S. 3548, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act;

Support the emergency assistance measures taken to bolster the LIHEAP
program and help customers ensure their utility bills are paid in the near future during
and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act was passed in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic and provides $2.2 trillion in emergency assistance. The bill
provides $900 million supplemental funding to LIHEAP available through September
2021.

Tax Extenders: Congress is currently seeking to renew and extend tax provisions that have expired or are set to expire- specifically extension of the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction 179D Promote & protect the interests of natural gas and electric utilities in any legislation considered by the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee regarding energy and climate legislation affecting natural gas and electric utilities.

Repeal of Section 433
Advocate for the repeal of Section 433 which provides for the elimination of the use of fossil fuels in federal buildings. Repealing of Section 433 is included in both S. 1245, and H.R. 2664; bills to improve energy performance in Federal buildings and for other purposes, and also in S. 2137, a bill to promote energy savings in residential buildings and industry, and for other purposes.

 Climate Change
Climate change has generated a tremendous amount of discussion in Congress during
the 1st quarter. Continue to promote the role of natural gas in the climate
discussion by educating Members of Congress and their staff on its benefits and ability
to reduce carbon emissions over time. CenterPoint Energy along with AGA, EEI, and allied organizations represented within our grassroots partner the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC) support adequate funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program is fully authorized at $5.1 billion. Thus far this year the House has passed its version of the FY20 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill which would set LIHEAP funding at $3.84 billion, $150 million more than FY19. In contrast, the Senate has not moved Labor-HHS legislation, however, a recent draft indicates that their LIHEAP funding target will be $3.69 billion, the same funding as last year. Support cyber and physical security bills that uphold our current security partnership with the
Transportation Security Administration public-private partnership (no top-down regulatory
process); public-private information sharing; liability protections for information sharing; federal
R&D support; and appropriate criminal penalties for bad actors.

Last Summer, the House Homeland Security Committee passed the Pipeline Security Act (H.R. 3699), a bill that would codify elements of the Transportation Security Administrations pipeline security program. Support this legislation as a positive step in bolstering TSAs pipeline security programming and capability H.R. 748, CARES Act;
H.R. 6074, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act;
H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act;
H.R. 6379, Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act; Pipeline Safety Reauthorization. Promote & protect the interests of natural gas utilities
as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee draft pipeline safety reauthorization legislation and any regulatory regime affecting natural gas utilities. 

Promote & protect the interests of natural gas utilities in legislation addressing natural gas pipeline safety and the reauthorization of the Department of Transportations Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee have draft pipeline safety reauthorization legislation pending. This issue came up:
o PIPES Act of 2019. On July 31st, the Senate Commerce Committee passed by
voice-vote (Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) was recorded as a no) the Pipes Act of
2019 (S. 2299), the Senate version of pipeline safety reauthorization legislation.
TAX - Taxation/Internal Revenue Code ENG - Energy/Nuclear LBR - Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace HOM - Homeland Security BUD - Budget/Appropriations TRA - Transportation
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