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107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 962

To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to make available for the low-income

home energy assistance program 5 percent of moneys received by the

United States from onshore Federal oil and gas development.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 8, 2001

Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr.

HONDA, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. CARSON of

Indiana, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. BALDACCI, and Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to

the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to

be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned

A BILL

To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to make available for

the low-income home energy assistance program 5 percent of moneys received by the United States from onshore Federal oil and gas development.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Low Income Energy

5 Reinvestment Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:

3 (1) High energy costs are causing hardship for

4 families.

5 (2) Restructured energy markets have increased

6 the need for a higher and more consistent level of

7 funding for low-income energy assistance programs.

8 (3) Higher heating oil and natural gas costs

9 have resulted in significant price increases for con10 sumers.

11 (4) Seniors, low-income individuals, and individ12 uals living on fixed incomes have been especially

13 hurt by higher energy costs.

14 (5) High natural gas prices and unprecedented

15 demand for electricity is likely to keep electricity

16 rates high across the Nation. Summer cooling re17 quirements will only exacerbate this problem.

18 (6) Conservation programs and low-income

19 weatherization programs reduce costs and the need

20 for additional energy supplies.

21 (7) The Low-Income Heating and Energy As22 sistance Program, commonly referred to as

23 ‘‘LIHEAP’’, will help consumers manage increased

24 costs and will also ensure key investments in weath25 erization.
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1 (8) Royalty revenues from oil produced from

2 Federal lands should be devoted to help those suf3 fering from the high costs of restructured energy

4 markets.

5 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to pro6 vide additional assistance to those individuals most af7 fected by high energy prices.

8 SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF ONSHORE FEDERAL OIL AND GAS

9 REVENUES FOR LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY

10 ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

11 Section 32(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.

12 191(a)) is amended in the first sentence by—

13 (1) striking ‘‘paid into the Treasury of the

14 United States;’’ and inserting ‘‘deposited into the

15 Treasury of the United States. Of the amounts so

16 deposited, 5 percent shall be available to the Sec17 retary of Health and Human Services for carrying

18 out the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of

19 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.),’’; and

20 (2) striking ‘‘per centum’’ each place it appears

21 and inserting ‘‘percent’’.

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