An Act To Provide Funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1891
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: RICHARDSON, EDMONDS, ADAMS, ANNIS, ASH, AUSTIN, BABBIDGE, BARSTOW, BEAUDETTE, BERUBE, BIERMAN, BISHOP, BLANCHARD, BLANCHETTE, BLISS, BOWEN, BOWLES, BRANNIGAN, BROWN, BROWNE, BRYANT, BRYANT-DESCHENES, BURNS, CAIN, CAMPBELL, CARR, CEBRA, CHURCHILL, CLARK, CLOUGH, COLLINS, CRAVEN, CRESSEY, CROSBY, CROSTHWAITE, CUMMINGS, CURLEY, CURTIS, DAIGLE, DAVIS, DRISCOLL, DUCHESNE, DUDLEY, DUGAY, DUNN, DUPLESSIE, DUPREY, EBERLE, EDER, EDGECOMB, EMERY, FAIRCLOTH, FARRINGTON, FINCH, FISCHER, FISHER, FITTS, FLETCHER, FLOOD, GERZOFSKY, GLYNN, GOLDMAN, GREELEY, GROSE, HALL, HAMPER, HANLEY, HARLOW, HOGAN, HOTHAM, HUTTON, JACKSON, JACOBSEN, JENNINGS, JODREY, JOY, KAELIN, KOFFMAN, LANSLEY, LERMAN, LEWIN, LINDELL, LUNDEEN, MAKAS, MAREAN, MARLEY, MARRACHE, MAZUREK

Legislative Document 
No. 1891 
H.P.1332 
House of Representatives, January 3,2006 
An Act To Provide Funding for the Low Income Home Energy 
Assistance Program 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
!r/~ 
frl.7i!~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Speaker RICHARDSON of Brunswick. (GOVERNOR'S BILL) 
Cosponsored by President EDMONDS of Cumberland and 
Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, ANNIS of Dover-Foxcroft, ASH of Belfast, AUSTIN of 
Gray, BABBIDGE of Kennebunk, BARSTOW of Gorham, BEAUDETTE of Biddeford, 
BERUBE of Lisbon, BIERMAN of Sorrento, BISHOP of Boothbay, BLANCHARD of Old 
Town, BLANCHETTE of Bangor, BLISS of South Portland, BOWEN of Rockport, BOWLES 
of Sanford, BRANNIGAN of Portland, BRAUTIGAM ofFalniouth, BROWN of South 
Berwick, BROWNE of Vassalboro, BRYANT of Windham, BRYANT-DESCHENES of 
Turner, BURNS of Berwick, CAIN of Orono, CAMPBELL of Newfield, 
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CANAVAN of Waterville, CARR of Lincoln, CEBRA of Naples, CHURCHILL of Washburn, 
CLARK of Millinocket, CLOUGH of Scarborough, COLLINS of Wells, CRAVEN of 
Lewiston, CRESSEY of Cornish, CROSBY of Topsham, CROSTHWAITE of Ellsworth, 
CUMMINGS of Portland, CURLEY of Scarborough, CURTIS of Madison, DAIGLE of 
Arundel, DAVIS of Falmouth, DAVIS of Augusta, DRISCOLL of Westbrook, DUCHESNE of 
Hudson, DUDLEY of Portland, DUGAY of Cherryfield, DUNN of Bangor, DUPLESSIE of 
Westbrook, DUPREY of Hampden, EBERLE of South Portland, EDER of Portland, 
EDGECOMB of Caribou, EMERY of Cutler, FAIRCLOTH of Bangor, FARRINGTON of 
Gorham, FINCH of Fairfield, FISCHER of Presque Isle, FISHER of Brewer, FITTS of 
Pittsfield, FLETCHER of Winslow, FLOOD of Winthrop, GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, 
GLYNN of South Portland, GOLDMAN of Cape Elizabeth, GREELEY of Levant, GROSE of 
Woolwich, HALL of Holden, HAMPER of Oxford, HANLEY of Paris, HANLEY of Gardiner, 
HARLOW of Portland, HOGAN of Old Orchard Beach, HOTHAM of Dixfield, HUTTON of 
Bowdoinham, JACKSON of Fort Kent, JACOBSEN of Waterboro, JENNINGS of Leeds, 
JODREY of Bethel, JOY of Crystal, KAELIN of Winterport, KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor, 
LANSLEY of Sabattus, LERMAN of Augusta, LEWIN of Eliot, LINDELL of Frankfort, 
LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, MAKAS of Lewiston, MAREAN of Hollis, MARLEY of Portland, 
MARRACHE of Waterville, MAZUREK of Rockland, McCORMICK of West Gardiner, 
McFADDEN of Dennysville, McKANE of Newcastle, McKENNEY of Cumberland, 
McLEOD of Lee, MERRILL of Appleton, MILLER of Somerville, MILLETT of Waterford, 
MILLS of Farmington, MOODY of Manchester, MOORE of Standish, MOORE of the 
Passamaquoddy Tribe, MOULTON of York, MUSE of Fryeburg, NASS of Acton, NORTON 
of Bangor, NUTTING of Oakland, O'BRIEN of Lewiston, OTT of York, PARADIS of 
Frenchville, PATRICK of Rumford, PELLETIER-SIMPSON of Auburn, PERCY of 
Phippsburg, PERRY of Calais, PILON of Sa co, PINEAU of Jay, PINGREE of North Haven, 
PINKHAM of Lexington Township, PIOTTI of Unity, PLUMMER of Windham, RECTOR of 
Thomaston, RICHARDSON of Carmel, RICHARDSON of Greenville, RICHARDSON of 
Skowhegan, RICHARDSON of Warren, RINES of Wiscasset, ROBINSON of Raymond, 
ROSEN of Bucksport, SAMPSON of Auburn, SAVIELLO of Wilton, SCHATZ of Blue Hill, 
SEAVEY of Kennebunkport, SHERMAN of Hodgdon, SHIELDS of Auburn, SMITH of 
