HHS Releases $50 Million in Emergency Contingency Funds

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced August 29 that 12 states will be given $50 million in emergency energy assistance. The LIHEAP emergency contingency funds are targeted to states that have experienced much hotter than normal conditions in August.

States (and tribes within those states) receiving a share of the $50 million are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.

States had to meet the following criteria to receive funds:

A total of 341 or more cooling degree days (CDDs) during the three weeks ending August 25, 2007, and
Experienced 61 or more excess CDDs compared to their 30-year norms for this time period.

The allocations for each of the 12 states were determined based on the relative number of low-income households in each of the states. Separate worksheets show the detailed formula methodology and the 2000 special Census tabulation charts from which the number of low income households was used to weight the allocations.

The tribes in each of these states will receive the same percentage of contingency funds equal to their block grant percentage for FY 2007. Territories will not receive funds from this distribution.

Note that the $50 million is not subject to the normal LIHEAP obligation rules or subject to the 10% carryover limitation. States and tribes receiving a share of the $50 million must obligate 100% of these funds before September 30, 2008 (the end of FY 2008).

Approximately $152 million in LIHEAP emergency contingency funds still remain available for release. $131 million of these remaining funds will expire at the end of the federal fiscal year (September 30, 2007).

Source: ACF press release and HHS

Page Last Updated: August 30, 2007