LRB-0694/P2
MDK:cjs:ph
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Bong, BB0270 - Utility public benefits allocation
For 2013-2015 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
State Government
Other state government
Under current law, DOA administers a program for making grants from the utility public benefits fund to provide assistance to low-income households for: 1) weatherization and other energy conservation services (weatherization and conservation assistance); and 2) payment of energy bills and early identification or prevention of energy crises (bill and crisis assistance). In each fiscal year, DOA must ensure that the amount spent under the program on grants for weatherization and conservation assistance is equal to 47 percent of a sum that is calculated for the fiscal year. As a result, 53 percent of the sum is available to be spent on grants under the program for bill and crisis assistance. This bill requires instead that 50 percent of the sum must be allocated for spent on grants for weatherization and conservation assistance, which results in allocating 50 percent for grants for bill and crisis assistance.
The bill also changes how the sum is calculated. Under current law, the sum is calculated by adding the following items for a fiscal year: 1) the amounts received under certain federally funded weatherization and energy-assistance programs; 2) the amount spent by certain electric and natural gas utilities on assistance to low-income households; 3) the amount spent under the program; and 4) the amount of monthly low-income assistance fees that certain municipal electric utilities and electric retail cooperatives are required to collect from their customers and members. This bill excludes from the calculation the first item pertaining to federal funding. The bill also replaces the third item with the amount of monthly low-income assistance fees that nonmunicipal electric utilities are required to collect from their customers.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section
1. 16.957 (1) (gg) of the statutes is repealed.
Section
2. 16.957 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
16.957 (2) (a) Low-income programs. (intro.) After holding a hearing, establish programs to be administered by the department for awarding grants from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (3) (r) to provide low-income assistance. In each fiscal year, the amount awarded under this paragraph shall be sufficient to ensure that an amount equal to 47% 50% of the sum of the following, or the amount determined under par. (d) 2m., is spent allocated for weatherization and other energy conservation services:
Section
3. 16.957 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is repealed.
Section
4. 16.957 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
16.957 (2) (a) 3. All The moneys spent in a fiscal year on programs established under this paragraph collected in low-income assistance fees under sub. (4) (a).
Section
5. 16.957 (2) (d) 2m. of the statutes is repealed.
(End)
