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1 1 (November 14, 2001)

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       Order Code RS20373
Updated November 14, 2001


      The Department of Energy's
Weatherization Assistance Program


                     Alice D. Butler
            Technical Information Specialist
            Domestic Social Policy Division


Summary


     The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program
 (WAP) is one of the largest energy conservation programs in the nation. The DOE
 program is implemented in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Native American
 Tribes. It weatherizes an average of 70,000 dwellings per year. The program strives to
 increase the energy efficiency of dwellings occupied by low-income persons in order to
 reduce their energy consumption and lower their fuel bills. It targets vulnerable groups
 including the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children.
     The Weatherization Assistance Program is a formula grant program in which
 funding flows from the federal government to state governments and then to local
 weatherization agencies. The program is authorized under Title IV of the Energy
 Conservation and Production Act (P.L. 94-385, as amended) but has been operating
 without an appropriations authorization since 1990. Through the general appropriations
 process, Congress has continued to provide annual grants to support weatherization
 activities.
     For FY2001, $153 million was appropriated for the Weatherization Assistance
 Program. In March 2001, the Bush Administration issued an outline of its FY2002
 budget request. In chapter 10 of the outline, the Administration proposed to increase
 DOE's WAP spending by $1.4 billion over 10 years. On April 9, 2001, President Bush
 released his FY2002 budget, requesting $273 million for the WAP program. On
 November 5, 2001, the FY2002 Interior and Related Agencies appropriations legislation
 was completed, providing $230 million for WAP (P.L. 107-63). This amount represents
 a 50% increase over the FY2001 appropriation and a 16% decrease below the
 Administration's request. This report provides background on WAP and will be updated
 to reflect changes in legislation or funding.


    Federal Standards and Grantee Responsibilities. Administrative rules,
eligibility standards, the types of aid, and benefit levels are primarily decided at the state
level. Federal law limits eligibility to low-income households with incomes at or below


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