Feb 27, 2014 2 min read

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, on Tuesday introduced legislation to help provide emergency relief to the ongoing propane and home heating fuels shortage throughout Pennsylvania.

House Resolution 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance through Transportation (HHEATT) Act of 2014, would help ensure that propane and fuel supplies are being delivered to consumers as fast as possible through the rest of winter.

In Shuster’s 9th Congressional District, more than 9,000 homes directly rely on propane for home heating, but this winter’s extreme cold has resulted in such a high level of demand that it has already outpaced supply. While an emergency declaration allowed the U.S. Department of Transportation to suspend certain federal rules, including hours of service, that is only a temporary measure because each declaration can only last 30 days at a time, said Shuster.

“With supplies short and prices high, people are struggling to deal with the burden of such a major propane shortage. They need relief, and they need it now,” said Shuster. “This is why I am introducing H.R. 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance through Transportation Act of 2014. This bill guarantees an extension of the longer driving hours for tank truck operators carrying propane and other home heating fuels through May 31, bringing immediate certainty that these emergency measures will last through this already brutal winter.”

“Across the 9th District, I’ve heard from constituents who have been impacted by this shortage,” said Shuster. “These people depend on propane for both their homes and businesses, and we must do everything we can to get them the fuel they need for this extreme cold. That is why I am introducing this bill, to speed crucial supplies of propane and heating fuel straight to the people in the 9th District who need them the most.”