EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0905*
SENATE BILL 905
C5 2lr1962
CF HB 998
By: Senator Benson
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
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 to 5
provide assistance with the Program; requiring the Office to designate four centers 6
in certain regions of the State to administer the Program; requiring the Office to 7
perform certain duties to carry out the Program, including establishing a certain 8
communication system, requiring certain local offices to perform certain functions, 9
and authorizing the third–party supplier to allow telephonic signatures for a certain 10
purpose; establishing the Office of Home Energy Programs Energy Assistance Fund 11
as a special, nonlapsing fund; and generally relating to the Office of Home Energy 12
Programs and bill assistance for eligible energy customers. 13
BY renumbering 14
Article – Human Services 15
Section 5–5A–09 16
to be Section 5–5A–10 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 20
Article – Human Services 21
Section 5–5A–01(d) 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 24
BY adding to 25
Article – Human Services 26
Section 5–5A–09 27
Annotated Code of Maryland 28 2 SENATE BILL 905
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That Section(s) 5–5A–09 of Article – Human Services of the Annotated Code of Maryland 3
be renumbered to be Section(s) 5–5A–10. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 5
as follows: 6
Article – Human Services 7
5–5A–01. 8
(d) “Office” means the Office of Home Energy Programs. 9
5–5A–09. 10
(A) THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLIS H A SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM 11
TO PROVIDE BILL ASSI STANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION TO ELIGIBLE 12
ENERGY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE AT LEAST 60 YEARS OLD. 13
(B) THE OFFICE SHALL APPROVE A THIRD –PARTY SUPPLIER TO PR OVIDE 14
ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM BY: 15
(1) HELPING ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND ANY 16
FORMS; 17
(2) HELPING ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS WITH ANY R EQUIRED 18
APPLICATION INFORMAT ION; AND 19
(3) TRANSPORTING APPLICA TIONS FROM AN ELIGIBLE ENERGY 20
CUSTOMER TO A LOCAL OFFICE THROU GH THE PROCESS ESTAB LISHED BY THE 21
THIRD–PARTY SUPPLIER . 22
(C) THE OFFICE SHALL DESIGNAT E FOUR CENTERS TO AD MINISTER THE 23
SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM, INCLUDING: 24
(1) ONE LOCATION IN CENTRAL MARYLAND; 25
(2) ONE LOCATION ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND; 26
(3) ONE LOCATION IN SOUT HERN MARYLAND; AND 27
(4) ONE LOCATION IN WEST ERN MARYLAND. 28 SENATE BILL 905 3
(D) CENTERS DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICE UNDER SUBSECTI ON (C) OF THIS 1
SECTION SHALL : 2
(1) ESTABLISH CALL CENTE RS TO PROVIDE ASSIST ANCE TO ELIGIBLE 3
ENERGY CUSTOMERS ; 4
(2) ASSIST ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS IN GATHERI NG THE 5
INFORMATION REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICA TION TO A LOCAL OFFI CE; 6
(3) COLLECT DATA FOR EAC H ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMER T HAT IS 7
PROVIDED ASSISTANCE , INCLUDING THE CUSTOM ER’S: 8
(I) NAME; 9
(II) ADDRESS; 10
(III) AGE; 11
(IV) TELEPHONE NUMBER ; AND 12
(V) UTILITY COMPANY ; AND 13
(4) MAINTAIN WRITTEN REC ORDS OF THEIR ACTION S. 14
(E) THE OFFICE SHALL: 15
(1) ESTABLISH A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM BETWEEN LOCAL OFFICE S 16
AND THE THIRD –PARTY SUPPLIER APPRO VED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 17
SECTION TO ENABLE CO MMUNICATION ABOUT TH E APPLICATIONS OF EL IGIBLE 18
ENERGY CUSTOMERS , THE GRANTS PROCESS , AND THE REASONS FOR DENIAL OF AN 19
APPLICATION; 20
(2) REQUIRE LOCAL OFFICE S TO: 21
(I) PERFORM HOME VISITS TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTS FROM 22
ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS WHEN NECESSARY ; AND 23
(II) ESTABLISH A SYSTEM T O COORDINATE THE TRA NSFER OF 24
DOCUMENTS TO THE THI RD–PARTY SUPPLIER ; AND 25
4 SENATE BILL 905
(3) AUTHORIZE THE THIRD–PARTY SUPPLIER TO AL LOW TELEPHONIC 1
SIGNATURES FOR ELIGI BLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS IN THE SILVER ENERGY SAVERS 2
PROGRAM. 3
(F) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE OFFICE OF HOME 4
ENERGY PROGRAMS ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUND. 5
(2) THERE IS AN OFFICE OF HOME ENERGY PROGRAMS ENERGY 6
ASSISTANCE FUND. 7
(3) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO ADMINISTER THE SILVER 8
ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM. 9
(4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE FUND. 10
(5) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 11
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 12
(6) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 13
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 14
(7) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 15
(I) MONEY APPROPRIATED I N THE STATE BUDGET TO THE 16
FUND; AND 17
(II) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY O THER SOURCE ACCEPTED 18
FOR THE BENEFIT OF T HE FUND. 19
(8) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 20
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $200,000 TO THE FUND. 21
(9) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE C OSTS OF 22
THE SILVER ENERGY SAVERS PROGRAM, INCLUDING STAFFING . 23
(10) (I) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE 24
FUND IN THE SAME MANN ER AS OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 25
(II) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE 26
CREDITED TO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE. 27
(11) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN 28
ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 29 SENATE BILL 905 5
(12) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR THE SILVER ENERGY 1
SAVERS PROGRAM IS SUP PLEMENTAL TO AND IS NOT INTENDED TO TAKE THE 2
PLACE OF FUNDING THA T OTHERWISE WOULD BE APPROPRIATED FOR BIL L 3
ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE ENERGY CUSTOMERS . 4
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2022. 6