[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7197 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7197
To amend Public Law 117-169 to improve access to home energy-efficiency
rebates for working families, renters, and owners of older homes, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2026
Mr. Bell (for himself and Mr. Mannion) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend Public Law 117-169 to improve access to home energy-efficiency
rebates for working families, renters, and owners of older homes, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Home Energy Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF PROHIBITION ON COMBINING REBATES PROVIDED UNDER
HOMES REBATE PROGRAMS AND HIGH-EFFICIENCY ELECTRIC HOME
REBATE PROGRAMS WITH OTHER FEDERAL GRANTS AND REBATES.
(a) Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole-House Rebates.--
(1) Repeal.--Paragraph (7) of section 50121(c) of Public
Law 117-169 (42 U.S.C. 18795(c)) is repealed.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Section 50121(b) of Public Law
117-169 (42 U.S.C. 18795(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``retrofit;''
and inserting ``retrofit; and'';
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``program; and''
and inserting ``program.''; and
(C) by striking paragraph (6).
(b) High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program.--
(1) Repeal.--Paragraph (8) of section 50122(c) of Public
Law 117-169 (42 U.S.C. 18795a(c)) is repealed.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Section 50122(b) of Public Law
117-169 (42 U.S.C. 18795a(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``sale;'' and
inserting ``sale; and'';
(B) by striking paragraph (3); and
(C) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph
(3).
SEC. 3. HIGH-COST URBAN RETROFIT BONUS REBATES.
Section 50122(c) of Public Law 117-169 (42 U.S.C. 18795a(c)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(10) Bonus rebates for upgrades and purchases relating to
certain housing.--
``(A) In general.--From the amount of any grant
provided under this section, a State energy office or
Indian Tribe may provide to an eligible entity that
received a rebate from the State energy office or
Indian Tribe under a high-efficiency electric home
rebate program a bonus rebate for the purchase of an
appliance or a nonappliance upgrade under a qualified
electrification project carried out or relating to
housing built prior to January 1, 1970.
``(B) Amount of bonus rebate.--
``(i) In general.--A bonus rebate provided
under this paragraph may not be greater than 20
percent of the amount of the initial rebate
provided under the high-efficiency electric
home rebate program.
``(ii) Exception to max amount.--Subsection
(c)(3)(C) shall not apply to a bonus rebate
provided under this paragraph.
``(iii) Not in excess of costs.--An
eligible entity may not receive a sum of
rebates under this section that exceeds the
cost of the qualified electrification
project.''.
SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
(a) In General.--Not later than two years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Energy
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate a report that includes--
(1) the number of households that received a rebate under a
HOMES rebate program or a high-efficiency electric home rebate
program during the year preceding the report;
(2) the household average energy savings resulting from
upgrades, purchases, and retrofits for which a rebate was
provided under a HOMES rebate program or a high-efficiency
electric home rebate program; and
(3) recommendations for further increasing the access of
low-income and high-energy-burden households to such rebates.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) HOMES rebate program.--The term ``HOMES rebate
program'' has the meaning given such term in section 50121(d)
of Public Law 117-169 (42 U.S.C. 18795(d)).
(2) High-efficiency electric home rebate program.--The term
``high-efficiency electric home rebate program'' has the
meaning given such term in section 50122(d) of Public Law 117-
169 (42 U.S.C. 18795a(d)).
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