H.R. 1355 would reauthorize appropriations for the Weatherization Assistance Program. The program, which is administered by the Department of Energy, provides grants for low-income households to improve home energy efficiency. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $300 million each year from 2026 through 2028, $325 million for 2029, and $350 million for 2030. In 2025, the Congress provided $326 million for the program. The bill also would increase the limit on average assistance offered per household and add requirements to an annual report on the effects of the program.
CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted in early 2026 and that the specified amounts will be provided in each year. On that basis and using historical spending patterns for the program, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $876 million over the 2026‑2030 period and $699 million after 2030.
The estimated budgetary effect of H.R. 1355 is shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation primarily fall within budget function 270 (energy).
Table 1.
Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under H.R. 1355
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2026-2030
2026-2035
Authorization
300
300
300
325
350
0
0
0
0
0
1,575
1,575
Estimated Outlays
33
108
198
249
288
278
208
113
60
27
876
1,562
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Emma Uebelhor. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
