2018 Alaska Statutes
Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions
Chapter 25. Public Assistance
Article 4. Alaska Affordable Heating Program.
Sec. 47.25.623. Eligibility; payment amount.
(a) An individual is eligible for home heating assistance payments under the Alaska affordable heating program if the individual
(1) is a resident of the state;
(2) is physically present and resides in a home in the state when the home heating costs are incurred;
(3) for assistance calculated under (b) and (c) of this section, has gross household income not to exceed, as a percentage of the federal poverty guideline for Alaska set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and revised under 42 U.S.C. 9902(2),
(A) 225 percent for a determination to be made under (c)(1) — (3) of this section; and
(B) 250 percent for a determination to be made under (c)(4) of this section; and
(4) meets other eligibility requirements specified in regulations adopted under AS 47.25.622.
(b) The Department of Health and Social Services shall determine the number of points for each eligible individual based on the point formula used under 42 U.S.C. 8621 — 8629 (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981), as amended, and implementing regulations. Except as provided in (d) of this section, the amount of the Alaska affordable heating payment for an individual equals the base amount calculated under (c) of this section minus the amount the individual is eligible to receive under the federal low-income home energy assistance program under 42 U.S.C. 8621 — 8629, as amended, and implementing regulations.
(c) The Department of Health and Social Services shall calculate the base amount of the Alaska affordable heating payment for the individual based on points determined under (b) of this section and on the average price a barrel of Alaska North Slope crude oil for sale on the United States West Coast during September through February of the preceding fiscal year as follows:
(1) $130 a point when the average price is not more than $75 a barrel;
(2) $140 a point when the average price is more than $75 and not more than $100 a barrel;
(3) $150 a point when the average price is more than $100 and not more than $150 a barrel;
(4) $165 a point when the average price is more than $150 a barrel.
(d) Under the program authorized by AS 47.25.621 — 47.25.626, taking into consideration the gross household income rates established in (a) of this section and the base amounts to be calculated under (b) and (c) of this section,
(1) if insufficient money is appropriated to fully fund the Alaska affordable heating payments during the fiscal year, the department
(A) shall, for the duration of that fiscal year, suspend calculation and payment under (a)(3)(B) of this section and calculate and pay all eligible individuals under (a)(3)(A) of this section; and
(B) may, to the extent there is or may be an appropriation balance surplus to the amount required to make all payments under (A) of this paragraph, by regulation, establish at any time during the fiscal year a prospective pro rata reduction of the payment rates that the department will pay to eligible individuals under the program during that fiscal year qualifying under (a)(3)(B) of this section and, thereafter, may provide for prorated payments; and
(2) if the commissioner reasonably determines that the total of appropriations from all sources during the fiscal year may exceed the amount required to fully fund all applications for assistance for Alaska affordable heating payments, the commissioner may expend the amount of excess money, not to exceed the total amount of the appropriations, to carry out the purpose of AS 47.25.621 — 47.25.626; under the authority of this paragraph, the commissioner shall distribute the estimated excess money pro rata among individuals receiving assistance under this section without regard to the limitations set out in the dollar value of the point formula expressed in (c)(1) — (4) of this section.
