Add Louisiana LIHEAP regular cooling assistance

changelog.d/la-liheap-cooling.added.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add Louisiana LIHEAP regular cooling assistance, paid once each program year from the same benefit matrix as heating.

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/hhs/liheap/regular_payments.yaml

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ values:
     - ks_liheap  # Kansas LIEAP
     - ky_liheap  # Kentucky LIHEAP
     - la_liheap  # Louisiana LIHEAP
+    - la_liheap_cooling  # Louisiana LIHEAP cooling
     - ma_liheap  # Massachusetts LIHEAP
     - md_meap  # Maryland MEAP
     - me_heap  # Maine HEAP

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/la/lhc/liheap/eligibility/smi_rate.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-description: Louisiana limits heating assistance income to this share of state median income under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
+description: Louisiana limits regular heating and cooling assistance income to this share of state median income under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
 # The FFY2026 notice prints the resulting limits for household sizes 1-10.
-# No adopted FFY2027 plan is available; later years carry this rate forward
-# as unverified estimates.
+# The accepted FFY2027 plan repeats the 60% limit (pages 11-12), but no FFY2027
+# notice prints the limits, so later years carry this rate forward as
+# unverified estimates.
 values:
   2025-10-01: 0.6
 
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ metadata:
   period: year
   label: Louisiana LIHEAP state median income rate
   reference:
-    - title: Louisiana FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan, Section 2.1
+    - title: "Louisiana FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan, Sections 2.1 and 3.1 #page 9,11"
       href: https://liheapch.acf.gov/docs/2026/state-plans/LA_Plan_2026.pdf#page=9
     - title: Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide, revised January 1, 2024, Section 3.6 C.1
       href: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20REVISED%20January%201_%202024.pdf#page=29

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/la/lhc/liheap/payment/amount.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-description: Louisiana provides this regular heating benefit by energy burden band and household size group under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
+description: Louisiana provides this regular heating or cooling benefit by energy burden band and household size group under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
 # The matrix prints one amount for sizes 1-3 and another for sizes 4 through
-# "8 or More". The FY2026 plan's $200 minimum and $800 maximum (Section 2.6)
-# equal the lowest cell and the highest cell plus the $100 priority supplement.
+# "8 or More". The FY2026 plan's $200 minimum and $800 maximum (Sections 2.6
+# and 3.6) equal the lowest cell and the highest cell plus the $100 priority
+# supplement. The same matrix sets the heating and the cooling benefit.
 # Energy burden band 1: 9.9% and less.
 1:
   1:
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ description: Louisiana provides this regular heating benefit by energy burden ba
 metadata:
   unit: currency-USD
   period: year
-  label: Louisiana LIHEAP regular heating benefit amount
+  label: Louisiana LIHEAP regular heating and cooling benefit amount
   breakdown:
     - range(1, 5) # energy burden band
     - range(1, 3) # household size group (1 = size 1-3, 2 = size 4+)
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ metadata:
   reference:
     - title: Louisiana FFY2026 Heating and Cooling Benefit Matrix, benefit amount
       href: https://liheapch.acf.gov/docs/2026/benefits-matricies/LA_BenefitMatrix_Heat-Cool_2026.pdf
-    - title: Louisiana FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan, Sections 2.4-2.6
+    - title: "Louisiana FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan, Sections 2.4-2.6 and 3.4-3.6 #page 10,12"
       href: https://liheapch.acf.gov/docs/2026/state-plans/LA_Plan_2026.pdf#page=10
     - title: Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide, revised January 1, 2024, Section 4.2
       href: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20REVISED%20January%201_%202024.pdf#page=41

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/la/lhc/liheap/payment/burden_band.yaml

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ description: Louisiana assigns this benefit matrix energy burden band from total
 # The matrix prints the bands as "9.9% and Less", "10% to 17.9%", "18% to
 # 24.9%" and "25% and Greater". The unrounded burden uses lower-inclusive
 # cutoffs at 10%, 18% and 25%, which equals truncating the percent to one
-# decimal. Households with zero income receive band 4 in la_liheap.
+# decimal. Households with zero income receive band 4 in la_liheap_matrix_amount.
 brackets:
   # 9.9% and less.
   - threshold:

