Legal Services Corporation May 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is developing its FY 2015 appropriations request to Congress and is seeking public comment and testimony on what the amount of its request should be.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is the national organization charged with administering federal funds provided for civil legal services to low-income people. This Request for Applications (RFA) announces the availability of grant funds and is soliciting grant applications from current LSC recipients that provide legal services in service areas that have been federally-declared as disaster areas resulting from Hurricane Sandy. The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013, Public Law 113-2, 127 Stat. 4, includes $1 million for LSC to provide assistance to low- income people in areas significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy. The amount of the appropriation has been reduced by $50,000 because of sequestration. LSC anticipates providing the full $950,000 through grants awarded pursuant to this process. The funds must be expended by grantees within twenty-four (24) months following the obligation of the funds.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is requesting public comments on issues associated with amending its regulations to align with the statutory authority granted to LSC under the Indian Arts and Crafts Amendment Act of 2010 (the IACAA). The IACAA amended the LSC Act to provide authority for LSC funds to be used by grantees to represent eligible persons in any and all criminal proceedings in tribal courts. Previously, the LSC Act and related regulations permitted representation only in criminal matters involving misdemeanors or lesser offenses in tribal courts. The information received as a result of this request will be considered in rulemaking undertaken by LSC.

The Legal Services Corporation (``LSC'') intends to revise the LSC Grant Assurances for calendar year 2014 funding since the last publication of the LSC Grant Assurances for 2013 funding and is soliciting public comment on the proposed changes. The proposed revisions affect Grant Assurances 13 and 17. The proposed LSC grant assurances for calendar year 2014 funding, in redline format indicating the proposed changes to the current ``LSC 2013 Grant Assurances,'' are at https://grants.lsc.gov/sites/default/files/Grants/ReferenceMat erials/ 2014-GrantAssurances-Proposed.pdf.