Bill > HB1903

This bill establishes a statewide low-income energy assistance program administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce to reduce energy burdens for low-income households. The program, set to launch by July 1, 2026, will provide financial assistance to eligible households through utilities, with several key provisions designed to maximize accessibility. These include allowing self-attestation of income, creating multiple application pathways (directly through the department or utilities), developing multilingual outreach materials, partnering with community organizations, and ensuring no eligibility barriers based on immigration status. Utilities with over 25,000 customers must participate either by joining the state program or maintaining their own assistance program that helps at least 50% of low-income customers. The bill prioritizes creating an easy, trauma-informed application process and aims to provide tiered assistance based on household need, with an advisory group including low-income household representatives to help guide program development. The program is intended to be funded through climate commitment act auction revenues, with the goal of providing energy assistance that is at least as substantial as previous utility-specific programs.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1903&Year=2025&Initiative=false