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Requirements For Leveraged Resources And Benefits

820 -- Attachment 1

[From leveraging final rule, Section 96.87 (d)]

1) In order to be counted under the leveraging incentive program, leveraged resources and benefits must meet all of the following five criteria:

(i) They are from non-Federal sources.

(ii) They are provided to the grantee's low-income home energy assistance program, or to federally qualified low-income households as described in section 2605(b)(2) of Public Law 97-35 (42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2).

(iii) They are measurable and quantifiable in dollars.

(iv) They represent a net addition to the total home energy resources available to low-income households in excess of the amount of such resources that could be acquired by these households through the purchase of home energy, or the purchase of items that help these households meet the cost of home energy, at commonly available household rates or costs, or that could be obtained with regular LIHEAP allotments provided under section 2602(b) of Public Law 97-35 (42 U.S.C. 8621(b)).

(v) They meet the requirements for countable leveraged resources and benefits throughout this section and section 2607A of Public Law 97-35 (42 U.S.C. 8626a).

2) Also, in order to be counted under the leveraging incentive program, leveraged resources and benefits must meet at least one of the following three criteria:

[From final rule 96.87(d)(2)]

(i) The grantee's LIHEAP program had an active, substantive role in developing and/or acquiring the resource/benefits from home energy vendor(s) through negotiation, regulation, and/or competitive bid. The actions or efforts of one or more staff of the grantee's LIHEAP program--at the central and/or local level--and/or one or more staff of LIHEAP program subrecipient(s) acting in that capacity, were substantial and significant in obtaining the resource/benefits from the vendor(s).

(ii) The grantee appropriated or mandated the resource/benefits for distribution to low-income households through (that is, within and as a part of) its LIHEAP program. The resource/benefits are provided through the grantee's LIHEAP program to low-income households eligible under the grantee's LIHEAP standards, in accordance with the LIHEAP statute and regulations and consistent with the grantee's LIHEAP plan and program policies that were in effect during the base period, as if they were provided from the grantee's Federal LIHEAP allotment.

(iii) The grantee appropriated or mandated the resource/benefits for distribution to low-income households as described in its LIHEAP plan (referred to in section 2605 (c) (1) (A) of Public Law 97-35) (42 U.S.C. 8624 (c) (1) (A). The resource/benefits are provided to low-income households as a supplement and/or alternative to the grantee's LIHEAP program, outside (that is, not through, within, or as a part of) the LIHEAP program. The resource/benefits are integrated and coordinated with the grantee's LIHEAP program. Before the end of the base period, the plan identifies and describes the resource/benefits, their source(s), and their integration/coordination with the LIHEAP program. The Department will determine resources/benefits to be integrated and coordinated with the LIHEAP program if they meet at least one of the following eight conditions. If a resource meets at least one of conditions A through F when the grantee's LIHEAP program is operating (and meets all other applicable requirements), the resource also is countable when the LIHEAP program is not operating.

(A) For all households served by the resource, the assistance provided by the resource depends on and is determined by the assistance provided to these households by the grantee's LIHEAP program in the base period. The resource supplements LIHEAP assistance that was not sufficient to meet households' home energy needs, and the type and amount of assistance provided by the resource is directly affected by the LIHEAP assistance received by the households.

(B) Receipt of LIHEAP assistance in the base period is necessary to receive assistance from the resources. The resource serves only households that received LIHEAP assistance in the base period.

(C) Ineligibility for the grantee's LIHEAP program, or denial of LIHEAP assistance in the base period because of unavailability of LIHEAP funds, is necessary to receive assistance from the resource.

(D) For discounts and waivers: eligibility for and/or receipt of assistance under the grantee's LIHEAP program in the base period, and/or eligibility under the Federal standards set by section 2605 (b) (2) of Public Law 97-35 (42 U.S. C. 8624 (b) (2)), is necessary to receive the discount or waiver.

(E) During the period when the grantee's LIHEAP program is operating, staff of the grantee's LIHEAP program and/or staff assigned to the LIHEAP program by a local LIHEAP administering agency or agencies, and staff assigned to the resource communicate orally and/or in writing about how to meet the home energy needs of specific, individual households. For the duration of the LIHEAP program, this communication takes place before assistance is provided to each household to be served by the resource, unless the applicant for assistance from the resource presents documentation of LIHEAP eligibility and/or the amount of LIHEAP assistance received or to be received.

(F) A written agreement between the grantee's LIHEAP program or local LIHEAP administering agency, and the agency administering the resource, specifies the following about the resource: eligibility criteria; benefit levels; period of operation; how the LIHEAP program and the resource are integrated/coordinated; and relationship between LIHEAP eligibility and/or benefit levels, and eligibility and/or benefit levels for the resource. The agreement provides for annual or more frequent reports to be provided to the LIHEAP program by the agency administering the resource.

