Alaska Agreement

The purpose of this agreement is to 1) avoid duplication of benefits and 2) promote comparable benefit payments between the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs (LIHEAP) administered by the State of Alaska. Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), and by the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. Inc. (A/PIA), an Indian tribe or tribal organization, under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (Title XXVI of Public Law 97-35, as amended). The parties agree as follows:

1. DHSS will serve all the non-native residents and A/PIA will serve all native residents in the following communities: Akutan, Atka, belkofski, Dutch Harbor, False Pass, King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski, Sandpoint, St. George, St. Paul and Unalaska.
2. As a condition of receipt of these funds, A/PIA will not refer any of their eligible households to DHSS for service. This includes any unserved households remaining after their LIHEAP funds have been expended, unless the parties have agreed to waive this condition.
3. DHSS and A/PIA will cooperate in the development of the LIHEAP plans with the goal of establishing similar eligibility criteria and comparable benefits levels,
4. DHSS and A/PIA will insure that applications for LIHEAP are promptly forwarded to the appropriate responsible service agency.
5. To avoid duplication of assistance payments, DHSS and A/PIA will exchange names, addresses, and social security numbers of applicant households containing native and non-native adult embers when these households apply in a community in which DHSS and A/PIA are operating the program. In the case of a household containing native and non-native adult members, the applicants may choose either to apply with DHSS or A/PIA.
6. DHSS bases its benefit payment levels on regional climactic conditions and fuel costs. To allow A/PIA to offer comparable regional benefits to their clientele, DHSS does not object to a decrease in its direct federal grant from amounts that would otherwise be awarded to DHSS by the Federal Government. The parties agree that funds, in an amount to be determined annually, may be transferred by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to A/PIA from the State of Alaska LIHEAP grant to accomplish this aim.
7. A/PIA will provide DHSS with an annual LIHEAP summary report by October 1. The report will be submitted in the format provided by the Energy Assistance Program and will include: the number of households served, and amounts expended by community; the average benefit: the amount of expenditures for heating assistance, weatherization, emergency assistance, and program planning and administration; and the amount of LIHEAP funds, if any, carried over into the next program year.

This agreement may be amended with mutual agreement of both parties and will remain in effect until amended or revoked.