(A) In September of each year, the tax commissioner shall adjust the total income amounts set forth in sections 5117.07 and 5117.09 of the Revised Code to be used for applications submitted for the heating season commencing in the next calendar year, by completing the following steps:

(1) Determine the percentage increase in the gross domestic product deflator determined by the bureau of economic analysis of the United States department of commerce for the preceding year;

(2) Multiply that percentage increase by each of the total income amounts for the preceding year;

(3) Add the resulting products to each of the total income amounts for the preceding year;

(4) Round the resulting sums upward to the nearest multiple of ten dollars.

The commissioner shall not make the adjustment in any year in which the amounts resulting from the adjustment would be less than the total income amounts for the preceding year.

(B) In September of each year, the tax commissioner also shall adjust the current total income amounts set forth in sections 5117.07 and 5117.09 of the Revised Code. For any year, the current total income amounts shall equal one-half of the respective total income amounts set forth in those sections and adjusted under division (A) of this section for that year.

(C) Each year, the tax commissioner shall provide both the adjusted total income amounts referred to in division (A) of this section and the current total income amounts referred to in division (B) of this section to the director of development.

(D) The director of development and each energy company and energy dealer shall use the adjusted total income amounts and the current total income amounts determined under divisions (A) and (B) of this section in performing their duties under sections 5117.01 to 5117.12 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 09-06-2002.