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Access to Justice
House committee approves record $675M in funding for civil legal services
Image from Shutterstock.
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations has approved $675 million in funding for the Legal Services Corp. in fiscal year 2023, an increase of $186 million.
The figure, if approved by Congress, is a record for funding for the Legal Services Corp., according to a June 29 press release.
The LSC, which provides funds for civil legal aid, had sought $1.26 billion in funds. The request is based on two factors: an increased demand for civil legal services because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unmet legal needs of low-income Americans.
The budget request “follows decades of chronic underfunding of civil legal aid,” according to a prior press release. “Adjusted for inflation, the 1980 appropriation of $300 million would be more than $900 million in 2022 dollars.”
In a statement, Ronald S. Flagg, president of the LSC, thanked lawmakers who recognized the need for a substantial increase in funding.
“Legal aid providers make an enormous difference in evictions, domestic violence and consumer cases—all of which are surging during the pandemic,” he said.
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