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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS,
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 554 ?

Introduced by REP. Michael L. Romero and Enrico A. Pineda

EXPLANATORY NOTE

{tis imperative that the State shall uplift the standards of legal education in order
to prepare law students for advocacy, counseling, problem-solving, and
decision-making, to infuse in them the ethics of the legal profession; to impress
on them the importance, nobility and dignity of the legal profession as an equal
and indispensable partner of the Bench in the administration of justice and to
develop social competence.

This House Bill seeks to undertake appropriate reforms in the legal education
system, require proper selection of law students, maintain quality among law
Schools, and require legal apprenticeship and continuing legal education.

Thus, the early passgge of this bill is earnestly requested.

MICHAEL L. ROMERO Ph.D x .. PINEDA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO._ 59547

Introduced by REP. Michael L. Romero and Enrico A. Pineda

AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO.7662 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE “LEGAL EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1993”, TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL FUNDING, TO PROMOTE FACULTY
DEVELOPMENT GRANTS, LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER
SIMILAR PROGRAMS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LAW TEACHING
AND EDUCATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the
Philippines in congress assembled:

SECTION 1. TITLE- This Act shall be known as the “Legal Education
Reform Act of 2017"

SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY -

Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7662, is hereby amended to read as follows:


Section 11. Legal Education Fund - There is hereby created a special
endowment fund, to be known as the Legal Education Fund, which
shall be under the control of the Board, and administered as a
separate fund by the Social Security System (SSS) which shall invest
the same with due and prudent regard to its solvency, safety and
liquidity.

The Legal Education Fund shall be established out of, and
Maintained from, the amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph
2, Section 13 hereof (RA7662), and from Seventy five percent (75%)
of the privilege tax paid by every lawyer effective Fiscal Year 2018:
and from such donations, legacies, grantin-aid and other forms of
Contributions received by the Legal Education Board (LEB) for the
purposes of this Act.

Being a special endowment fund, only the interests earned on the
Legal Education Fund shall be used exclusively for the purposes of
this Act, including support for faculty development grants,
Professorial chairs, library improvements and similar programs for the
advancement of law teaching and education in accredited law

schools.
The Fund shall also be used for the operation of the LEB.

For this purpose, an amount not exceeding fifteen percent (15%) of
the interest on the Fund shall be utilized.

The LEB, in consultation with the Social Security System (SSS), shall
issue the necessary rules and regulations for the collection,
administration and utilization of the Fund.


SECTION 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY -
Section 12 of Republic Act No. 7662, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 12. Coverage - The provisions of this Act shall apply to all
schools and colleges of law which are presently under the
supervision of the existing Legal Education Board (LEB).

Hereafter, said supervision shall be transferred to the Board. Law
schools and colleges which shall be established following the
approval of this Act shall likewise be covered.

SECTION 4. DECLARATION OF POLICY -
Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7662, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 13. Appropriation - The amount of Twenty Million Pesos
(P20,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be charged against the
current year's appropriation of the Contingent Fund for the initial
expenses of the LEB.

To form part of the Legal Education Fund, The state shall hereby
appropriate annually, the amount of Twenty Million Pesos
(P20,000,000.00) for a period of Twenty (20) years effective Fiscal
Year 2018.

Thereafter, such sum as may be needed for the continued
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act (GAA).


SECTION 5. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS. - The
departments and agencies charged with carrying out the provisions of
this Act shall, within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act, formulate

the necessary rules and regulations for its effective implementation.

SECTION 6. REPEALING CLAUSE. ~ All laws, decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. - If, for any reason, any section or
provision of this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or

provisions hereof shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION 8. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE. - This Act shall take effect after
fifteen (15) days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least
two (2) national newspapers of general circulation whichever comes

earlier.

Approved,