Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§8621 Home energy grants
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 94— - LOW-INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE › § 8621
Summary
The Secretary can give grants to States to help low-income households, especially the poorest, that spend a large share of their income on home energy. The help is mainly for meeting immediate home energy needs. Congress set specific funding levels. It authorized $2,000,000,000 for each fiscal year 1995 through 1999, such sums as needed for 2000 and 2001, and $5,100,000,000 for each fiscal year 2005 through 2007. Money for any fiscal year can be obligated in the next fiscal year. For section 8626a, $30,000,000 was authorized for each fiscal year 1999–2004, except if subsection (b) provides at least $1,400,000,000 in a year, then $50,000,000 is authorized. In addition, $600,000,000 each year is authorized for extra State needs from disasters or emergencies; those funds are treated as emergency funds under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 but are available only after the President sends Congress a formal budget request that labels them as emergency requirements.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §8621
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary is authorized to make grants, in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter, to States to assist low-income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes, that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy, primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs.
(b)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this subchapter (other than section 8626a of this title), $2,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1995 through 1999, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2000 and 2001, and $5,100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2007. The authorizations of appropriations contained in this subsection are subject to the program year provisions of subsection (c).
(c)Amounts appropriated under this section for any fiscal year for programs and activities under this subchapter shall be made available for obligation in the succeeding fiscal year.
(d)(1)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 8626a of this title, $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2004, except as provided in paragraph (2).
(2)For any of fiscal years 1999 through 2004 for which the amount appropriated under subsection (b) is not less than $1,400,000,000, there is authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 to carry out section 8626a of this title.
(e)There is authorized to be appropriated in each fiscal year for payments under this subchapter, in addition to amounts appropriated for distribution to all the States in accordance with section 8623 of this title (other than subsection (e) of such section), $600,000,000 to meet the additional home energy assistance needs of one or more States arising from a natural disaster or other emergency. Funds appropriated pursuant to this subsection are hereby designated to be emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 [2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)], except that such funds shall be made available only after the submission to Congress of a formal budget request by the President (for all or a part of the appropriation pursuant to this subsection) that includes a designation of the amount requested as an emergency requirement as defined in such Act [2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.].
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (e), is classified to section 901 of Title 2, The Congress. section 251 was amended by Pub. L. 105–33, title X, § 10203(a)(4), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 699, and by Pub. L. 112–25, title I, § 101, Aug. 2, 2011, 125 Stat. 241. As so amended, section 251(b)(2)(D) no longer refers to “emergency requirements”. The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (e), is title II of Pub. L. 99–177, Dec. 12, 1985, 99 Stat. 1038, which enacted chapter 20 (§ 900 et seq.) and sections 654 to 656 of Title 2, The Congress, amended section 602, 622, 631 to 642, and 651 to 653 of Title 2, sections 1104 to 1106, and 1109 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and section 911 of this title, repealed section 661 of Title 2, enacted provisions set out as notes under section 900 of Title 2 and section 911 of this title, and amended provisions set out as a note under section 621 of Title 2. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 900 of Title 2 and Tables.
Amendments
2005—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–58 substituted “and $5,100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2007” for “and $2,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2004”. 1998—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–285, § 302(a), inserted “, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2000 and 2001, and $2,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2004” after “1995 through 1999”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–285, § 302(b), amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “(c)(1) In fiscal year 1993 and each fiscal year thereafter, amounts appropriated under this section for any fiscal year for programs and activities under this subchapter shall be made available for obligation only on the basis of a program year. The program year shall begin on October 1 of the fiscal year following the year in which the appropriation is made. “(2) Amounts appropriated for fiscal year 1993 shall be available both to fund activities for the period between
October 1, 1992, and
July 1, 1993, and for the program year beginning
July 1, 1993. “(3) There are authorized to be appropriated such additional sums as may be necessary for the transition to carry out this subsection.” Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–285, § 302(c), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “There is authorized” for “There are authorized” and “$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2004, except as provided in paragraph (2)” for “$50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1996 and 1997, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998 and 1999”, and added par. (2). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–285, § 302(d), substituted “There is authorized” for “There are authorized” and “(other than subsection (e) of such section)” for “(other than subsection (g))”. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–252, § 302, amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to make grants, in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter, to States to assist eligible households to meet the costs of home energy.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–252, §§ 303(a)(1), 311(c)(1)(A), substituted “this subchapter (other than section 8626a of this title), $2,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1995 through 1999” for “this subchapter (other than section 8626a of this title) $2,307,000,000 for fiscal year 1990, $2,150,000,000 for fiscal year 1991, $2,230,000,000 for fiscal year 1992, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 1995” and struck out second period at end. