An Act To Provide Additional Funding for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2208
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: CUMMINGS, EDMONDS, ADAMS, BABBIDGE, BARSTOW, BEAUDETTE, BEAUDOIN, BERRY, BLANCHARD, BLISS, BOLAND, BRAUTIGAM, BRIGGS, BRYANT, BURNS, CAIN, CAMPBELL, CANA VAN, CAREY, CARTER, CLARK, CLEARY, CONOVER, CRAVEN, CROCKETT, DILL, DRISCOLL, DUCHESNE, DUNN, EATON, EBERLE, FAIRCLOTH, FINCH, FISCHER, GERZOFSKY, GREELEY, GROSE, HANLEY, HARLOW, HASKELL, HILL, HINCK, HOGAN, JACKSON, JONES, KAENRA TH, KOFFMAN, LUNDEEN, MAKAS, MARLEY, MAZUREK, MILLER, MILLS, MIRAMANT, NASS, NORTON, PATRICK, PENDLETON, PEOPLES, PERCY, PERRY, PIEH, PILON, PINEAU, PINGREE, PIOTTI, PRATT, PRIEST, RAND, RICHARDSON, RINES, ROSEN, SAMSON, SA VIELLO, SCHATZ, SILSBY, SIMPSON, SIROIS, STRANG BURGESS, SUTHERLAND, THERIAULT, TREAT, TRINW ARD, TUTTLE

Legislative Document 
No. 2208 
H.P. 1575 
House of Representatives, February 12, 2008 
An Act To Provide Additional Funding for the Low-income Home 
Energy Assistance Program 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
(EMERGENCY) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Speaker CUMMINGS of Portland. 
Cosponsored by President EDMONDS of Cumberland and 
If/~ 
/J7. 7JldC~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, BABBIDGE of Kennebunk, BARSTOW of Gorham, 
BEAUDETTE of Biddeford, BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BERRY of Bowdoinham, 
BLANCHARD of Old Town, BLISS of South Portland, BOLAND of Sanford, BRAUTIGAM 
of Falmouth, BRIGGS of Mexico, BRYANT of Windham, BURNS of Berwick, CAIN of 
Orono, CAMPBELL of Newfield, CANA VAN of Waterville, CAREY of Lewiston, CARTER 
of Bethel. CAS A VANT of Biddeford, CLARK of Millinocket, CLEARY of Houlton, 
H.P. 1575 
L.D.2208 
CONNOR of Kennebunk, CONOVER of Oakland, CRAVEN of Lewiston, CROCKETT of 
Augusta, DILL of Cape Elizabeth, DRISCOLL of Westbrook, DUCHESNE of Hudson, 
DUNN of Bangor, EATON of Sullivan, EBERLE of South Portland, FAIRCLOTH of Bangor, 
FINCH of Fairfield, FISCHER of Presque Isle, GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, GREELEY of 
Levant, GROSE of Woolwich, HANLEY of Gardiner, HARLOW of Portland, HASKELL of 
Portland, HILL of York, HINCK of Portland, HOGAN of Old Orchard Beach, JACKSON of 
Allagash, JONES of Mount Vernon, KAENRA TH of South Portland, KOFFMAN of Bar 
Harbor, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, MacDONALD of Boothbay, MAKAS of Lewiston, 
MARLEY of Portland, MAZUREK of Rockland, McDONOUGH of Scarborough, McKANE 
of Newcastle, MILLER of Somerville, MILLS of Farmington, MIRAMANT of Camden, 
NASS of Acton, NORTON of Bangor, PATRICK of Rumford, PENDLETON of Scarborough, 
PEOPLES of Westbrook, PERCY of Phippsburg, PERRY of Calais, PIEH of Bremen, PILON 
of Saco, PINEAU of Jay, PINGREE of North Haven, PIOTTI of Unity, PRATT of Eddington, 
PRIEST of Brunswick, RAND of Portland, RICHARDSON of Warren, RINES of Wiscasset, 
ROSEN of Bucksport, SAMSON of Auburn, SA V AGE of Falmouth, SA VIELLO of Wilton, 
SCHATZ of Blue Hill, SILSBY of Augusta, SIMPSON of Auburn, SIROIS of Turner, 
STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland, SUTHERLAND of Chapman, THERIAULT of 
Madawaska, TREAT of Hallowell, TRINW ARD of Waterville, TUTTLE of Sanford, 
V ALENTINO of Saco, WAGNER of Lewiston, WATSON of Bath, WEBSTER of Freeport, 
WEDDELL of Frankfort, WHEELER of Kittery, WOODBURY of Yarmouth, Senators: 
BARTLETT of Cumberland, BOWMAN of York, COURTNEY of York, DIAMOND of 
Cumberland, GOOLEY of Franklin, HASTINGS of Oxford, NUTTING of Androscoggin, 
RA YE of Washington, SCHNEIDER of Penobscot, SNOWE-MELLO of Androscoggin, 
SULLIVAN of York. 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the price of home heating fuel has increased dramatically over the past 
year; and 
Whereas, projected funding of the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program, 
or "L1HEAP," is not expected to increase sufficiently to offset the increased cost of 
heating fuel; 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 
I I 
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. Notwithstanding 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 5 exclusively for fuel purchases and may not 
use those funds to support administrative expenses. 
Sec. 3. Maine Budget Stabilization Fund transfer to the General Fund. 
Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 142 and notwithstanding 
any provision of law to the contrary, the State Controller shall transfer $5,000,000 by 
June 30, 2008 from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund to the unappropriated surplus of 
the General Fund. 
Sec. 4. Unused funds. Any balance remaining of the funds provided to the Low-
income Home Energy Assistance Program pursuant to section 5 at the end of the fiscal 
year lapse to the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund. 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
MAINE STATE HOUSING AUTHORITY 
Low-income Horne Energy Assistance - MSHA 0708 
Page I - 123LR3407(Ol)-1 
Initiative: Provides funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2007-08 
$5,000,000 
$5,000,000 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited In the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill transfers $5,000,000 from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund to the 
General Fund for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program and specifies that 
the funds may by used only for fuel purchases. Any funds remaining at the end of the 
fiscal year lapse to the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund.