Energy Debt Relief for American Families Act
Bill: H.R.551 | Sponsor: Rep. Kuster, Ann M. (D-NH)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Energy Debt Relief for American Families Act
This bill authorizes supplemental funding to states through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to assist eligible households pay 100% of any utility bills they are unable to pay because of economic distress caused by the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

To amend the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to provide 
    for supplemental assistance for COVID-19 relief, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Debt Relief for American 
Families Act''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY DEBT RELIEF FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization.--Section 2602 of the Low-Income Home Energy 
Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(f) There is authorized to be appropriated for payments under 
this title, in addition to amounts appropriated for distribution to all 
the States in accordance with section 2604 or to carry out section 
2607A, $10,000,000,000 for allocation to States under section 2607C.''.
    (b) Supplemental Allotments for COVID-19 Relief.--The Low-Income 
Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.) is amended 
by inserting after section 2607B the following:

``SEC. 2607C. SUPPLEMENTAL ALLOTMENTS FOR COVID-19 RELIEF.

    ``(a) Allotment of Funds.--The Secretary may allocate amounts 
appropriated under section 2602(f) to provide supplementary funds to 
States to assist eligible households in accordance with this section.
    ``(b) Formula for Distribution.--Distribution of amounts made 
available under this section shall be based on a formula developed by 
the Secretary that provides funding to States based on--
            ``(1) the amount allotted to the State under this title, 
        other than section 2607A, in fiscal year 2021; and
            ``(2) the average unemployment rate in the State from 
        January 31, 2020, through December 31, 2020.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Assistance.--A State may use funds allocated to the 
        State under this section to help eligible households in the 
        State maintain home energy or electricity service, by providing 
        to such households, in accordance with the plan submitted by 
        the State under paragraph (2), 100 percent of the amount of any 
        utility bill incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic that is in 
        arrears.
            ``(2) Plan for disbursement.--Not later than 60 days after 
        the date of enactment of this section, each State shall submit 
        to the Secretary a plan for providing assistance under 
        paragraph (1) that prioritizes the restoration of terminated 
        service and the prevention of service terminations, taking into 
        consideration the total amount of debt in arrears of eligible 
        households and any other factors that the State finds relevant.
            ``(3) Administrative expenses.--A State may use not more 
        than 15 percent of funds allocated to the State under this 
        section for administrative expenses related to providing 
        assistance under paragraph (1).
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible household.--The term `eligible household' 
        means a household with a utility bill incurred during the 
        COVID-19 pandemic that certifies to the State (including 
        through proof of job loss of a member of the household, such as 
        a layoff or furlough notice or verification of application for 
        unemployment benefits) that it cannot pay such utility bill 
        because of economic distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
            ``(2) Utility bill.--The term `utility bill' means a bill 
        charged to a household for home energy or electricity service.
            ``(3) Utility bill incurred during the covid-19 pandemic.--
        The term `utility bill incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic' 
        means a utility bill for service provided during the period 
        during which the public health emergency declared by the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the 
        Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, 
        with respect to COVID-19 (or any renewal of that declaration), 
        is in effect.
    ``(e) Termination.--
            ``(1) Date.--The authority of the Secretary to allocate 
        funds under this section, and the authority of a State to use 
        such funds under subsection (c), shall expire on the date that 
        is 1 year after the date of enactment of this section.
            ``(2) Remaining funds.--
                    ``(A) Unallocated funds.--The Secretary may not 
                allocate or otherwise use any funds appropriated under 
                section 2602(f) that have not been allocated under this 
                section by the date described in paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Unused funds.--A State to which funds have 
                been allocated under this section shall use any such 
                funds, which have not been used under subsection (c) by 
                the date described in paragraph (1), in the same manner 
                as amounts allotted to the State under section 2604.''.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to 
Congress a report describing--
            (1) the number of households in each State that received 
        assistance under subsection (c)(1) of section 2607C of the Low-
        Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, and demographic 
        information for such households, to the extent such information 
        is available;
            (2) the total amount of assistance provided to households 
        in each State under such subsection (c)(1);
            (3) the total amount of funds used by States under 
        subsection (c)(3) of such section 2607C; and
            (4) any other information relating to the implementation 
        and effectiveness of such section, as determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
                                 <all>