Monmouth, SMITH of Van Buren, SOCKALEXIS of the Penobscot Nation, STEDMAN of 
Hartland, SYKES of Harrison, TARDY of Newport, THOMAS of Ripley, THOMPSON of 
China, TRAHAN of Waldoboro, TUTTLE of Sanford, TWOMEY of Biddeford, 
VALENTINO of Sa co, VAUGHAN of Durham, WALCOTT of Lewiston, WATSON of Bath, 
WEBSTER of Freeport, WHEELER of Kittery, WOODBURY of Yarmouth, Senators: 
ANDREWS of York, BARTLETT of Cumberland, BRENNAN of Cumberland, BROMLEY 
of Cumberland, BRYANT of Oxford, CLUKEY of Aroostook, COURTNEY of York, 
COWGER of Kennebec, DAMON of Hancock, DAVIS of Piscataquis, DIAMOND of 
Cumberland, DOW of Lincoln, GAGNON of Kennebec, HASTINGS of Oxford, HOBBINS of 
York, MARTIN of Aroostook, MAYO of Sagadahoc, MILLS of Somerset, MITCHELL of 
Kennebec, NASS of York, NUTTING of Androscoggin, PERRY of Penobscot, PLOWMAN 
of Penobscot, RA YE of Washington, ROSEN of Hancock, ROTUNDO of Androscoggin, 
SAVAGE of Knox, SCHNEIDER of Penobscot, SNOWE-MELLO of Androscoggin, 
STRIMLING of Cumberland, SULLIVAN of York, TURNER of Cumberland, WESTON of 
Waldo, WOODCOCK of Franklin. 
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Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts of the Legislature do not become effective 
until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the United States Energy Information Administration projects that heating 
fuels will cost between 15% and 38% more than last winter and that costs could be 
significantly higher if our winter is colder than normal; and 
Whereas, projected funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, 
or "LIHEAP," is not expected to increase sufficiently to offset the increased cost of 
heating fuel; and 
Whereas, the average benefit under LIHEAP will be inadequate to fill a recipient's 
fuel tank even one time; and 
II 
Whereas, in an average winter a fuel tank would need to be filled 3 to 5 times 
during the heating season; and 
Whereas, it is essential to the health and safety of the elderly, the disabled and the 
most vulnerable in our State that the State provide funds to help fill the gap between the 
need and the available federal resources; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. Payments or assistance not considered income or resources for 
any purpose under state law. Notwithsta!1ding any other provision of law unless 
enacted in express limitation of this section, the amount of any home energy assistance 
payments or allowances provided directly to, or indirectly for the benefit of, an eligible 
household under this Act may not be considered income or resources of that household or 
any member of that household for any purpose under any state law, including any law 
relating to taxation, food stamps, public assistance or welfare programs. 
Sec. 2. Use of funds; limitation. The Maine State Housing Authority shall 
expend funds provided pursuant to section 3 exclusively for fuel purchases and may not 
use those funds to support administrative expenses. 
I 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
MAINE STATE HOUSING AUTHORITY 
Low Income Home Energy Assistance - MSHA 0708 
Initiative: Provides funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
Page I - 122LR3064(1)-1 
2005-06 
$5,000,000 
2006-07 
$0 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$5,000,000 
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes 
effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides $5,000,000 to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
and specifies that the funds may be used only for fuel purchases. 
FISCAL .\OTl HH .. .H mU) 
(See attached) 
$0 
Approved: 12/30105 .;:tk.?ac:.. 
LD J!' J 
LR 3064(01) 
An Act To Provide Funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
Fiscal Note for Original Bill 
Sponsor: Speaker Richardson of Brunswick 
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2005-06 
2006-07 
Projections 
2007-08 
Projections 
2008-09 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
S5.000,000 
$5,000,000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
The bill includes a General Fund appropriation 0[$5,000,000 in fiscal year 2005-06 to the Maine State Housing 
Authority for the purchase of additional heating fuel for households eligible under the Low Income Home Energy 
Assistance Program (LIHEAP). 
LR3064(l) - Fiscal Note· P. 
$0 
$0