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S 1214119th CongressIntroduced
Heating and Cooling Relief Act
Introduced: Oct 29, 2025
Environment & ClimateHousing & Urban DevelopmentSocial Services
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The Heating and Cooling Relief Act amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to dramatically increase funding, expand eligibility to 250% of poverty level, mandate year-round operation, and address climate change impacts by requiring cooling assistance and promoting decarbonization through weatherization and renewable energy initiatives for vulnerable households.
Key Points
- 1Authorizes unlimited funding to ensure all eligible low-income households receive heating and cooling assistance by removing previous statutory funding caps entirely.
- 2Expands eligibility to households with incomes up to 250% of federal poverty level or 80% of state median income, whichever is higher, while prohibiting citizenship documentation requirements.
- 3Mandates states implement measures ensuring no eligible household experiences energy costs exceeding 3% of income and prohibits utility shutoffs for two years after assistance.
- 4Creates new Just Transition Grants to fund decarbonization efforts targeting high-energy-burden households through weatherization and renewable energy infrastructure upgrades.
Impact Areas
Low-income households facing extreme energy burdens and risk of utility shutoffs during climate-driven extreme weather eventsState and local energy assistance programs required to operate year-round with expanded eligibility and reporting requirementsUtility companies subject to new restrictions on late fees and shutoffs for program participantsVulnerable populations including children, elderly, and medically fragile individuals during extreme heat and cold events
Generated by legislative-analyst-v1 on Nov 2, 2025