NEADA: House Bill Includes $4 Billion for LIHEAP, a $20-Million Increase

The House Appropriations Committee released its draft Labor/HHS funding bill, which includes LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The draft would provide $4.045B for LIHEAP, an increase of $20 million from fiscal year (FY) 2025, the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association said in a Jan. 20 statement.

Last year, both the House and the Senate proposed small increases for LIHEAP for FY2026. $4.045B is the number from the Senate, the higher of the two proposals, NEADA said.

The bill also includes language requiring HHS to explain how it plans to operate the program considering the staffing cuts last spring:
“The agreement directs ACF to brief the Committees within 30 days of enactment of this Act on the staffing levels of the Office of Community Services, including information on the workforce in the LIHEAP office, and how ACF will be addressing any vacancies to support State heating and cooling assistance programs, distribute LIHEAP funding in a timely and accurate manner, and complete the LIHEAP Formula Report as requested in Senate Report 119-55.”
Once a final funding bill is passed, HHS can release all remaining LIHEAP funds. If this funding level holds, states will get the remaining 10% plus $20 million.

The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) is an educational and policy organization for state directors of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federal program that helps low-income families pay their heating and cooling bills. This news is reprinted from the NEADA website (www.neada.org). It has been slightly edited for clarity and length.