ICC supports several heating bills

Following is a list of heating legislation being considered this year that are supported by the Indiana Catholic Conference:

• House Bill 1081 Home energy sales tax exemption—Bill authors include Reps. David Yount (R-Colum-bus), Shelia Klinker (D-Lafayette), a member of St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish in Lafayette; John Day (D-Indianapolis) a member of Holy Cross Parish in Indianapolis; and Mike Murphy (R-Indianapolis), a member of St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis.

The bill provides a sales tax exemption for sales of home energy to a person who acquires the energy through a home energy assistance program administered by the division of family resources.

• House Bill 1094 Reconnection charges—Bill author is Rep. Winfield Moses (D-Fort Wayne).

The bill provides that the amount charged by a utility, other than a telecommunications provider to reconnect service, may not exceed actual reconnection costs. It permits a utility to require a deposit before reconnecting service. It also requires a utility to reconnect service within one calendar day after being requested to reconnect service.

• House Bill 1345 Income tax credit for sales tax paid for heating— Bill author is Rep. Bill Davis (R-Portland).

The bill provides a state tax liability credit for a taxpayer: (1) who receives heating energy from a heating energy supplier; and (2) whose household federal adjusted gross income does not exceed 200 percent of the federal income poverty level. It also provides that the amount of the credit equals the lesser of: (1) the amount of sales tax paid by the taxpayer in transactions involving the sale of heating energy to the taxpayer during the taxable year; or (2) $58.

• Senate 216 Gas utility connection charges and deposits—Bill author is Sen. John Broden (D-South Bend), a member of Holy Cross Parish in South Bend, Ind., in the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese.

It provides that the amount charged by a gas utility to connect or reconnect service may not exceed actual connection or reconnection costs. It permits a gas utility to require a deposit before connecting or reconnecting service. It also provides that the amount of the deposit may not exceed a customer’s estimated average monthly bill.

• Senate Bill 352 Energy assistance funding from tax amnesty—Bill author is Sen. Tim Lanane (D-Anderson).

It uses money received under the tax amnesty program to provide assistance to households that are eligible for assistance under the home energy assistance program administered by the division of family resources. It directs the state auditor to transfer to a special account in the state general fund, from unrestricted revenues in the state general fund, an amount equal to the least of the following: (1) The surplus state tax amnesty revenues, as certified by the budget agency. (2) The difference between the amount of funding needed and the amount of funding available to make home energy assistance available to all eligible households. (3) $20 million. It appropriates money in the special account to the division to provide assistance to eligible households under the home energy assistance program for the program period that includes the effective date of this act. It also provides that money remaining in the account at the end of the program period reverts to the state general fund. †

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