(iii) Federal provision of energy re-
funds would be more efficient and result in 
receipt of energy refunds by a greater 
number of eligible beneficiaries than deliv-
ery of such refunds by the States. 
(B) RECEIPT OF REFUNDS.—Any low-in-
come beneficiary who receives an energy refund 
pursuant to the procedures developed under this 
paragraph shall not be eligible for an energy re-
fund otherwise provided by a State agency 
under this section. 
(5) REGULATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the Secretary of the Treas-
ury shall issue such regulations consistent with 
this section as the Secretary deems necessary or 
appropriate for the effective and efficient ad-
ministration of the Energy Refund Program, 
and shall promulgate all such regulations in ac-
cordance with the procedures set forth in sec-
tion 553 of title 5, United States Code. 
(B) CERTAIN PROCEDURES.—Without re-
gard to section 553 of title 5 of such Code, the 
Secretary of the Treasury may by rule promul-
gate as final, to be effective until not later than 
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2 years after the date of the enactment of the 
America Wins Act, any procedures that are 
substantially the same as the procedures gov-
erning the supplemental nutrition assistance 
program in section 273.2, 273.12, or 273.15 of 
title 7, Code of Federal Regulations. 
(C) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and 
(3) of subsection (i), the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall promulgate regulations requiring 
streamlined eligibility determinations for some 
or all households which include individuals re-
ceiving medical assistance under a State plan 
approved under title XIX or XXI of the Social 
Security Act or individuals receiving premium 
credits for the purchase of qualified health in-
surance coverage pursuant to section 36B of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The regula-
tions shall institute procedures whereby the 
gross income and family size information used 
for determining eligibility under such provisions 
serve as the basis for determining eligibility for 
the Energy Refund Program. 
(D) EXCEPTION FOR QUARTERLY PROVI-
SION
OF
BENEFITS.—Notwithstanding 
any 
other provision of this section, the Secretary of 
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the Treasury may authorize States to provide 
benefits under this section on a quarterly basis 
if the Secretary determines that the amount of 
the benefits that would be provided on a month-
ly basis to households is insufficient to be effi-
ciently paid on a monthly basis in light of the 
administrative expenses of the Energy Refund 
Program. 
(g) TREATMENT.—The value of the refund provided 
under this section shall not be considered income or re-
sources for any purpose under any Federal, State, or local 
laws, including, but not limited to, laws relating to an in-
come tax, or public assistance programs (including, but 
not limited to, health care, cash aid, child care, nutrition 
programs, and housing assistance) and no participating 
State or political subdivision thereof shall decrease any as-
sistance otherwise provided an individual or individuals be-
cause of the receipt of a refund under this section. 
(h) PROGRAM INTEGRITY.—For purposes of ensuring 
program integrity and complying with the requirements of 
the Improper Payment Information Act of 2002, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall, to the maximum extent pos-
sible, rely on and coordinate with the quality control sam-
ple and review procedures of paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and 
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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(5) of section 16(c) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2025(c)). 
(i) DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES.— 
(1) ELECTRONIC
BENEFIT
TRANSFER
SYS-
TEM.—The term ‘‘electronic benefit transfer system’’ 
means a system by which household benefits or re-
funds defined under subsection (e) are issued from 
and stored in a central databank via electronic ben-
efit transfer cards. 
(2) GROSS INCOME.—The term ‘‘gross income’’ 
means the gross income of a household that is deter-
mined in accordance with standards and procedures 
established under section 5 of the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) and its imple-
menting regulations. 
(3) HOUSEHOLD.— 
(A) RULES FOR EQUITABLE ADMINISTRA-
TION
OF
REFUND
IN
CERTAIN
CASES.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall establish rules 
for providing the energy refund in an equitable 
and administratively simple manner to house-
holds where the group of individuals who live 
together includes members not all of whom are 
described in a single subparagraph of sub-
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section (c)(1), or includes additional members 
not described in any such subparagraph. 
(B) CERTAIN GROUPS.—The Secretary of 
the Treasury shall establish rules regarding the 
eligibility and delivery of the energy refund to 
groups of individuals described in section 3(m) 
(4) or (5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(n) (4) or (5)). 
(4) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 673(2) of 
the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
9902(2)), including any revision required by that 
section. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the United States 
Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands. 
(6) STATE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘State agency’’ 
means an agency of State government, including the 
local offices thereof, that has responsibility for ad-
ministration of the one or more federally aided pub-
lic assistance programs within the State, and in 
those States where such assistance programs are op-
erated on a decentralized basis, the term shall in-
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