S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 502--A

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 5, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced by Sens. DIAZ, SAMPSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when  printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging -- recommitted
  to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications in  accordance  with
  Senate  Rule  6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to the senior citizen  energy
  packaging  pilot  program and making technical changes thereto; and to
  repeal section 221 of such law  relating  to  the  legislative  intent
  underlying the senior citizen energy packaging pilot program

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 222 of the elder law is amended to read as follows:
  S 222. Senior citizen energy  packaging  pilot  program.  1.  (A)  THE
LEGISLATURE  FINDS  AND  DECLARES  THAT  A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE
STATE'S SENIOR CITIZENS LIVE AT OR BELOW  THE  POVERTY  LEVEL.  IN  MANY
CASES,  ENERGY COSTS REACH OR EXCEED THIRTY PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
THESE FACTORS MAKE ENERGY CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF  LOW  INCOME
ELDERLY  CRUCIAL. THE LEGISLATURE FURTHER FINDS THAT ENERGY CONSERVATION
PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN UNDER-UTILIZED  BY  SUCH  CITIZENS  BECAUSE  OF  SUCH
FACTORS  AS  REDUCED  MOBILITY,  SOCIAL  AND PHYSICAL ISOLATION, AND THE
COMPLEXITY OF THE MAZE OF SERVICES AVAILABLE.
  (B) THE LEGISLATURE THEREFORE DECLARES THAT A PILOT PROGRAM TO  ASSIST
SUCH  CITIZENS TO CONSERVE ENERGY SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE OFFICE IN
CONJUNCTION WITH COUNTY OFFICES FOR THE AGING. THE  LEGISLATURE  FURTHER
DECLARES THAT SUCH A PROGRAM WILL FURTHER THE ENERGY CONSERVATION OBJEC-
TIVES  OF THE STATE AND SHOULD BE PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY PETROLEUM OVER-
CHARGE RESTITUTION FUNDS.
  2. Within the amounts appropriated therefor, the office  shall  estab-
lish  guidelines  for  and  administer a senior citizen energy packaging
pilot program to be carried out by county offices for the aging  in  the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD03336-02-1

S. 502--A                           2

counties  of  Nassau, Suffolk, Broome, Erie, and Tompkins and such other
counties as funds may allow. Wherever possible, such  program  shall  be
coordinated  with appropriate existing programs of public utilities, the
state energy office, and the department of state.
  [2.] 3. These appropriations shall be used specifically for the train-
ing  of  personnel  within  county offices for the aging to insure their
thorough familiarity with state and federal energy conservation programs
and benefits and their ability to facilitate receipt of such benefits by
the client population.  These  appropriations  shall  also  be  used  to
provide salaries, appropriate benefits and expenses of such personnel in
carrying out the purposes of the pilot program. Depending on the size of
the  client population to be served, no more than five of such personnel
shall be trained and utilized in any county.
  [3.] 4. The client population shall consist of those  senior  citizens
living  at or below the poverty level. Whenever possible, priority shall
be given to serving first those in greatest need of assistance,  includ-
ing but not limited to, home energy assistance program recipients.
  S 2. Section 221 of the elder law is REPEALED.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.