A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT requiring that funds a recipient is eligible to receive for the low‑income Energy assistance program or the crisis intervention program be used for the payment of utility services related to heating or cooling a residential dwelling only and that those funds be paid directly to the utility services vendor on behalf of the recipient.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 108A‑25.4.  Use of payments under the Low‑Income Energy Assistance Program and Crisis Intervention Program.
Any payments a recipient is eligible to receive from the Low‑Income Energy Assistance Program or the Crisis Intervention Program shall be used for the payment of utility services only. The county department of social services shall make payments on behalf of the recipient directly to the utility services vendor designated by the recipient. A recipient who uses payments in violation of this section shall be subject to action by the county department of social services in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission. For purposes of this section, 'utility services' means services provided for the purpose of heating or cooling a residential dwelling."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.