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On December 20, the President signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act Fiscal Year 2020 into law. This increases the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding by $50 million to a total of $3.74 billion. In addition, the bill includes a new hold-harmless provision, which guarantees that states receive at least 97 percent of the funds allocated in the previous fiscal year. This helps address fluctuations in LIHEAP funding. The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education previously released $3.32 billion in LIHEAP funds on November 1 under the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2020.

LIHEAP is a federal block grant program that provides money to low-income individuals/families to help them meet their heating and cooling needs and requires an annual appropriation from Congress. APGA continues to push for full funding at the authorized $5.1 billion level as LIHEAP assistance continues to play a critical role in helping low-income families meet their energy needs. Without LIHEAP funding assistance, many low-income families face the difficult choice between paying their energy bills versus paying for other necessities, such as healthcare, food and childcare.

For questions on this article, please contact Todd Brady of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at tbrady@apga.org.