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 103–252, § 311(c)(1)(B), made technical amendment to reference to this subchapter to correct reference to corresponding provision of original act. Pub. L. 103–252, § 303(a)(2), which directed the substitution of “October 1” for “July 1” and “following the year in which” for “for which” in last sentence of subsec. (c), was executed by making the substitutions in last sentence of subsec. (c)(1) to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–252, § 303(b), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 8626a of this title, $25,000,000 in fiscal year 1992, and $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 1995.” Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–252, § 304(a), added subsec. (e). 1993—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–43, § 2011(1), substituted “1993, 1994, and 1995” for “1993 and 1994”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–43, § 2011(2), substituted “for each of the fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 1995” for “in each of the fiscal years 1993 and 1994”. 1990—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–501, § 707(b)(1), which directed the amendment of this section by inserting “(other than section 8626a of this title)” after “subchapter”, was executed to subsec. (b) to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 101–501, § 702, struck out “$2,050,000,000 for fiscal year 1987, $2,132,000,000 for fiscal year 1988, $2,218,000,000 for fiscal year 1989, and” before “$2,307,000,000” and inserted “, $2,150,000,000 for fiscal year 1991, $2,230,000,000 for fiscal year 1992, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1993 and 1994. The authorizations of appropriations contained in this subsection are subject to the program year provisions of subsection (c).” after “1990”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–501, § 701, added subsec. (c). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–501, § 707(b)(2), added subsec. (d). 1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–425 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this subchapter $2,140,000,000 for the fiscal year 1985, and $2,275,000,000 for the fiscal year 1986.” 1984—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–558 substituted “$2,140,000,000 for fiscal year 1985, and $2,275,000,000 for fiscal year 1986” for “$1,875,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1982, 1983, and 1984”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1994 Amendment Pub. L. 103–252, title III, § 314, May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 666, provided that: “The
Amendments
and
Repeals
made by this title [see
Short Title
of 1994 Amendment note below] shall become effective on October 1, 1994.”
Effective Date
of 1990 Amendment Pub. L. 101–501, title X, § 1001, Nov. 3, 1990, 104 Stat. 1283, provided that: “(a) General
Effective Date
.—Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act and the
Amendments
made by this Act [see Tables for classification] shall take effect on October 1, 1990. “(b) Special
Effective Date
s.—(1) The amendment made by section 207(b) [repealing a provision set out as a note preceding section 9861 of this title] shall take effect immediately before
October 1, 1990. “(2) section 646(b) of the Head Start Act [section 9841(b) of this title], as added by section 115, shall take effect on
April 1, 1990.”
Effective Date
of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–425, title X, § 1001, Sept. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 978, provided that: “(a) General
Effective Date
.—Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), this Act and the
Amendments
made by this Act [enacting section 8628a, 9812a, 9910b, and 10901 to 10905 of this title, amending this section, section 8623, 8624, 8629, 9803, 9834, 9835, 9837, 9840, 9862, 9867, 9871, 9874, 9877, 9901 to 9904, 9905a, 9908 to 9910, and 9910a of this title and section 4033 of Title 20, Education, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 8623, 9801, and 10901 of this title, and amending provisions set out as notes under section 9861 of this title and section 1932 of Title 7, Agriculture] shall take effect on October 1, 1986, or the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1986], whichever occurs later. “(b)
Effective Date
for Energy Crisis Intervention
Amendments
.—The
Amendments
made by section 502(a) [amending section 8623 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 8623 of this title] shall take effect on December 1, 1986, or 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1986], whichever occurs later. “(c) Application of Certain Other
Amendments
Relating to Energy Assistance.—The
Amendments
made by subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) of section 504 [amending section 8624 of this title] shall not apply with respect to any fiscal year beginning in or before the 60-day period ending on the
Effective Date
of this Act [Oct. 1, 1986].”
Effective Date
of 1984 Amendment Pub. L. 98–558, title VI, § 609, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2893, provided that: “(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), the
Amendments
made by this title [amending this section and sections 8622 to 8624, 8626, 8627, and 8629 of this title] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 1984]. “(b) The
Amendments
made by section 605 [amending section 8624 of this title] shall take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 1984]. “(c) The
Amendments
made by section 606 [amending section 8626 of this title] shall apply to amounts held available for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1985. “(d) The amendment made by section 607 [amending section 8629 of this title] shall apply to data collected and compiled after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 1984]. section 2610 of the Act [section 8629 of this title] as in effect before the date of the enactment of this Act shall apply with respect to the report submitted under such section 2610 for fiscal year 1984.”
Short Title
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–285, title III, § 301, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2756, provided that: “This title [amending this section and sections 8622 to 8624, 8626, 8626b, and 8628a of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 8626b of this title] may be cited as the ‘Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
Amendments
of 1998’.”
Short Title
of 1994 Amendment Pub. L. 103–252, title III, § 301(a), May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 657, provided that: “This title [enacting section 8626b of this title, amending this section and sections 8622 to 8624, 8626, 8626a, 8628a, and 8629 of this title, and enacting provisions set out above] may be cited as the ‘Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
Amendments
of 1994’.”
Short Title
Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVI, § 2601, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 893, provided that: “This title [enacting this subchapter and repealing subchapter I of this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981’.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 8621
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73