Read the full stored bill text
House
File
2731
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2731
BY
McBURNEY
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
the
percentage
of
income
payment
plan
1
program
to
be
administered
by
the
department
of
health
and
2
human
services.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
5792YH
(3)
91
ak/ko
H.F.
2731
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
216A.100
Percentage
of
income
1
payment
plan
program.
2
1.
For
purposes
of
this
section,
unless
the
context
3
otherwise
requires:
4
a.
“Arreared
amount”
means
an
individual’s
unpaid
balance
5
with
a
utility
company
as
noted
by
the
department
in
subsection
6
5,
paragraph
“a”
,
minus
any
amounts
the
department
has
7
contributed
toward
the
payment
of
the
noted
unpaid
balance.
8
b.
“Percentage
of
income
payment
plan
program”
or
“program”
9
means
the
percentage
of
income
payment
plan
program
established
10
under
this
section.
11
c.
“Utility
company”
means
an
owner
or
operator
of
an
12
electric
or
gas
transmission
or
distribution
facility
subject
13
to
regulation
and
enforcement
by
the
Iowa
utilities
commission.
14
2.
The
department
shall
establish
and
administer
a
15
percentage
of
income
payment
plan
program.
16
3.
The
program
shall
be
available
to
each
individual
who
17
qualifies
for
the
low-income
home
energy
assistance
program.
18
An
individual
who
is
enrolled
in
the
program
shall
not
receive
19
benefits
from
the
low-income
home
energy
assistance
program.
20
4.
a.
Each
utility
company
shall
cease
collection
of
each
21
unpaid
balance
for
an
individual
enrolled
in
the
program
until
22
the
individual
is
discharged
from
the
program.
23
b.
Interest
shall
not
accrue
on
unpaid
balances
subject
to
24
this
subsection.
25
c.
Upon
an
individual’s
discharge
from
the
program,
the
26
individual’s
arreared
amount,
if
any,
shall
become
immediately
27
due.
28
5.
Upon
the
department’s
approval
to
enroll
or
reenroll
an
29
individual
in
the
program,
all
of
the
following
shall
occur:
30
a.
The
department
shall
note
the
unpaid
balance
the
31
individual
has
with
each
utility
company.
32
b.
(1)
The
department
shall
develop
a
payment
plan
for
the
33
individual
based
on
the
individual’s
annual
gross
income.
34
(2)
The
payment
plan
shall
require
the
individual
to
pay
a
35
-1-
LSB
5792YH
(3)
91
ak/ko
1/
4
H.F.
2731
percentage
of
the
individual’s
gross
monthly
income
toward
the
1
individual’s
electric
and
gas
utility
bills.
The
percentage
an
2
individual
pays
for
the
individual’s
electric
and
gas
utility
3
bills
shall
not
exceed
the
greater
of
one
hundred
dollars
or
4
six
percent
of
the
individual’s
gross
monthly
income,
and
5
shall
not
be
less
than
the
lower
of
five
dollars
or
two
and
6
four-tenths
percent
of
the
individual’s
gross
monthly
income.
7
6.
When
the
department
receives
notice
that
each
utility
8
company
has
received
a
monthly
payment
from
an
individual
9
pursuant
to
the
individual’s
payment
plan,
the
following
shall
10
occur:
11
a.
The
department
shall
pay
the
balance
of
the
individual’s
12
electric
and
gas
utility
bills
for
the
month
for
which
the
13
individual
made
payment.
14
b.
The
department
shall
pay
an
amount
equal
to
the
amount
15
paid
under
the
payment
plan
toward
the
individual’s
arreared
16
amount.
If
the
individual
has
unpaid
balances
with
more
than
17
one
utility
company,
the
payment
shall
be
divided
equally
18
between
each
utility
company.
19
7.
An
individual
shall
be
required
to
apply
for
reenrollment
20
in
the
program
within
one
calendar
year
of
the
date
the
21
department
approves
the
individual’s
reenrollment
in
the
22
program.
23
8.
