Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Detailed Model Plan Application

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) block grant (42 U.S.C. 8621) was established under Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35. The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) administers LIHEAP at the federal level. Section 2605(c)(1) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, as amended, (LIHEAP statute) provides that “as part of the annual application required…, the chief executive officer of each state shall prepare and furnish to the Secretary, in such format as the Secretary may require, a plan” which addresses several statutorily required data elements (emphasis added). [see also Section 2604(d)(4) regarding the Plan requirement for tribes]. Section 2605(c)(3) of the LIHEAP statute requires the Secretary to make available each fiscal year a model plan for use in the next fiscal year. The regulations require that states and territories (45 C.F.R. § 96.10(c)(2)) and tribes/tribal organizations (45 C.F.R. § 96.42(e)) that wish to administer a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) must submit an application for funds each year by September 1. Indian tribes and tribal organizations must submit their LIHEAP Plans by the required deadline unless the State(s) in which the tribe or organization is located agrees in writing to a specific later submission date. Section 2605(c)(3) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, as amended, provides that the Secretary shall make available a model LIHEAP Plan which may be used to prepare the application required under Sections 2605(a)(1) and (c)(1) (42 U.S.C. § 8624(a)(1) and (c)(1)). OCS has responsibility to review and accept LIHEAP Plan submissions on behalf of ACF, which is the agency that administers LIHEAP at the federal level. The LIHEAP Detailed Model Plan Application was most recently approved by OMB on February 25, 2024. During the 30-day comment period, the Office of Community Services received a number of comments and would like to post responses to these public comments publicly for transparency. This request is to upload OCS’s responses to public comments received during the 30-day comment period.

The latest form for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Detailed Model Plan Application expires 2027-02-28 and can be found here.

LIHEAP Detailed Model Plan Application - FY24

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Community and Social Services - Social Services