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/la/lhc/liheap/payment/energy_cost_sources.yaml

@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ description: Louisiana adds these residential energy bills to compute the total
 # The guide adds the bills of every energy vendor. Annual amounts stand in for
 # the application-month bill and give the guide's burden only when that month's
 # bill equals the annual monthly average; Louisiana's heating-season electric
-# bills run below that average and gas bills above it. Bill line items the
-# guide includes or excludes (taxes, customer charges, franchise fees, arrears,
+# bills run below that average and gas bills above it. Cooling-season electric
+# bills run above that average, so the cooling burden band of a household that
+# pays its own bills is likely a lower bound. Bill line items the guide
+# includes or excludes (taxes, customer charges, franchise fees, arrears,
 # deposits) cannot be separated from these totals. Community solar
 # participants report their electric bill.
 values:

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/la/lhc/liheap/payment/priority_supplement.yaml

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-description: Louisiana adds this heating payment once per household with at least one member in a targeted priority group under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
+description: Louisiana adds this amount to the heating or cooling benefit once per household with at least one member in a targeted priority group under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
 values:
   2025-10-01: 100
 
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@ metadata:
       href: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20REVISED%20January%201_%202024.pdf#page=41
     - title: Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide, effective April 1, 2026, Section 4.2 A
       href: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20FINAL%20-%20Effective%20April%201%2c%202026.pdf#page=48
-    - title: Louisiana FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan, Section 2.4
+    - title: "Louisiana FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan, Sections 2.4 and 3.4 #page 10,12"
       href: https://liheapch.acf.gov/docs/2026/state-plans/LA_Plan_2026.pdf#page=10

policyengine_us/programs.yaml

@@ -1222,7 +1222,15 @@ programs:
         variable: la_liheap
         parameter_prefix: gov.states.la.lhc.liheap
         verified_years: "2026"
-        notes: FY2026 regular heating-season benefit from the energy burden matrix, including the $100 priority supplement. The larger summer cooling award, crisis and weatherization assistance are out of scope.
+        notes: FY2026 regular heating-season benefit from the energy burden matrix, including the $100 priority supplement. The cooling-season benefit is listed separately; crisis and weatherization assistance are out of scope.
+      - state: LA
+        status: partial
+        name: Louisiana LIHEAP cooling
+        full_name: Louisiana Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program cooling assistance
+        variable: la_liheap_cooling
+        parameter_prefix: gov.states.la.lhc.liheap
+        verified_years: "2026"
+        notes: FY2026 regular cooling-season benefit from the same energy burden matrix as heating, including the $100 priority supplement, for households with cooling costs or utilities included in rent. Supplemental cooling payments, crisis and weatherization assistance are out of scope.
       - state: MD
         status: partial
         name: Maryland MEAP

policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/la/lhc/liheap/cooling/la_liheap_cooling.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+# FFY2026 Heating and Cooling Benefit Matrix: one cooling benefit each program year
+# (Service Delivery Guide effective April 1, 2026, Section 4.2 B) from the matrix
+# heating uses. Energy burden (energy cost / income) bands of 9.9% and less, 10-17.9%,
+# 18-24.9% and 25% and greater pay 200, 350, 500 and 650 for one to three members and
+# 250, 400, 550 and 700 for four or more, plus one 100 supplement for a member 60 or
+# older, disabled, or five or younger, up to 800. Wages of 15,080 are full-time work
+# at the federal 7.25 minimum wage; electricity of 1,740 is 145 a month, near the
+# EIA 2024 Louisiana average residential bill of 140.96 a month.
+
+- name: Case 1, a home with no heating but a cooling bill receives the cooling benefit only.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 40
+        employment_income_before_lsr: 15_080
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1]
+        heating_type: NONE
+        has_cooling_expense: true
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 1_740
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1]
+        state_code: LA
+  output:
+    # Heating requires a heating fuel.
+    la_liheap: 0
+    # 1,740 / 15,080 = 0.1154 -> band 2, size 1
+    la_liheap_cooling: 350
+
+- name: Case 2, a household eligible for both seasons receives the same matrix award for cooling as for heating.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 32
+        employment_income_before_lsr: 20_000
+      person2:
+        age: 31
+      person3:
+        age: 7
+      person4:
+        age: 10
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4]
+        # Not receiving FITAP.
+        tanf: 0
+        heating_type: NATURAL_GAS
+        gas_expense: 900
+        has_cooling_expense: true
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 1_740
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4]
+        state_code: LA
+  output:
+    # (900 + 1,740) / 20,000 = 0.132 -> band 2, sizes 4+; no member is in a
+    # priority group.
+    la_liheap: 400
+    la_liheap_cooling: 400
+    # The national LIHEAP total adds both seasons: 400 + 400.
+    liheap: 800
+
+- name: Case 3, zero countable income with a young child receives the 800 maximum.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 35
+        self_employment_income: -3_000
+      person2:
+        age: 34
+      person3:
+        age: 4
+      person4:
+        age: 8
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4]
+        tanf: 0
+        heating_type: ELECTRICITY
+        has_cooling_expense: true
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 1_740
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4]
+        state_code: LA
+  output:
+    # max(-3,000, 0) = 0 income -> band 4, sizes 4+: 700 + 100 for the
+    # four-year-old
+    la_liheap_cooling: 800
+
+- name: Case 4, a household without cooling costs receives no cooling benefit.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 40
+        employment_income_before_lsr: 15_080
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1]
+        heating_type: ELECTRICITY
+        has_cooling_expense: false
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 1_740
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1]
+        state_code: LA
+  output:
+    # The electric heating bill qualifies the household for heating:
+    # 1,740 / 15,080 = 0.1154 -> band 2, size 1.
+    la_liheap: 350
+    la_liheap_cooling: 0
+
+- name: Case 5, income above the size-one limit receives no cooling benefit.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 40
+        employment_income_before_lsr: 32_000
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1]
+        heating_type: ELECTRICITY
+        has_cooling_expense: true
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 1_740
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1]
+        state_code: LA
+  output:
+    # 32,000 is above the FFY2026 size-one limit of 30,618 (60% SMI).
+    la_liheap_cooling: 0
+
+- name: Case 6, an unspecified heating fuel receives the cooling benefit.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 40
+        employment_income_before_lsr: 15_080
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1]
+        heating_type: UNSPECIFIED
+        has_cooling_expense: true
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 1_740
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1]
+        state_code: LA
+  output:
+    # Was 0, now 350: the cooling test no longer adds a heating-fuel
+    # condition, since no Louisiana cooling rule names a heating fuel.
+    # 1,740 / 15,080 = 0.1154 -> band 2, size 1, as in Case 1.
+    la_liheap_cooling: 350
+
+- name: Case 7, a renter with utilities and heat included in the rent and an unspecified heating fuel receives both benefits.
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 40
+        employment_income_before_lsr: 15_080
+        # FY2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom unit in East Baton
+        # Rouge Parish, 1,064 a month (x12 = 12,768).
+        rent: 12_768
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1]
+        # The tenant does not know the building's heating fuel.
+        heating_type: UNSPECIFIED
+        heat_expense_included_in_rent: true
+        has_cooling_expense: false
+        pre_subsidy_electricity_expense: 0
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1]
+        state_code: LA
+        tenant_pays_utilities: false
+  output:
+    # No separate bill, so the energy cost is 0 and the burden 0 / 15,080
+    # falls in the 9.9% and less band, 200 for size 1. Heating accepts the
+    # unspecified fuel because heat is included in the rent; cooling counts
+    # the energy costs included in the rent (Section 3.6 E.1).
+    la_liheap: 200
+    la_liheap_cooling: 200