The Iowa Senate passed a bill that would give an extra $2 million in state funds to help families pay for heat.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Senate File 2110 passed in the Iowa Senate with a vote of 41-8, according to the bill’s history report.
The Des Moines Register reported that next the bill goes to the House for approval.
If it passes, the extra money would be taken from the general fund of the state for fiscal year 2013-2014 and be shuffled into the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), according to the Iowa Legislature.
According to the Des Moines Register, Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Cedar Rapids said LIHEAP has been more in demand because of this cold winter and raised propane prices.
Roughly 85,000 Iowa households utilize LIHEAP; 9,000 of those use propane to heat their homes.