The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 33: Human Services

Chapter 025: Home Weatherization Assistance Program

• § 2501. Home Weatherization Assistance Fund

  (a) There is created in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the Home Weatherization Assistance Fund to be expended by the Director of the State Office of Economic Opportunity in accordance with federal law and this chapter.

  (b) The Fund shall be composed of the receipts from the gross receipts tax on retail sales of fuel imposed by section 2503 of this title, such funds as may be allocated from the Oil Overcharge Fund, such funds as may be allocated from the federal Low Income Energy Assistance Program, such funds as may be deposited or transferred into the Fund by the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity, and such other funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly.

  (c) All balances in the Fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward and remain part of the Fund. Interest earned by the Fund shall be deposited into the Fund. Disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants drawn by the Commissioner of Finance and Management. Disbursements may be made from the Fund only to support the programs established by this chapter or otherwise as authorized by this chapter. (Added 1989, No. 272 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 262 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2007, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 30; 2019, No. 62, § 4.)

• § 2501a. Redesignated. 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 54.

• § 2502. Home Weatherization Assistance Program

  (a) The Director of the State Office of Economic Opportunity shall administer the Home Weatherization Assistance Program under such rules, regulations, funding, and funding requirements as may be imposed by federal law.

  (b) In addition, the Director shall supplement or supplant any federal program with the State Home Weatherization Assistance Program.

  (1) The State Program shall provide an enhanced weatherization assistance amount exceeding the federal per-unit limit allowing amounts up to an average of $15,300.00 per unit allocated on a cost-effective basis. The allowable average per unit of multifamily buildings will be $4,500.00. In units where costs exceed the allowable average by more than 25 percent, prior approval of the Director of the State Economic Opportunity Office shall be required before work commences. This amount shall be adjusted annually to account for inflation of materials and labor.

  (2) The State program shall provide amounts for low-income customers utilizing any high operating cost fuel, to convert to another fuel source under rules adopted by the Director based on the cost effectiveness of the converted facility over the life cycle of the equipment.

  (3) The Director, in collaboration with the weatherization service providers and other stakeholders, shall develop the State program so that it will include:

  (A) Facilitating the development and implementation of a statewide common energy-audit tool or tools that work well on all Vermont housing, including multifamily buildings.

  (B) With regard to multifamily buildings, requiring either of the following requirements to be met:

  (i) At least 25 percent or more of the tenants in the building are eligible for the Program.

  (ii) At least 50 percent of the units are weatherization affordable, and at least one tenant of the building has applied for the Program and has been determined to be eligible. For purposes of this subdivision, “weatherization affordable” means a unit having a rent that is established at less than 30 percent of the income level established by computing 80 percent of the area median income level or 80 percent of the State median income level, whichever is higher, for the relevant household size. Relevant household size means the number of bedrooms in the unit plus one.

  (C) Establishing Program eligibility levels at 80 percent of the area median income or 80 percent of the State median income, whichever is higher. Subject to the priority under section 2608 of this title given to participants in the Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program, the State program shall, when weighing factors to assign priority to buildings or units eligible for weatherization assistance, assign the greatest weight to those buildings and units that require the highest energy usage.

  (D) Eliminating the lien requirements on weatherized rental properties, so long as the landlord executes a rent stabilization agreement that has a term of at least one year.

  (E) Generally, allowing flexibility to accommodate special circumstances in which greater energy savings can be realized or health and safety problems may be alleviated.

  (F) Increasing the number of low-income homes weatherized each year, or the scope of services provided, or both, to reflect increased revenues in the Home Weatherization Assistance Fund.

  (G) With respect to multifamily buildings housing recipients of home heating fuel assistance under chapter 26 of this title, targeted outreach efforts to ensure the highest weatherization participation rates by owners of such buildings.

  (4) Funding for the installation of solar domestic hot water systems and other renewable energy systems on eligible homes, where cost-effective and consistent with other Program needs.

  (c) The Director shall require landlords that are not income eligible to enter into a rent stabilization agreement that takes into account the energy cost reductions projected to be obtained by eligible tenants of the unit. The time periods established for rent stabilization shall be set taking into account the size of benefits received by tenants and landlords as well as the effect on Program participation.

  (d) Subject to budgetary approval by the General Assembly or approval by the Emergency Board, amounts in the Home Weatherization Assistance Fund created by section 2501 of this title may be transferred to the Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program and used for energy assistance to persons with low income, provided that such transfer does not reduce the fiscal capacity of the State Office of Economic Opportunity to meet the budgetary obligations of the Weatherization Program as set forth in this chapter and that in the event of approval by the Emergency Board, the Emergency Board so certifies.

  (e) [Repealed.] (Added 1989, No. 272 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 262 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2001, No. 63, § 129c, eff. June 16, 2001; 2007, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 31; 2007, No. 209 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 2013, No. 50, §§ E.324.1, E324.2, E.326.1; 2013, No. 89, § 16; 2017, No. 85, §§ F.4, F.6, F.7, eff. June 28, 2017; 2019, No. 72, § E.326.2; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 611, eff. July 1, 2022; 2021, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. June 1, 2022; 2023, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § E.326.1, eff. July 1, 2024.)

• § 2503. Fuel tax

  (a)(1) There is imposed a tax on the retail sale of heating oil, propane, kerosene, and other dyed diesel fuel delivered in Vermont, at the rate of $0.02 per gallon.

  (2) There is imposed a gross receipts tax of 0.75 percent on the retail sale of natural gas and coal.

  (3) There is imposed a gross receipts tax of 0.5 percent on the retail sale of electricity.

  (b) The tax shall be levied upon and collected monthly from the seller. Fuel sellers may itemize the tax on the invoice or bill, and if the seller does itemize the amount, the invoice or bill shall include a statement that the tax is “for support of Vermont’s Low Income Home Weatherization Program.”

  (c) The tax shall be administered by the Commissioner of Taxes, and all receipts shall be deposited by the Commissioner in the Home Weatherization Assistance Fund. All provisions of law relating to the collection, administration, and enforcement of the sales and use tax imposed by 32 V.S.A. chapter 233 shall apply to the tax imposed by this chapter.

  (d) No tax under this section shall be imposed for any month ending after June 30, 2029. (Added 1989, No. 272 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991 No. 262 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 5-7; 1993, No. 230 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 2; 2003, No. 9, § 2; 2007, No. 65, § 132; 2007, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 32; 2009, No. 22, § 9a; 2009, No. 3 (Sp. Sess.), § 18, eff. June 10, 2009; 2009, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 44; 2011, No. 45, §§ 32, 32a, eff. May 24, 2011; 2013, No. 50, § E.324.3; 2013, No. 73, § 56, eff. June 5, 2013; 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 55, eff. May 20, 2014; 2013, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 48; 2015, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 35; 2015, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 39, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; 2019, No. 71, § 18; 2023, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. June 3, 2024.)