HB05355 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING FUEL PRICING IN THE LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Human Services Committee
Last action: 2026-02-27
Official status: Public Hearing 03/03
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the removal of county standards but does not explicitly define what constitutes a specific region.

Updating Fuel Pricing Rules for Low-Income Energy Aid

This law changes how fuel prices are set and paid to vendors in the state's energy assistance program starting November 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

Removes old rules about county pricing standards for fuel delivery.
Requires new regional pricing standards that fairly pay vendors for their costs while keeping maximum funding available for recipients.
Mandates that payments to fuel providers match the price posted on the Department of Social Services website on the day of delivery.
Allows vendors to send electronic invoices or authorized fuel slips to get paid.

Who It Names or Affects

The Commissioner of Social Services
Fuel providers and vendors in the energy assistance program
Low-income households receiving fuel aid

Terms To Know

Deliverable Fuel: Liquid fuel that is brought to a home by a vendor.
Regional Pricing Standards: Rules for setting the price of fuel based on specific areas instead of individual counties.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact dollar amounts or formulas for the new pricing standards are not listed in this text.
This law does not state a final effective date beyond 'from passage' and the November 1, 2025 program start.

Bill History

2026-02-27 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 03/03
2026-02-26 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Human Services

Official Summary Text

To update fuel pricing standards for vendors in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO No. 681 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5355
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 681

Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES

Introduced by:
(HS)

AN ACT CONCERNING FUEL PRICING IN THE LOW INCOME HOME
ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 16a -41a of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof ( Effective from 2
passage): 3
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement a program 4
to purchase deliverable fuel for low-income households participating in 5
the Connecticut energy assistance program and the state -appropriated 6
fuel assistance program. The commissioner shall ensure an adequate 7
supply of vendors for the program by (1) establishing [county and ] 8
regional pricing standards for deliverable fuel, (2) reimbursing fuel 9
providers based on the price of the fuel publicly posted by the 10
commissioner on the Internet web site of the Department of Social 11
Services on the date of delivery, and (3) allowing a vendor to 12
electronically submit an authorized fuel slip or invoice for payment. 13
Commencing with the energy assistance program period beginning 14
November 1, 2025, the commissioner shall ensure an adequate supply 15

Raised Bill No. 5355

LCO No. 681 2 of 2

of vendors for the program by establishing new pricing standards for 16
deliverable fuel that fairly compensate fuel vendors for costs incurred 17
on fuel purchase and delivery while maintaining the maximum amount 18
of funding to benefit recipients of the program. Not later than August 1, 19
2025, the commissioner shall include such pricing standards in the 20
annual plan for the program required pursuant to subsection (a) of this 21
section. 22
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage 16a-41a(b)

Statement of Purpose:
To update fuel pricing standards for vendors in the Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]