The
department
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
24
to
administer
this
section,
including
but
not
limited
to
all
25
of
the
following:
26
a.
Standards
for
when
an
individual
shall
be
discharged
from
27
the
program.
28
b.
Graduated
scales
for
an
individual’s
monthly
payments
29
based
on
the
individual’s
gross
monthly
income.
30
EXPLANATION
31
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
32
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
33
This
bill
establishes
the
percentage
of
income
payment
plan
34
program
(PIPP).
35
-2-
LSB
5792YH
(3)
91
ak/ko
2/
4
H.F.
2731
The
bill
defines
“arreared
amount”
as
an
individual’s
unpaid
1
balance
with
a
utility
company
as
noted
by
the
department
of
2
health
and
human
services
(HHS)
when
the
individual
becomes
3
enrolled
in
PIPP,
minus
any
amounts
HHS
has
contributed
toward
4
the
payment
of
the
noted
unpaid
balance.
5
The
bill
also
defines
“percentage
of
income
payment
plan
6
program”,
“program”,
and
“utility
company”.
7
The
bill
requires
HHS
to
establish
and
administer
PIPP.
8
PIPP
shall
be
available
to
each
individual
who
qualifies
for
9
the
low-income
home
energy
assistance
program
(LIHEAP),
and
an
10
individual
who
is
enrolled
in
PIPP
shall
not
receive
benefits
11
from
the
LIHEAP.
12
The
bill
requires
each
utility
company
to
cease
collection
13
of
each
unpaid
balance
for
an
individual
enrolled
in
PIPP
until
14
the
individual
is
discharged
from
the
program.
Interest
shall
15
not
accrue
on
the
unpaid
balances,
and
upon
an
individual’s
16
discharge
from
PIPP,
any
amount
remaining
in
the
individual’s
17
arreared
amount
shall
become
immediately
due.
18
The
bill
requires,
upon
HHS’s
approval
to
enroll
or
reenroll
19
an
individual
in
PIPP,
HHS
to
note
the
unpaid
balances
the
20
individual
has
with
each
utility
company
as
the
individual’s
21
starting
arreared
amount
and
develop
a
payment
plan
for
the
22
individual
based
on
the
individual’s
annual
gross
income.
23
The
payment
plan
shall
require
the
individual
to
pay
a
24
percentage
of
the
individual’s
gross
monthly
income
toward
the
25
individual’s
electric
and
gas
utility
bills.
The
percentage
an
26
individual
pays
for
the
individual’s
electric
and
gas
utility
27
bills
shall
not
exceed
the
greater
of
$100
or
6
percent
of
28
the
individual’s
gross
monthly
income,
and
shall
not
be
less
29
than
the
lower
of
$5
or
2.4
percent
of
the
individual’s
gross
30
monthly
income.
31
When
HHS
receives
a
monthly
payment
from
an
individual
32
pursuant
to
the
individual’s
payment
plan,
the
bill
requires
33
HHS
to
pay
the
balance
of
the
individual’s
electric
and
gas
34
utility
bills
for
the
month
for
which
the
individual
made
35
-3-
LSB
5792YH
(3)
91
ak/ko
3/
4
H.F.
2731
payment,
and
pay
an
amount
equal
to
that
amount
paid
under
1
the
payment
plan
toward
the
individual’s
arreared
amount.
If
2
the
individual
has
unpaid
balances
with
more
than
one
utility
3
company,
the
payment
shall
be
divided
equally
between
each
4
utility
company.
5
The
bill
requires
an
individual
to
apply
for
reenrollment
6
in
PIPP
within
one
calendar
year
of
the
date
HHS
approves
the
7
individual’s
reenrollment
in
PIPP.
8
The
bill
requires
HHS
to
adopt
rules
to
administer
PIPP,
9
including
but
not
limited
to
standards
for
when
an
individual
10
shall
be
discharged
from
PIPP,
and
graduated
scales
for
an
11
individual’s
monthly
payments
based
on
the
individual’s
gross
12
monthly
income.
13
-4-
LSB
5792YH
(3)
91
ak/ko
4/
4