SR 148

2026 Regular Session  ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 148
BY SENATORS BARROW AND ALLAIN
  A RESOLUTION
To create the Utility Assistance Coordination Task Force to study and make
       recommendations regarding coordination of utility assistance programs in the state.
       WHEREAS, many Louisiana households, including older adults, persons with
disabilities, families with young children, and households with low or fixed incomes,
experience difficulty paying utility bills, particularly during extreme weather, major storms,
economic hardship, or other emergencies; and
       WHEREAS, Louisiana residents may seek help through a variety of assistance
programs, including but not limited to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), crisis assistance, weatherization assistance, utility sponsored assistance
programs, nonprofit and faith-based assistance, local government programs, and referral
services; and
       WHEREAS, Louisiana had approximately sixty-two million three hundred seventy
thousand five hundred dollars in funding available through LIHEAP in fiscal year 2024 and
served a total of ninety-three thousand six hundred forty-five households; and
       WHEREAS, in Louisiana, over five hundred thousand households were
income-eligible for LIHEAP in fiscal year 2024, meaning that approximately one in six
eligible households received assistance; and
       WHEREAS, multiple energy bill assistance programs may operate simultaneously,
including LIHEAP, utility-sponsored assistance, nonprofit fuel funds, crisis assistance,
arrearage management, and related customer support programs, and coordination among
program administrators may improve access, reduce duplication, and better reduce
household energy burdens; and
       WHEREAS, public and private partners working hand- in- hand could help Louisiana
households more easily identify available assistance, reduce barriers to access, improve the
timeliness and effectiveness of assistance delivery, and maximize the impact of federal,
state, and local assistance resources; and
       WHEREAS, national guidance recommends coordination in program design, intake,
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SR NO. 148  ENROLLED
customer data collection, benefit interaction review, leveraging administrative resources, and
regular communication among policymakers and program administrators; and
       WHEREAS, a thorough review of Louisiana's utility assistance landscape would help
identify opportunities to improve outreach, streamline referrals, reduce disconnections, and
strengthen the effectiveness of available public, private, and charitable assistance.
       THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby create the Utility Assistance Coordination Task Force, hereinafter referred to
in this Resolution as the "task force", to study and make recommendations regarding
coordination of utility assistance programs in this state.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consider and make
recommendations concerning all of the following matters:
       (1) An inventory of utility assistance programs available to Louisiana households,
including federal, state, utility-sponsored, and nonprofit assistance programs.
       (2) Opportunities to improve coordination of intake, referrals, eligibility verification,
customer communications, vendor payments, and program outreach.
       (3) Opportunities to reduce unnecessary duplication, address gaps in assistance, and
improve interactions among bill assistance, arrearage management, disconnection
prevention, and related energy assistance programs.
       (4) Opportunities to improve access to assistance for vulnerable households,
including seniors, persons with disabilities, households with young children, and households
facing acute energy burdens.
       (5) Any legislation, administrative action, action by the Public Service Commission,
memoranda of understanding, or other policy changes necessary to improve coordination of
utility assistance programs in Louisiana.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
following fourteen members:
       (1) One member of the Senate appointed by the chairman of the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs.
       (2) One member appointed by the chairman of the Louisiana Public Service
Commission.
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SR NO. 148  ENROLLED
       (3) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Conservation and
Energy.
       (4) One member appointed by Entergy Corporation.
       (5) One member appointed by Cleco Power LLC.
       (6) One member appointed by Southwestern Electric Power Company.
       (7) One member appointed by Atmos Energy Corporation.
       (8) One member appointed jointly by Delta North Louisiana Gas Company, LLC and
Delta South Louisiana Gas Company, LLC.
       (9) One member appointed by the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives.
       (10) One member appointed by the Louisiana Energy Power Authority.
       (11) One member appointed by the Louisiana Housing Corporation.
       (12) One member appointed by the Association of Community Action Partnership.
       (13) One member appointed by the Louisiana Council on Aging Directors
Association.
       (14) One member appointed by the Louisiana Association of United Way.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each designating authority shall submit the name
of its appointee to the chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, or his
designee, no later than August 1, 2026.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall convene its first meeting no
later than September 1, 2026, at the call of the chairman of the Louisiana Public Service
Commission, or his designee, and, at its first meeting, the members shall elect a chairman,
vice chairman, and any other officers the task force deems necessary.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Public Service Commission shall
provide administrative support to the task force.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the members of the task force shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and that any official action of the task
force shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be
individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
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SR NO. 148  ENROLLED
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit a written report of
its findings and recommendations no later than March 1, 2027, to the Louisiana Public
Service Commission, the House Committee on Commerce, the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs, the Louisiana Housing
Corporation, and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library as required by R.S.
24:771 and 772.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate on the date of the
submission of its report or March 1, 2027, whichever occurs first.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the secretary of the Department of
Conservation and Energy, the executive director of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, and
each entity with appointment authority under this Resolution, including Entergy Corporation,
Cleco Power LLC, Southwestern Electric Power Company, Atmos Energy Corporation,
Delta North Louisiana Gas Company, LLC, Delta South Louisiana Gas Company, LLC, the
Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives, the Louisiana Energy Power Authority, the
Association of Community Action Partnership, the Louisiana Council on Aging Directors
Association, and the Louisiana Association of United Way.
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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