Home Energy Affordability Act

Bill Number

H.R. 8948

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Energy

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-05-20: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2026-06-18T15:33:10Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose The legislation aims to promote home energy affordability by amending federal law to encourage states to limit how often electric utilities can request retail rate increases.

Key Provisions

• The bill, titled the "Home Energy Affordability Act," amends Section 111(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621(d)).
• It adds a new standard (22): "Cap on retail utility rate increases to once a year," stating that a state-regulated electric utility may only file a request to increase a rate with the state regulatory authority once every 365 days.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• This introduces a new consideration that states must evaluate when setting policies for electric utilities under PURPA.
• It does not directly mandate the rate cap nationwide but requires states to consider this specific limit on filing frequency for rate increase requests.

Potential Impacts

• Government agencies: State public utility commissions would need to review and possibly adopt this standard during their regulatory processes, potentially affecting how they handle utility filings.
• Citizens: Residential electricity customers could face fewer rate increase requests, which may help stabilize or slow the growth of utility bills over time.
• Electric utilities: These entities would face restrictions on how frequently they can seek rate adjustments, possibly impacting their revenue planning and investment timelines.
• No direct effects on international relations are outlined.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• State regulatory authorities (such as public service commissions).
• State-regulated electric utilities.
• Residential and small business consumers of electricity.
• Federal lawmakers and the U.S. Congress, as the bill originates in the House.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• The measure represents a federal directive for states to consider a uniform timing restriction on utility rate filings, which traditionally falls under state authority.
• It could raise questions about the balance between federal energy policy and state regulatory autonomy, though the provision focuses on consideration rather than enforcement.
• No specific constitutional challenges or political analyses are included in the bill text itself.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]

Recent Actions

• 2026-05-20: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2026-05-20: Introduced in House
• 2026-05-20: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Home Energy Affordability Act — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (2 pages)