LIHEAP Staffing Support Act

This bill sets minimum staffing rules for the federal program that helps low-income families pay energy bills (LIHEAP). It tells the Health and Human Services Department to keep enough full-time staff on hand, instead of relying too much on contractors, and to boost staffing during certain emergencies so help gets out faster.

Key points

• Who is affected: The federal LIHEAP office and, indirectly, families who rely on energy assistance.
• What changes: At least 20 staff must work on LIHEAP; no more than 40% of them can be contractors under normal conditions.
• During emergencies: HHS must raise staffing to at least 30 people, starting within 45 days of the emergency and lasting at least 180 days; the usual contractor cap can be exceeded to meet this need.

In short, the bill aims to make LIHEAP more reliable by ensuring there are enough in-house staff to run the program day to day and to ramp up quickly when crises hit.