(G) The resource accepts referrals from the grantee's LIHEAP program, and as long as the resource has benefits available, it provides assistance to all households that are referred by the LIHEAP program and that meet the resources' eligibility requirements. Under this condition, only the benefits provided to households referred by the LIHEAP program are countable.

COUNTABLE LEVERAGED RESOURCES AND BENEFITS

[From final rule, Section 96.87(e)]

Resources and benefits that are countable under the leveraging incentive program include the three major categories shown below, provided that they also meet all other applicable requirements:

(1) Cash resources: State, tribal, territorial, and other public and private non-Federal funds, including countable loan funds and countable petroleum violation escrow funds as defined in paragraphs (b)(3) and (b)(4) of this section, that are used for:

(i) Heating, cooling, and energy crisis assistance payments and cash benefits made in the base period to or on behalf of low-income households toward their home energy costs (including home energy bills, taxes on home energy sales/purchases and services, connection and reconnection fees, application fees, late payment charges, bulk fuel tank rental or purchase costs, and security deposits that are retained for six months or longer);

(ii) Purchase of fuels that are provided to low-income households in the base period for home energy (such as fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and wood);

(iii) Purchase of weatherization materials that are installed in recipients' homes in the base period;

(iv) Purchase of the following tangible items that are provided to low-income households and/or installed in recipients' homes in the base period: blankets, space heating devices, equipment, and systems; space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other tangible items that help low-income households meet the costs of home energy and are specifically approved by the Department as countable leveraged resources;

(v) Installation, replacement, and repair of the following in the base period: weatherization materials; space heating devices, equipment, and systems; space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other tangible items that help low-income households meet the costs of home energy and are specifically approved by the Department;

(vi) The following services, when they are an integral part of weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy in the base period: installation, replacement, and repair of windows, exterior doors, roofs, exterior walls, and exterior floors; pre-weatherization home energy audits of homes that were weatherized as a result of these audits; and post-weatherization inspection of homes; and

(vii) The following services, when they are provided (carried out) in the base period: installation, replacement, and repair of smoke/fire alarms that are an integral part, and necessary for safe operation, of a home heating or cooling system installed or repaired as a weatherization activity; and asbestos removal and that is an integral part of, and necessary to carry out, weatherization to help low-income households meet the cost of home energy.

(2) Home energy discounts and waivers that are provided in the base period to low-income households and pertain to generally applicable prices, rates, fees, charges, costs and/or requirements, in the amount of the discount, reduction, waiver, or forgiveness, or that apply to certain tangible fuel and non-fuel items and to certain services, that are provided in the base period to low-income households and help these households meet the costs of home energy, in the amount of the discount or reduction.

(i) Discounts or reductions in utility and bulk fuel prices, rates, or bills;

(ii) Partial or full forgiveness of home energy bill arrearages;

(iii) Partial or full waivers of utility and other home energy connection and reconnection fees, application fees, late payment charges, bulk fuel tank rental or purchase costs, and home energy security deposits that are retained for six months or longer;

(iv) Reductions in and partial or full waivers of non-Federal taxes on home energy sales/purchases and services, and reductions in and partial or full waivers of other non-Federal taxes provided as tax ``credits'' to low-income [[Page 21362]] households to offset their home energy costs, except when Federal funds or Federal tax ``credits'' provide payment or reimbursement for these reductions/waivers;

(v) Discounts or reductions in the cost of the following tangible items that are provided to low-income households and/or installed in recipients' homes: weatherization materials; blankets; space heating devices, equipment, and systems; space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other tangible items that are specifically approved by the Department;

(vi) Discounts or reductions in the cost of installation, replacement, and repair of the following: weatherization materials; space heating devices, equipment, and systems; space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other tangible items that help low-income households meet the costs of home energy and are specifically approved by the Department;

(vii) Discounts or reductions in the cost of the following services, when the services are an integral part of weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy: installation, replacement, and repair of windows, exterior doors, roofs, exterior walls, and exterior floors; pre-weatherization home energy audits of homes that were weatherized as a result of these audits; and post-weatherization inspection of homes; and

(viii) Discounts or reductions in the cost of installation, replacement, and repair of smoke/fire alarms that are an integral part, and necessary for safe operation, of a home heating or cooling system installed or repaired as a weatherization activity; and discounts or reductions in the cost of asbestos removal that is an integral part of, and necessary to carry out, weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy.

