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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation
Texas Legislature Provides Funding for the State's Legal Aid
System
The House and
Senate budget bills (HB 1 and SB 1) included $13 million for legal aid in
the Texas Supreme Court budget. The Texas Supreme Court requested an
exceptional item that restores $4.6 million in general revenue back to the
budget that was cut during the last legislative session. “On behalf of
the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Access to Justice Commission and the
Texas Access to Justice Foundation, we would like to thank our state
legislators for supporting critical legislation that will continue to
provide resources for poor Texans struggling to survive,” Texas Supreme
Court Justice Nathan L. Hecht, the Court’s liaison for access to justice
issues, said. “The civil justice system must be available to every Texan,
regardless of their means.”
Starting in June, HB
1445 will provide increased funds for legal aid through expanded Texas
Attorney General civil penalties. At the recommendations of Sen. Robert
Duncan and Reps. Dan Branch and Senfronia Thompson, the legal aid funding
bill was named the “Chief Justice Jack Pope Act.” Chief Justice Pope, who
turned 100 years old in April, signed the Supreme Court order creating
Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) nearly 30 years ago. IOLTA is a
method to fund legal aid by collecting interest on lawyers’ trusts accounts
and using that money for grants to legal aid providers in Texas.
“We are grateful for
the diligent efforts led by Sen.
Duncan
and Rep. Thompson. In addition, we are indebted to all of the authors,
including Sens. John Carona and Bob Deuell and Reps. John Davis, Sarah
Davis, Elliott Naishtat, and Sylvester Turner and co-authors Joe Farias and
Eddie Lucio III, to secure supplemental funding through the Pope Act,” Hecht
said.
“Access to the
justice system is vital to our civilized society based on the rule of law,”
Sen. Robert Duncan said. “I am proud to play a part in helping provide civil
legal services for those in need including veterans, elderly and victims of
domestic violence.”
“Civil legal aid
often makes a life-changing difference for disadvantaged Texans. I’m happy
to join in this bipartisan effort to increase funding for basic civil legal
services for those who cannot otherwise afford it,” Rep. Senfronia Thompson
said. “When I think of the life of Justice Jack Pope, I am reminded of
Proverbs 19:17, which states, ‘Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the
Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.’ Justice Pope’s rich
contribution and dedication to the justice system is a testimony to his
commitment to the principle of justice for all Texans by starting the first
permanent funding source for legal aid here in Texas.”
The maintenance of
state funding is now more critical than before due to the effects of federal
funding cuts that are severely impacting Texas programs funded by the Legal
Services Corporation (LSC). In Texas, the three largest providers of civil
legal services – Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Lone Star Legal Aid, and
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid – have had a combined reduction of more than $1.3
million in LSC funding. This is in addition to the $6.1 million annualized
loss that began in 2011 resulting in significantly fewer services available
to those most in need. LSC funding comprises approximately one-third of the
funding for legal aid in Texas.
The legal aid system
in Texas annually provides more than 100,000 families with basic civil legal
services in times of desperate need. To qualify for legal aid, an individual
must not earn more than $14,363 a year. For a family of four, the household
income cannot exceed $29,438. Approximately 5.7 million Texans currently
qualify for legal aid. # # #
The Texas Access to Justice Commission was created in 2001 by the
Supreme Court of Texas to develop and implement policy initiatives designed
to expand access to and enhance the quality of justice in civil legal
matters for low-income Texans. The Commission has created several
initiatives to increase resources and awareness of legal aid. For more
information, please visit www.TexasATJ.org.
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt
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