(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer a state-appropriated fuel assistance program to provide, within available appropriations, fuel assistance to elderly and disabled persons whose household gross income is above the income eligibility guidelines for the Connecticut energy assistance program but does not exceed two hundred per cent of federal poverty guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines for the state-appropriated fuel assistance program shall be determined, annually, by the Commissioner of Social Services, in conjunction with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. In determining eligibility, the commissioner shall not consider as income Aid and Attendance pension benefits granted to a veteran, as defined under section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(b) The commissioner shall administer a state-appropriated weatherization assistance program to provide, within available appropriations, weatherization assistance in accordance with the provisions of the state plan implementing the weatherization assistance block grant program authorized by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, and programs of fuel assistance and weatherization assistance with funds authorized by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 and oil settlement funds in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of section 4-28. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to implement and administer said programs. The programs provided for under this subsection shall include a program of fuel and weatherization assistance for emergency shelters for homeless individuals and victims of domestic violence. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement and administer the program of fuel and weatherization assistance for emergency shelters.

(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer, within available appropriations, a crime prevention and safety program for residences occupied by elderly and disabled persons who are eligible for the weatherization assistance block grant program authorized by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 or the state-appropriated weatherization assistance program. The program shall be operated through the community action agencies and the municipal agency responsible for said low income weatherization program. The program may provide for the purchase and installation, where necessary, of devices which allow a person inside a dwelling unit to view the area outside the door, or doors with windows, locks on windows and doors, and smoke detectors. The installation of devices under this program shall be done at the time weatherization is done.

(P.A. 84-267, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-406, S. 1, 2; 85-499, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-177, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-216, S. 2; P.A. 91-234, S. 2, 3; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 11-80, S. 50; P.A. 12-208, S. 10; P.A. 16-173, S. 18; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 137.)

History: P.A. 85-406 added Subsec. (b), requiring commissioner to administer a state-appropriated weatherization assistance program; P.A. 85-499 added Subsec. (c) re crime prevention and safety program; P.A. 86-177 added provisions in Subsec. (b) requiring commissioner to adopt regulations establishing priorities for weatherization assistance; P.A. 87-216 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring commissioner to administer federally funded fuel and weatherization assistance programs and a program of fuel and weatherization assistance for emergency shelters; Sec. 17-31w transferred to Sec. 17-591 in 1991; P.A. 91-234 revised provisions re determination of eligibility for the state-appropriated fuel assistance program in Subsec. (a); P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-591 transferred to Sec. 17b-801 in 1995; (Revisor’s note: In 1997 the reference in Subsec. (a) to “Commissioner of the Department of Social Services” was replaced editorially by the Revisors with “Commissioner of Social Services” for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 11-80 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting former Subdiv. (2) re requirement for energy audits and renumbering existing Subdivs. (3) to (5) as Subdivs. (2) to (4), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-208 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re income disregard for veterans’ Aid and Attendance pension benefits, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 16-173 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting “and by the U.S. Department of Energy in accordance with 10 CFR Part 440 promulgated under Title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act, as amended,”, effective June 7, 2016; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “shall” with “may” re adoption of regulations, deleting Subdivs. (1) to (4) re matters to be included in regulations, and adding “to implement and administer said programs”, effective October 31, 2017.