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The President’s FY 2024 Budget Request provides a set of topline numbers and priorities for the coming appropriations process. The budget opens with the Budget Message of the President and focuses on infrastructure, access to healthcare, childcare and preschool, job training, and a clean energy economy, which includes the mention of reducing families’ utility bills.

  The President’s Budget does not go into detail about how much each individual office or program receives – those numbers are slated to be released early next week. What we can share with you today are some of the priorities set by the President’s Budget and those previously mentioned topline numbers.

While there is no specific mention of the Community Services Block Grant (this is not unusual; the information comes within department's budget in brief), $144 billion is requested for the Department of Health and Human Services, an 11.5% increase over FY23 enacted levels. Page 81 of the budget discusses the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The budget requests a $111 million increase over FY23 enacted levels, specifically calls out helping families access Weatherization, and focuses on households with young children, the elderly, and the energy burdened. Additionally, the budget calls for states to have an option to use LIHEAP for water bill assistance.    

In the Department of Energy section, the budget calls for $425 million to weatherize and retrofit homes. This exceeds FY23 enacted levels by $59 million and the NASCSP member ask of $422.5 million by $2.5 million. That said, it is important to note that the FY24 request is a decrease from the President's FY23 Budget request of $502 million. The budget also includes $50 million for the State Community Energy Programs office to launch an “Energy Burden Reduction Pilot to retrofit low-income homes with efficient electric appliances and systems.”  

The President’s Budget signals the beginning of the appropriations process and a long year ahead. We are focused on raising our members' appropriations requests and policy priorities on the Hill and keeping all apprised of our efforts.