Home Energy Assistance Act
Latest action. Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate.
(Reported to Senate from the Committee on Labor and Human Resources with amendment, S. Rept. 96-378) Home Energy Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) to make grants to States to assist eligible low-income households to meet increasing home energy costs. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 1980 through 1982 to carry out this Act. Extends such authorization one year automatically, unless Congress takes contrary action. Specifies the formula to be used in determining allotments to each State of the authorized appropriations. Reserves specified amounts for: (1) energy crisis related activities under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964; (2) U.S. territories and possessions; and (3) home energy assistance programs. Permits the reallocation of State allocations. Provides for direct grants to Indian tribes by the Secretary, if the Secretary determines that the tribes would thereby be better served. Permits home energy grants to be used for home energy assistance in accordance with approved State plans. Sets forth procedures for and requirements of such State plans. Authorizes States to make grants to eligible households for meeting excessive cooling costs where such cooling is medically necessary under standards established by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to establish criteria and standards for State plan requirements, together with timetables for carrying out such plans. Requires States to comply with the uniform data collection standards established by the Secretary concerning home energy consumption, cost and type of fuels used, use by which income groups, and other information determined to be necessary to carry out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to withhold payments under this Act for failure to comply with approved application provisions. Sets forth criminal penalties for violations of this Act or the knowing provision of false information. Sets forth provisions for the administration of this Act. Stipulates that payments received by members of participating households are not to be considered income for determining eligibility for other Federal assistance programs. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with specified Federal officials, to establish procedures for referrals for participation in Federal weatherization programs. Requires the Director of the Community Services Administration to reserve allotments for each State, according to a specified formula, from sums appropriated by this Act or available pursuant to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 for fiscal year 1980. Gives each State the option of using such allotted funds: (1) to administer an energy crisis assistance program directly; or (2) to administer such program jointly with HEW.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate with amendment(s)" stage on October 25, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate.
Civibrief does not map this action to a stage in the process. See the official record.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
The latest action on file does not map to a stage Civibrief recognizes, so the page will not name one. The record's own words are the reliable fact here.
The record's latest action, on August 4, 1980: Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one has no outstanding steps listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HARRISON WILLIAMS (D-NJ) introduced it on September 7, 1979, and 17 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 13 Democrats, 4 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on September 7, 1979, 17170 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16838 days ago, on August 4, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateMeasure indefinitely postponed in Senate.
- HouseNot stated in the latest action
- PresidentNot stated in the latest action