Legal Services Corporation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule revises the Legal Services Corporation (LSC or Corporation) regulations governing transfers of LSC funds, subgrants to third parties, and cost standards and procedures.

The Legal Services Corporation (``LSC'') intends to revise the LSC Grant Assurances for calendar year 2016 funding and is soliciting public comment on the proposed changes. The proposed revisions affect Grant Assurances 2, 14, 16, and 17. In addition, LSC is proposing one new Grant Assurance, which requires LSC recipients to have a whistleblower protection policy and a conflicts of interest policy. The proposed LSC grant assurances for calendar year 2016 funding, in redline format indicating the proposed changes to the current ``LSC 2015 Grant Assurances,'' are available at https://grants.lsc.gov/sites/ default/files/Grants/ReferenceMaterials/2016-GrantAssurances- Proposed.pdf.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is the national organization charged with administering Federal funds provided for civil legal services to low-income people. LSC hereby announces the availability of competitive grant funds for calendar year 2016 and solicits grant proposals from interested parties who are qualified to provide effective, efficient and high quality civil legal services to eligible clients in the service area(s) of the states and territories identified below. The exact amount of congressionally appropriated funds and the date, terms, and conditions of their availability for calendar year 2016 have not been determined.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is issuing this Notice to describe the conditions under which Letters of Intent will be received for the Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) program. LSC's TIG program was established in 2000. Since that time, LSC has made 570 grants totaling more than $46 million. This grant program provides an important tool to help achieve LSC's goal of increasing the quantity and quality of legal services available to eligible persons. Projects funded under the TIG program develop, test and replicate innovative technologies that can enable grant recipients and state justice communities to improve low-income persons' access to high quality legal assistance through an integrated and well managed technology system. When submitting Letters of Intent, applicants should consider the growth and continued development of technology and the resulting effects on the practice of law, program management and service delivery.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) provides special population grants to effectively and efficiently fund civil legal aid services to address the legal needs of agricultural workers and their dependents through grants entitled ``Basic FieldMigrant.'' The funding for these grants is based on data regarding the eligible client population to be served. LSC has obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor new data regarding this population that are more current than the data LSC has been using and that better reflect the population to be served. LSC seeks comments on a proposal to (1) use the new data for grants beginning in January 2016, (2) phase in the funding changes to provide intermediate funding halfway between the old and new levels for 2016 and to fully implement the new levels for 2017, and (3) update the data every three years on the same cycle as LSC updates poverty population data from the U.S. Census Bureau for the distribution of LSC's Basic FieldGeneral grants.

The Legal Services Corporation (Corporation) is required by law to establish maximum income levels for individuals eligible for legal assistance. This document updates the specified income levels to reflect the annual amendments to the Federal Poverty Guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This final rule updates the Legal Services Corporation (LSC or Corporation) regulation on private attorney involvement (PAI) in the delivery of legal services to eligible clients.

The Legal Services Corporation (``LSC'') is extending the public comment period for the proposed LSC 2015 Grant Assurances. The extended comment period is applicable only to Grant Assurances 10 and 11. The proposed LSC grant assurances for calendar year 2015 funding, in redline format indicating the proposed changes to the current ``LSC 2014 Grant Assurances,'' are available at https://grants.lsc.gov/sites/ default/files/Grants/ReferenceMaterials/2015-GrantAssurances- Proposed.pdf.

This final rule updates the Legal Services Corporation (LSC or Corporation) regulation on legal assistance to aliens. The rule implements statutory changes regarding aliens eligible for legal assistance from LSC recipients that have been enacted since the pertinent provisions of the existing regulation were last revised in 1997. Additional information is located in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

This proposed rule updates the Legal Services Corporation (LSC or Corporation) regulation on private attorney involvement (PAI) in the delivery of legal services to eligible clients.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) intends to merge the two service areas that cover the twelve counties of the south-central region of Louisiana (including Baton Rouge) and the ten counties of the southeastern region of the state (including New Orleans). Grants for these individual service areas have been awarded to Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation (SLLSC) since 2011. For 2014, LSC awarded SLLSC three-year grants for these two service areas. LSC intends to merge the two service areas into one service area and to award one grant for the new combined service area. Doing so will harmonize the grant structure with the current delivery model.

The Legal Services Corporation (Corporation) is required by law to establish maximum income levels for individuals eligible for legal assistance. This document updates the specified income levels to reflect the annual amendments to the Federal Poverty Guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).