# 119-s-1214: Heating and Cooling Relief Act

119-s-1214, Heating and Cooling Relief Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1214
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1214
- Congress: 119
- Title: Heating and Cooling Relief Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-31
- Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 10
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Expands and modernizes federal low-income energy aid.** This bill would rename LIHEAP to the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and shift it from primarily heating help to year-round heating and cooling, plus disaster-triggered assistance and stronger ties to weatherization and decarbonization. - Families and households: Would widen eligibility to the greater of 250 percent of the poverty level or 80 percent of State median income, ban citizenship-based proof requirements, require simplified re-enrollment for fixed-income households, and aim to limit energy burdens to no more than 3% of income. - State and local program operators: Would let Congress fund HEAP at “such sums as may be necessary,” require year-round operation and expanded outreach, mandate online applications within five years, and set a floor pay rate of $15 per hour for HEAP coordinators. - Utilities, communities, and clean-energy projects: Would bar late fees and shutoffs around HEAP payments for covered households and require regulated suppliers to offer low-income payment programs within two years. It would also standardize arrearage reporting and create a three-year Just Transition Grants program that would prioritize workforce and local ownership in clean-energy projects. *This bill would authorize $2.0 billion for core HEAP and $1.0 billion for the Just Transition grant program in FY2026, and would allow additional sums as necessary in later years.*

## Cosponsors (10)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Higher income limits for HEAP: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would raise HEAP income eligibility. You could qualify if your household income is at or below the greater of 250% of the federal poverty level or 80% of your State's median income. This change would take effect on enactment.
- More HEAP money and grants: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would give HEAP more federal money. It would appropriate $2 billion for fiscal year 2026 and authorize $2 billion plus additional sums thereafter. It would also create a new Just Transition grants program with $1 billion for FY2026 and authorize at least $1 billion each year af…
- Protections for low-income energy bills: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require energy suppliers who get HEAP-related payments to stop late fees and refund them quickly. Suppliers could not charge late fees from six months before to six months after they receive funds for a household, and must refund such fees within seven days. Suppliers cou…
- Easier HEAP sign-up and access: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would make HEAP easier to join. States would be encouraged to use data from SNAP, Medicaid, and SSI to verify you and to autoenroll eligible households. Programs could not require proof of citizenship and could accept self-attestation where verification is impractical. Online a…
- More HEAP help during disasters: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would let HEAP pay for heating or cooling help when the President or a Secretary declares a disaster or finds extreme heat or cold. The Secretary and FEMA would, as practicable, give States funds to help covered households. States could use the funds to buy energy-efficient air…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-1214 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1214)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1214 (as of 2026-04-21).