Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act

Bill: 116-hr-8487
Sponsor: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1]
Introduced: 2020-10-01 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Birds
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Congressional oversight
Department of the Interior
Ecology
Energy assistance for the poor and aged
Energy prices
Environmental regulatory procedures
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Indian lands and resources rights
Inflation and prices
Lighting, heating, cooling
Motor fuels
Motor vehicles
Oil and gas
Public utilities and utility rates

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: 

Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act 

 
This bill addresses energy poverty (i.e., insufficient access to affordable energy) in at-risk communities. An 
at-risk community
 is a community that is low-income, minority, rural, elderly, or Native American.
 
The Department of the Interior must submit to Congress a report that (1) identifies barriers to the ability of at-risk communities that live on or near federal land or tribal land to access reliable and affordable energy, including how the presence of adequate energy transmission infrastructure affects such access; and (2) recommends actions that it and the Forest Service may take to reduce such barriers.
 
The Congressional Budget Office must report how a bill or resolution will affect the cost of energy for at-risk communities.
 
The Government Accountability Office must (1) analyze federal energy and environmental laws and regulations, and state renewable portfolio standards, to determine how such laws, regulations, and standards affect electricity prices, home heating prices, gasoline prices, motor vehicle prices, natural gas prices, and household appliance prices in at-risk communities; and (2) develop criteria to determine whether an at-risk community is experiencing energy poverty.
 
The Office of Management and Budget must review each applicable energy regulation to determine if any regulation imposes, relative to the general population, disproportionate costs on at-risk communities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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.
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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.
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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.
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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.
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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.
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-10-01
text: Introduced in House