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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The recent federal budget proposed by President | ||||||
| 3 | Trump includes a total elimination of federal funding for the | ||||||
| 4 | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); such a | ||||||
| 5 | reduction will threaten the continuation of a number of State | ||||||
| 6 | of Illinois initiatives that have relied on the LIHEAP program; | ||||||
| 7 | and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, LIHEAP is a vital lifeline to low income families, | ||||||
| 9 | working poor households, senior citizens, and persons with | ||||||
| 10 | disabilities in meeting their energy needs throughout the State | ||||||
| 11 | of Illinois; it also assists with the stability critical for | ||||||
| 12 | child development; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Low income families, working poor households, | ||||||
| 14 | many senior citizens, and persons with disabilities are often | ||||||
| 15 | unable to afford essential utility services and other | ||||||
| 16 | necessities, such as food, shelter, and medical care; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, The health and safety of those who are unable to | ||||||
| 18 | afford essential utility services suffer when monthly payments | ||||||
| 19 | for these services exceed a reasonable percentage of the | ||||||
| 20 | customer's household income; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, The LIHEAP program is an important part of a | ||||||
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| 1 | two-part energy assistance strategy designed by the State of | ||||||
| 2 | Illinois to provide energy assistance payments to low income | ||||||
| 3 | households through LIHEAP while promoting energy efficiency | ||||||
| 4 | through the Department of Energy weatherization program; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, LIHEAP is a targeted block grant program, which | ||||||
| 6 | provides built-in flexibility in federal-state partnerships | ||||||
| 7 | that assist low-income customers to meet their bill payment | ||||||
| 8 | obligations, to prevent service terminations in winter and heat | ||||||
| 9 | emergencies, to help households make the transition from public | ||||||
| 10 | assistance, and to weatherize homes and repair defective | ||||||
| 11 | heating equipment; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Many low income Illinoisans do not have sufficient | ||||||
| 13 | income to pay for the basic necessities of life and are | ||||||
| 14 | experiencing a crisis in paying home energy bills, thereby | ||||||
| 15 | contributing to a health and safety crisis which becomes | ||||||
| 16 | disruptive to Illinois families and children; therefore, be it
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| 17 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 18 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 19 | support adequate and uninterrupted federal funding for the Low | ||||||
| 20 | Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP); and be it further | ||||||
| 21 | RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Congressional | ||||||
| 22 | Delegation to advocate for appropriate and sufficient funding | ||||||
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| 1 | for LIHEAP for the coming federal fiscal year; and be it | ||||||
| 2 | further
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| 3 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 4 | provided to all members of the Illinois Congressional | ||||||
| 5 | Delegation.
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