§ 222. Senior citizen energy packaging pilot program. 1. (a) The\nlegislature finds and declares that a significant percentage of the\nstate's senior citizens live at or below the poverty level. In many\ncases, energy costs reach or exceed thirty percent of household income.\nThese factors make energy conservation efforts on behalf of low income\nelderly crucial. The legislature further finds that energy conservation\nprograms have been under-utilized by such citizens because of such\nfactors as reduced mobility, social and physical isolation, and the\ncomplexity of the maze of services available.\n (b) The legislature therefore declares that a pilot program to assist\nsuch citizens to conserve energy should be implemented by the office in\nconjunction with county offices for the aging. The legislature further\ndeclares that such a program will further the energy conservation\nobjectives of the state and should be partially supported by petroleum\novercharge restitution funds.\n 2. Within the amounts appropriated therefor, the office shall\nestablish guidelines for and administer a senior citizen energy\npackaging pilot program to be carried out by county offices for the\naging in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Broome, Erie, and Tompkins and\nsuch other counties as funds may allow. Wherever possible, such program\nshall be coordinated with appropriate existing programs of public\nutilities, the state energy office, and the department of state.\n 3. These appropriations shall be used specifically for the training of\npersonnel within county offices for the aging to insure their thorough\nfamiliarity with state and federal energy conservation programs and\nbenefits and their ability to facilitate receipt of such benefits by the\nclient population. These appropriations shall also be used to provide\nsalaries, appropriate benefits and expenses of such personnel in\ncarrying out the purposes of the pilot program. Depending on the size of\nthe client population to be served, no more than five of such personnel\nshall be trained and utilized in any county.\n 4. The client population shall consist of those senior citizens living\nat or below the poverty level. Whenever possible, priority shall be\ngiven to serving first those in greatest need of assistance, including\nbut not limited to, home energy assistance program recipients.\n
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