text: SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds that--
              (1) an individual's ability to survive periods of severe 
          heat is based, in part on income, age, and health risks;
              (2) such a connection is well established and is proven by 
          recent tragic deaths in and around the City of Chicago and Cook 
          County, Illinois; and
              (3) reports published by the Centers for Disease Control 
          indicate that the absence of air conditioning is a major factor 
          contributing to illness and death during periods of extreme 
          heat, especially among the elderly.
  
  SEC. 2. DECLARATION AND NOTIFICATION OF A HEAT EMERGENCY.
  
      Title 15, United States Code, is amended by adding the following 
  new section:
      ``Sec. 330. (a) The Director of the National Weather Service shall 
  notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services whenever any State, 
  county, municipality, or other jurisdiction is subject to a heat 
  emergency which threatens the health of its residents.
      ``(b) Such notification shall be delivered to the Secretary within 
  one hour of the declaration being determined.''.
  
  SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF A POOL OF EMERGENCY FUNDS; EMERGENCY EXPANSION 
                OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY.
  
      (a) Establishment of an ``Emergency Cooling Fund''.--
              (1) Section 8621 of title 42, United States Code, is 
          amended by adding at the end the following new section:
      ``(e) There is authorized a pool of monies that shall be added to 
  the appropriations, referred to in this section; such funds shall be 
  designated for the expressed purpose of providing assistance to low 
  income recipients and seniors for the duration of a declared heat 
  emergency.''.
              (2) Prior to authorization of the Fund referred to in (a) 
          of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
          shall research and report to Congress on the amount of funds 
          needed to fully compensate public utilities for the delivery of 
          energy necessary to sufficiently cool the residencies of a 
          LIHEAP recipient in a manner that will alleviate the likelihood 
          of heat-related illness and prevent the worsening of 
          preexisting acute conditions.
              (3) The Secretary shall take into account the following 
          when determining the amount of money necessary to fund the 
          ``Emergency Cooling Fund''--
                      (A) the number of current LIHEAP recipients;
                      (B) the amount of energy needed to cool the homes 
                  of LIHEAP recipients; and
                      (C) the number of days in the previous calendar 
                  year in which the National Weather Service declared a 
                  heat emergency in areas served by LIHEAP.
              (4) The pool of monies established by Congress shall be no 
          smaller than an amount equal to three times the amount referred 
          to in the Secretary's report as being necessary to operate such 
          a fund.
      (b) Eligibility of Seniors for Heat Related Assistance.--Section 
  8642(b)(2) of title 42, United States Code, is amended by adding the 
  following: ``or (C) households with senior residents who, because of 
  age and/or medical condition, may be susceptible to heat related 
  illness.''.
  
  SEC. 4. USE OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUNDS DURING HEAT EMERGENCY.
  
      (a) Immediately upon receiving a notification of a heat emergency 
  declaration referred to in section 2 of this Act, the Secretary of 
  Health and Human Services shall direct the Governor of each State in 
  which the emergency was declared that a portion funds referred to in 
  section 8622 of title 42, United States Code, commonly known as 
  ``LIHEAP'', as augmented by the funds referred to in section 3 of this 
  Act, shall be designated by the State for the express use of providing 
  energy to cool the residencies of current LIHEAP recipients, augmented 
  by section 3 of this Act, during heat emergencies.
      (b) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, within five 
  days of the passage of this Act, inform the Governors of the States 
  that compliance with this Act is mandated.
      (c) Within ten days of the passage of this Act, the Governors of 
  each State shall submit to the Secretary notification that provisions 
  have been made, in conjunction with public utilities responsible for 
  the delivery of electricity in the State, to provide for compensation 
  to eligible LIHEAP recipients under this Act and such provisions 
  shall--
              (1) provide for compensation to all LIHEAP recipients to 
          cover the full and total amount necessary to operate not less 
          than one appliance to cool the recipient's residence; and
              (2) such compensation shall be in effect during the period 
          in which a heat emergency is in effect in the state, and for 
          the twenty-four hour period immediately following and 
          immediately proceeding the declaration of the heat emergency.
      (d) No funds referred to in this Act shall be available to any 
  State not submitting such notification to the Secretary within the 
  allotted time.
      (e) Enhancement of Federal Oversight of Compliance by the States.--
  Section 8624(b) of title 42, United States Code, is amended by striking 
  the following language: ``The Secretary may not prescribe the manner in 
  which the States will comply with the provisions of the subsection.''
  
  SEC. 5. EXPEDITED DISTRIBUTION OF AIR CONDITIONING UNITS AND OTHER 
                EQUIPMENT.
  
      (a) The Administrator of the General Services Administration shall 
  receive notification of any declaration of a heat emergency as 
  referenced in section 2 of this Act.
      (b) Such notification shall cause the Administrator to initiate 
  procedures to locate any equipment, fixtures, and appliances--
  including, but not limited to, air conditioners and fans--that are 
  currently available through the Federal Supply Service or any other 
  entity overseeing surplus Federal property.
      (c) The Administrator shall initiate expedited procedures to 
  distribute such property to representatives of States and 
  municipalities affected by the heat emergency, and to social service 
  agencies and individuals located in those areas.
target: Amends Federal law to require the Director of the National Weather Service to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services of a heat emergency. 
  Establishes an Emergency Cooling Fund to provide assistance to low-income families and senior citizens during a declared heat emergency. 
  Makes senior citizens eligible for heat related assistance. 
  Provides for the use of energy assistance funds during a heat emergency. 
  Directs that the Administrator of the General Services Administration shall:  (1) be notified of any declared heat emergency; and (2) expedite distribution of air conditioning units and other cooling equipment to affected localities.
feat_title: To amend title 42, United States Code and title 15, United States Code to establish provisions to assist low income families and seniors in the event of severe heat emergencies.