AK SB203

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation shall establish a program to issue energy vouchers to eligible adults and emancipated minors who were eligible for the 2012 permanent fund dividend.

Each energy voucher is redeemable for the monetary equivalent of 250 gallons of heating oil, 35,000 cubic feet of natural gas, 31,000,000 British thermal units of hot water/steam district heat, or 1,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity based on retail prices submitted by qualified distributors.

Vouchers are nontransferable, valid for only 4 months from issuance, must be used for the recipient's primary residence, and cannot be split among multiple distributors or paid out in cash.

Energy voucher payments are excluded as income or resources when determining eligibility for public assistance, heating assistance, or veterans' benefits programs based on financial need.

Governor shall analyze energy assistance program options and submit recommendations to the legislature by October 1, 2012, considering fuel price reductions, individual account programs, and provisions that correlate assistance to local heating costs and protect public assistance recipients.