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A 6669

Relates to expanding eligibility for the cooling assistance component of the home energy assistance program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Deborah Glick

Expands NY HEAP cooling assistance eligibility to reach more households, easing cooling costs and energy hardship for low-income, elderly, and disabled residents during heat.

REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
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Bill Summary · A 6669

Summary of Assembly Bill A 6669 (2025)

Overview

  • Bill number: A 6669
  • Title / purpose: Relates to expanding eligibility for the cooling assistance component of the home energy assistance program (HEAP)
  • Sponsor: Deborah Glick (primary)
  • Status: Referred to the Assembly Committee on Social Services
  • Introduced: March 7, 2025
  • Legislative actions to date:
    • 2025-03-07: Referred to Social Services (listed twice in the record)
  • Related legislation:
    • A 8027 (prior-session)
    • S 7578 (companion)

What the bill would do (purpose and intent)

  • Expands eligibility criteria for the cooling assistance component of HEAP.
  • Aims to broaden access to financial help for households to manage cooling costs, particularly during hot weather.
  • Seeks to reduce energy burden and protect vulnerable populations (e.g., low-income households) from extreme heat impacts by increasing the number of qualifying applicants.

Key provisions (as indicated by the title and summary)

  • The core change is a broadening of who can qualify for HEAP’s cooling assistance.
  • While the specific thresholds and criteria are not provided in the available information, the bill likely adjusts one or more of the following:
    • Income eligibility limits or thresholds
    • Household composition considerations
    • Residency or program participation requirements
    • Application and renewal processes for cooling assistance components
  • The bill is focused specifically on the cooling assistance element, not the broader HEAP program.

Who would be affected

  • New York residents who meet the expanded cooling assistance eligibility criteria.
  • Households facing high cooling costs or energy insecurity, including elderly and disabled residents who are often emphasized in HEAP programs.
  • Agencies and administrators responsible for HEAP administration and intake would implement any changes to eligibility determinations, outreach, and enrollment procedures.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Referred to the Assembly Committee on Social Services, signaling the bill is in the early stages of the legislative process.
  • Next steps typically include committee review, potential public hearings, amendments, and votes in the Assembly; if advanced, it would move to the Senate for consideration (and possibly be paired with the companion S 7578).
  • No specific effective date or funding authorization is provided in the available information; fiscal impact, if any, would depend on the final scope of eligibility changes and related appropriations.

Additional context

  • The existence of a companion bill in the Senate (S 7578) suggests parallel efforts to achieve similar eligibility expansions.
  • A 8027 is noted as a prior-session related bill, which may indicate a policy priority that carried over or was revised for the 2025 session.

Bottom line

A 6669 seeks to broaden who can receive cooling assistance through HEAP, expanding access to households previously ineligible. Introduced March 7, 2025, and currently referred to the Social Services committee, the bill reflects ongoing attention to reducing energy-related hardship during hot weather for New York residents.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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