Texas Administrative Code › Title 10 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › Part 1 - TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS › Chapter 6 - COMMUNITY AFFAIRS PROGRAMS › Subchapter C - COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM › Section 6.301 - Background and Definitions

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) The
				  Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is funded through the Low Income
				  Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget
				  Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35, as amended). LIHEAP has been in
				  existence since 1982. LIHEAP is a federally funded block grant program that is
				  implemented to serve Low Income Households who seek assistance for their home
				  energy bills. LIHEAP is not an entitlement program, and there are not
				  sufficient funds to serve all eligible customers or to provide the maximum
				  benefit for which a customer may qualify.
(b) Definitions.
(1) Crisis Assistance--A type of CEAP
				  assistance limited to Households who meet the requirements related to Extreme
				  Weather Conditions, Life Threatening Crisis, or a Disaster.
(2) Customer Obligations--Funds become
				  obligated upon a Subrecipient's pledge of payment to a specific Household
				  toward a service or form of assistance and it being recorded in Subrecipient's
				  client tracking software.
(3)
				  Disaster--An event declared by the President of the United States or the
				  Governor of the State of Texas.
(4)
				  Extreme Weather Conditions--For winter months (November, December, January, and
				  February), extreme cold weather conditions exist when the temperature has been
				  at least two degrees below the lowest winter month's temperature or below 32
				  degrees, for at least three days during the client's billing cycle. For summer
				  months (June, July, August, and September), extreme hot weather conditions
				  exist when the temperature is at least two degrees above the highest summer
				  month's temperature for at least three days during the client's billing cycle.
				  Extreme Weather Conditions will be based on either data for "1981-2010 Normals"
				  temperatures recorded by National Centers for Environmental Information of the
				  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and available at
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/normals
,
				  or on data determined by the Subrecipient, and approved by the Department in
				  writing. Subrecipient must maintain documentation of local temperatures and
				  reflect their standard for Extreme Weather Conditions in its Service Delivery
				  Plan.
(5) Life Threatening
				  Crisis--A Life Threatening Crisis exists when the life of at least one person
				  in the applicant Household who is a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or a Qualified
				  Alien would likely, in the opinion of a reasonable person, be endangered if
				  utility assistance or heating and cooling assistance is not provided. Examples
				  of life endangerment include, but are not limited to, a Household member who
				  needs electricity for life-sustaining equipment (e.g., kidney dialysis
				  machines, oxygen concentrators, medicinal refrigeration and cardiac monitors);
				  a Household member whose medical professional has prescribed that the ambient
				  air temperature be maintained at a certain temperature; a Household member
				  whose life is endangered if absence of heating or cooling were to continue; or
				  the presence of noxious gases as a result of heating or cooling the Dwelling
				  Unit. In cases concerning an applicant's medical condition or need for
				  life-sustaining equipment, documentation must not be requested about the
				  medical condition of the applicant but the applicant must affirm that such a
				  device is required in the Dwelling Unit because of a life threatening illness
				  or risk of death.
(6) Low on
				  Fuel--A reference to propane tanks which are below 20% supply (according to
				  customer).
(7) Natural Disaster--A
				  Disaster that is primarily not of man-made origins.
(8) Vendor Refund--A sum of money refunded by
				  a utility company or supplier due to a credit on the account or due to a
				  deposit. See §
											RSA
				  6.312 of this subchapter (relating to
				  Payments to Subcontractors and Vendors) for more information.