City of Philadelphia - File #: 051207

• File #: 051207
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 12/15/2005
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 12/15/2005
• Title: Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1005 which will assist low and moderate income citizens to re-establish gas service with public utilities.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Mariano, Councilmember Mariano, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Goode, Council President Verna, Council President Verna, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Nutter, Councilmember O'Neill

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
12/15/2005	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED
12/15/2005	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
12/15/2005	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1005 which will assist low and moderate income citizens to re-establish gas service with public utilities.
Body
WHEREAS, Federal assistance for the cost of home energy has been stagnant since 1982 and Pennsylvania's share of federal LIHEAP funds was cut this year by $21 million, which will cause 25,000 low-income families to suffer this winter without heat; and

WHEREAS, Even before the cut, federal energy assistance to Pennsylvania is only sufficient to provide funds to one-half of all households who are qualified to receive assistance under federal guidelines, both statewide and within Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is only one of two cold weather states in the Northeast and Midwest that does not provide any supplemental assistance to households that qualify for LIHEAP; and

WHEREAS, On December 1, 2005, City Council unanimously passed Resolution No. 051156, which urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass House Bill 1539 that would provide, for the first time, $24.6 million in supplemental state funds for LIHEAP by redirecting 1 mill of the Pennsylvania Gross Receipts Tax on energy companies to the Emergency Energy Assistance Fund; and

WHEREAS, As a public utility, the Philadelphia Gas Works' rates are the highest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the typical City row house customer will pay approximately $2000 this year in gas bills, a 21 percent increase from last year; and

WHEREAS, Considering the high cost of gas bills and the limited amount of federal and state home energy financial assistance, State Senators Mary Jo White and LeAnna M. Washington introduced Senate Bill 1005 to help low and moderate income constituents by limiting reconnection fees to $50, limiting security deposits to $100, and providing for an affordable payment program for past due gas bills; and

WHEREAS, For many constituents who l...