Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons

The Department of Energy (DOE) is today publishing an interim final rule amending the regulations for the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons to change the formula used to distribute funds among the States under the Program. DOE issued the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking pursuant to the Conference Report on the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1995 which accompanied Pub. L. [[Page 29470]] 103-332 and premised the implementation of the proposed formula on specific language contained in that report. DOE is issuing this document as an interim final rule because of Congressional budgetary issues that have surfaced since the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published on January 23, 1995. The Department has made appropriate revisions in this interim final rule to accommodate possible rescissions to Fiscal Year 1995 appropriations to the Program. The new formula increases the overall equity, among the States, of fund allocations under the program regulations, while at the same time preserving existing State program capabilities. The principal criteria in the formula reflect: Number of low-income households by State, climatic conditions using weather data by State, and residential energy expenditures by low-income households by State.