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Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §18-A, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 361, §1, is further amended to read:
 
B. Except as provided in paragraph C, money in the fund must be disbursed to legal services providers to support the provision of free civil legal services to low-income or needy people or the needy elderly in this State. Money disbursed from the fund may not be used by a recipient to support lobbying as defined in Title 3, section 312-A, subsection 9 unless the recipient is responding to a request by a Legislator or a member of the Executive Department. Only the following legal services providers may receive disbursement to provide free civil legal services:
 
(1) Nonprofit organizations whose missions include the provision of statewide free civil legal services and who have at least one year5 years of experience providing free civil legal services;
 
(2) Legal aid clinics of accredited law schools operating exclusively in Maine; and
 
(3) Programs whose primary mission is to coordinate pro bono legal services on a statewide basis for low-income people in this State.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
 
Courts - Supreme, Superior and District 0063
 
Initiative: Increases funding for civil legal services for persons unable to afford a lawyer by providing additional funds available for distribution by the Civil Legal Services Fund Commission pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 4, section 18-A, subsection 1.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$5,000,000	$5,000,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$5,000,000	$5,000,000	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces the bill, which is a concept draft. The amendment improves funding for civil legal services by providing an appropriation from the General Fund to be distributed through the existing procedures of the Civil Legal Services Fund Commission. The amendment clarifies the qualifications for providers to be eligible for funding.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)