II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1961 

To provide level funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 

Program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 7, 2011 

Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. 

KERRY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CASEY, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. 

LIEBERMAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts, Ms. AYOTTE, 

Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. WEBB, Mr. BEGICH, and Mr. CARDIN) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations 

A BILL 

To provide level funding for the Low-Income Home Energy 

Assistance Program. 

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 ‘‘LIHEAP Protection 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE APPRO7 PRIATIONS. 

8 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section— 


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•S 1961 IS

1 (1) is to ensure the appropriation for fiscal year 

2 2012 of the total amounts described in subsection 

3 (b), for payments described in that subsection, under 

4 this Act or prior appropriations Acts; and 

5 (2) is not to require the appropriation of addi6 tional amounts for those payments, under appropria7 tions Acts enacted after this Act. 

8 (b) APPROPRIATION.—In addition to any amounts 

9 appropriated under any provision of Federal law, as of the 

10 date of enactment of this Act, there is appropriated, out 

11 of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

12 for fiscal year 2012— 

13 (1) an amount sufficient to yield a total amount 

14 of $4,501,000,000, for making payments under sub15 sections (b) and (d) of section 2602 of the Low-In16 come Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 

17 U.S.C. 8621), and all of such total amount shall be 

18 used under the authority and conditions applicable 

19 to such payments under the Full-Year Continuing 

20 Appropriations Act, 2011; and 

21 (2) an amount sufficient to yield a total amount 

22 of $200,000,000, for making payments under sec23 tion 2602(e) of the Low-Income Home Energy As24 sistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621(e)), notwith25 standing the designation requirement of such section 


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1 2602(e), and all of such total amount shall be used 

2 under the authority and conditions applicable to 

3 such payments under the Full-Year Continuing Ap4 propriations Act, 2011. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE SENATE. 

6 It is the sense of the Senate that— 

7 (1) this Act should be carried out in a manner 

8 consistent with the Budget Control Act of 2011 

9 (Public Law 112–25; 125 Stat. 240); 

10 (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv11 ices should continue and expedite program integrity 

12 efforts to identify best practices used by grant re13 cipients under the Low-Income Home Energy Assist14 ance Program, provide training and technical assist15 ance to such grant recipients, recommend policy 

16 changes, and assess and mitigate risk at the Fed17 eral, State and local levels, in order to eliminate any 

18 waste, fraud, and abuse in the Program and 

19 strengthen the Program so all Program funds reach 

20 the households who need them most; and 

21 (3) every Program dollar going to waste, fraud, 

22 and abuse is a dollar not being spent as the dollar 

23 is needed or intended. 

Æ 


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