONEY EXPENDED FROM THE FUND FOR THE SILVER ENERGY 10
SAVERS PROGRAM IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO A ND IS NOT INTENDED T O TAKE THE 11
PLACE OF FUNDING THA T OTHERWISE WOULD BE APPROPRIATED FOR BILL 12
ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS . 13
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2022. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.