(3) Certain third-party in-kind contributions that are provided in the base period to low-income households:

(i) Donated fuels used by recipient households for home energy (such as fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and wood);

(ii) Donated weatherization materials that are installed in recipients' homes;

(iii) Donated blankets; donated space heating devices, equipment, and systems; donated space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other donated tangible items that help low-income households meet the costs of home energy and are specifically approved by the Department as countable leveraged resources;

(iv) Unpaid volunteers' services specifically to install, replace, and repair the following: weatherization materials; space heating devices, equipment, and systems; space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other items that help low-income households meet the costs of home energy and are specifically approved by the Department;

(v) Unpaid volunteers' services specifically to provide (carry out) the following, when these services are an integral part of weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy: installation, replacement, and repair of windows, exterior doors, roofs, exterior walls, and exterior floors; pre-weatherization home energy audits of homes that were weatherized as a result of these audits; and post-weatherization inspection of homes;

(vi) Unpaid volunteers' services specifically to: install, replace, and repair smoke/fire alarms as an integral part, and necessary for safe operation, of a home heating or cooling system installed or repaired as a weatherization activity; and remove asbestos as an integral part of, and necessary to carry out, weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy;

(vii) Paid staff's services that are donated by the employer specifically to install, replace, and repair the following: weatherization materials; space heating devices, equipment, and systems; space cooling devices, equipment, and systems; and other items that help low-income households meet the costs of home energy and are specifically approved by the Department;

(viii) Paid staff's services that are donated by the employer specifically to provide (carry out) the following, when these services are an integral part of weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy: installation, replacement, and repair of windows, exterior doors, roofs, exterior walls, and exterior floors; pre-weatherization home energy audits of homes that were weatherized as a result of these audits; and post-weatherization inspection of homes; and

(ix) Paid staff's services that are donated by the employer specifically to: install, replace, and repair smoke/fire alarms as an integral part, and necessary for safe operation, of a home heating or cooling system installed or repaired as a weatherization activity; and remove asbestos as an integral part of, and necessary to carry out, weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy.

 

820 -- Attachment 2

RESOURCES AND BENEFITS THAT CANNOT BE COUNTED

[From final rule, Section (96.87(f)]

(1) Resources (or portions of resources) obtained, arranged, provided, contributed, and/or paid for, by a low-income household for its own benefit, or which a low-income household is responsible for obtaining or required to provide for its own benefit or for the benefit of others, in order to receive a benefit of some type;

(2) Resources (or portions of resources) provided, contributed, and/or paid for by building owners, building managers, and/or home energy vendors, if the cost of rent, home energy, or other charge(s) to the recipient were or will be increased, or if other charge(s) to the recipient were or will be imposed, as a result;

(3) Resources (or portions of resources) directly provided, contributed, and/or paid for by member(s) of the recipient household's family (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, first cousins, nieces, and nephews, and their spouses), regardless of whether the family member(s) lived with the household, unless the family member(s) also provided the same resource to other low-income households during the base period and did not limit the resource to members of their own family;

(4) Deferred home energy obligations;

(5) Projected future savings from weatherization;

(6) Delivery, and discounts in the cost of delivery, of fuel, weatherization materials, and all other items;

(7) Purchase, rental, donation, and loan, and discounts in the cost of purchase and rental, of: supplies and equipment used to deliver fuel, weatherization materials, and all other items; and supplies and equipment used to install and repair weatherization materials and all other items;

(8) Petroleum violation escrow (oil overcharge) funds that do not meet the definition in paragraph (b)(4) of this section;

(9) Interest earned/paid on petroleum violation escrow funds that were distributed to a State or territory by the Department of Energy on or before October 1, 1990;

(10) Interest earned/paid on Federal funds;

(11) Interest earned/paid on customers' security deposits, utility deposits, etc., except when forfeited by the customer and used to provide countable benefits;

(12) Borrowed funds that do not meet the requirements in paragraph (b)(3) above (including loans made by and/or to low-income households), interest [[Page 21363]] paid on borrowed funds, and reductions in interest paid on borrowed funds;

(13) Resources (or portions of resources) for which Federal payment or reimbursement has been or will be provided/received;

(14) Tax deductions and tax credits received from any unit(s) of government by donors/contributors of resources for these donations, and by vendors for providing rate reductions, discounts, waivers, credits, and/or arrearage forgiveness to or for low-income households, etc.;

(15) Funds and other resources that have been or will be used as matching or cost sharing for any Federal program;

(16) Leveraged resources counted under any other Federal leveraging incentive program;

(17) Costs of planning and administration, space costs, and intake costs;

(18) Outreach activities, budget counseling, case management, and energy conservation education;

(19) Training;

(20) Installation, replacement, and repair of lighting fixtures and light bulbs;

(21) Installation, replacement, and repair of smoke/fire alarms that are not an integral part, and necessary for safe operation, of a home heating or cooling system installed or repaired as a weatherization activity;

(22) Asbestos removal that is not an integral part of, and necessary to carry out, weatherization to help low-income households meet the costs of home energy;

(23) Paid services where payment is not made from countable leveraged resources, unless these services are donated as a countable in-kind contribution by the employer;

(24) All in-kind contributions except those described in paragraph (e)(3) of this section; and

(25) All other resources that do not meet the requirements of this section and of section 2607A of Public Law 97-35 (42 U.S.C. 8626a).

Page Last Updated: January 27, 2010