Urging the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to pass House Bill 1539 which will provide, for the first time, supplemental state funds for the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ("LIHEAP").

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Gas Works’ (“PGW”) rates are the highest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the typical City rowhouse customer will pay approximately $200 a month this year in gas bills, a 21 percent increase from last year; and

WHEREAS, Federal assistance for the cost of home energy has been stagnant since 1982 and Pennsylvania’s share of federal LIHEAP funds was cut this year by $21 million, which will cause 25,000 low-income families to suffer this winter without heat; and

WHEREAS, Even before the cut, federal energy assistance to Pennsylvania is only sufficient to provide funds to one-half of all households who are qualified to receive assistance under federal guidelines, both statewide and within Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is only one of two cold weather states in the Northeast and Midwest that does not provide any supplemental assistance to households that qualify for LIHEAP and PGW customers are already paying rates that include substantial expenses for uncollectible billings and programs that provide rate discounts to low-income and senior citizen customers; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 1539, was unanimously approved by the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday, November 22 and would provide, for the first time, $24.6 million in supplemental state funds for LIHEAP and will enable about 60,000 additional families to join this vital program; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 1539 would redirect 1 mill of the Pennsylvania Gross Receipts Tax on energy companies to the Emergency Energy Assistance Fund, which will go toward home heating costs of Pennsylvania’s low-income families; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby urge the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to pass House Bill 1539 which will provide, for the first time, supplemental state funds for the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be sent to the Majority and Minority leadership of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Philadelphia Delegation of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the Governor as a representation of the true wishes and sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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