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HB609 • 2026

Weatherization assistance; authorize ADECA to contract with certain nonprofit corporations to administer program; source of funds to Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund expanded; household income threshold to qualify for assistance revised

Weatherization assistance; authorize ADECA to contract with certain nonprofit corporations to administer program; source of funds to Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund expanded; household income threshold to qualify for assistance revised

Energy Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Reynolds
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not include information about limiting the amount of funds that can be used for administrative costs.

Weatherization Assistance Program Changes

This law changes the income limit for weatherization assistance, expands funding sources, and allows certain nonprofits to help administer the program.

What This Bill Does

  • Raises the household income limit to qualify for weatherization aid from 125% of the federal poverty level to 200%.
  • Expands where money can come from to fund the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund, including gifts and grants.
  • Allows ADECA (Department of Economic and Community Affairs) to contract with nonprofits that focus on making homes safer and more energy-efficient.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who need help making their homes more energy efficient.
  • ADECA, which manages the weatherization assistance program.
  • Nonprofit organizations that work on improving home safety and efficiency.

Terms To Know

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund
A fund in Alabama used to help people make their homes more energy efficient.
ADECA
The Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which oversees the weatherization assistance program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It's not clear how much money will be available in the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund after these changes.
  • The law does not specify exactly what kinds of nonprofits can work with ADECA to provide help.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

YMSTY2N-1

R 1151

Adopted

Plain English: YMSTY2N-1 03/18/2026 PMG (H) HSE 2026-1249 House Ways and Means General Fund Reported Substitute for HB609 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to weatherization assistance; to amend Sections 41-23-100 and 41-23-101, Code of Alabama 1975; to revise the threshold household income to qualify for weatherization assistance under the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund; to expand sources of monies that may be deposited in the fund; and to authorize the Department of Economic and Community Affairs to contract with certain nonprofit corporations to implement the weatherization assistance program.

  • YMSTY2N-1 03/18/2026 PMG (H) HSE 2026-1249 House Ways and Means General Fund Reported Substitute for HB609 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to weatherization assistance; to amend Sections 41-23-100 and 41-23-101, Code of Alabama 1975; to revise the threshold household income to qualify for weatherization assistance under the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund; to expand sources of monies that may be deposited in the fund; and to authorize the Department of Economic and Community Affairs to contract with certain nonprofit corporations to implement the weatherization assistance program.
  • BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
  • Sections 41-23-100 and 41-23-101, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows: "§41-23-100 (a) The Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund is established in the State Treasury to provide eligible recipients weatherization assistance.
  • (b) The monies in the fund shall consist of any of the following: (1) Contributions from taxpayers received by the Department of Revenue and transferred to the fund.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 House

    Enacted

  2. 2026-04-09 House

    Delivered to Governor

  3. 2026-04-09 Senate

    Signature Requested

  4. 2026-04-09 House

    Enrolled

  5. 2026-04-09 House

    Ready to Enroll

  6. 2026-04-08 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1292 (Yeas 30, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-04-07 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  8. 2026-04-07 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  9. 2026-04-02 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  10. 2026-04-02 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund

  11. 2026-04-01 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1152 (Yeas 103, Nays 0)

  12. 2026-04-01 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1151 (Yeas 102, Nays 0)

  13. 2026-04-01 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 103, Nays 0)

  14. 2026-04-01 House

    Engrossed

  15. 2026-04-01 House

    Ways and Means General Fund Engrossed Substitute Offered

  16. 2026-03-19 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  17. 2026-03-18 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  18. 2026-03-11 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  19. 2026-03-11 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund

Official Summary Text

This act amends Sections 41-23-100 and 41-23-101, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) increase the maximum household income to qualify for weatherization assistance under the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund from 125 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty level; (2) revise the sources of monies that may be deposited into the fund by removing taxpayer contributions received by the Department of Revenue and adding other revenue sources at the Legislature's discretion and other lawful sources; and (3) authorizes the Department of Economic and Community Affairs to contract with statewide resiliency organizations to provide energy assistance to individuals eligible to receive assistance under the fund.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB609 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB609
YMSTY2N-3
By Representatives Reynolds, Whitt, Crawford, Lomax, Hall,
Underwood
RFD: Ways and Means General Fund
First Read: 11-Mar-26
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HB609 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 11-Mar-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to weatherization assistance; to amend
Sections 41-23-100 and 41-23-101, Code of Alabama 1975; to
revise the threshold household income to qualify for
weatherization assistance under the Neighbors Helping
Neighbors Fund; to expand sources of monies that may be
deposited in the fund; and to authorize the Department of
Economic and Community Affairs to contract with certain
nonprofit corporations to implement the weatherization
assistance program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 41-23-100 and 41-23-101, Code of
Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§41-23-100
(a) The Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund is established
in the State Treasury to provide eligible recipients
weatherization assistance.
(b) The monies in the fund shall consist of any of the
following:
(1) Contributions from taxpayers received by the
Department of Revenue and transferred to the fund.
(2)(1) Appropriations from made by and at the
discretion of the Legislature.
(3)(2) Other revenue sources made by and at the
discretion of the Legislature.
(3) Donations from private sources Proceeds from any
gifts, grants, or contributions .
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HB609 Enrolled
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gifts, grants, or contributions .
(4) Interest earned on principal remaining in the fund.
(5) Any other lawful sources.
(c) The monies in the fund shall not revert to the
General Fund at the end of the fiscal year."
"§41-23-101
(a) Eligible recipients of assistance are individuals
who have a household income at or below 125 200 percent of the
poverty level or individuals who are 60 years of age or older
or handicapped and families with children under 18 years of
age as determined by the United States Office of Management
and Budget and reported in the federal register.
(b) Beginning July 1, 1996, the The Director of the
Department of Economic and Community Affairs shall provide
assistance funds to designated community action agencies and
county governments currently providing may contract with
statewide resiliency organizations to provide energy
assistance to people individuals who are eligible to receive
assistance under this article. Disbursement of assistance
funds shall be coordinated with all other state and federal
home weatherization assistance programs administered by the
Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
(c) An amount of not more than 10 percent of the fund
monies may be used for administrative costs in providing
services specified under this article.
(d) On or before October 15 of each year, the director
shall submit a report to the appropriate legislative
committees. The report shall include a summary of the total
monies collected and distributed under this article and such
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HB609 Enrolled
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monies collected and distributed under this article and such
other information as the legislative committees may request.
(e) For purposes of this section, "statewide resiliency
organization" means an Alabama nonprofit corporation in the
state that:
(1) Is exempt from federal income tax under 26 U.S.C. §
501(c)(3);
(2) Is charged with improving the resiliency, energy
efficiency, and safety of the state's residential housing
stock for low and moderate income communities.
(3) Has adopted a conflict of interest policy
consistent with the sample policy provided by the Internal
Revenue Service and requires its directors to serve without
compensation;
(4) Participates in large-scale residential energy
efficiency programs within the state; and
(5) Possesses the capacity to leverage private,
federal, and state funds to maximize the impact of the
assistance provided under this section. "
Section 2. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2026.
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HB609 Enrolled
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2026.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 01-Apr-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 08-Apr-26 Passed
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