An Act To Provide Support For Legal Services for Low-income Mainers
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0715
Committee Amendment CA_A_H582 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 510, L.D. 715, Bill, "An 
Act To Provide Support for Legal Services for Low-income Mainers" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 4 MRS A §18-A, sub-§I, 1JB, as amended by PL 1997, c. 
173, §1, is further amended to read: 
B. 
Except as provided in paragraph C, money in the fund 
must be disbursed to legal 
6e~v~ee 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 T unless the recipient is responding to a 
request 
by 
a 
Legislator 
or 
a 
member 
of 
the Executive 
Department. 
Only 
the 
following 
legal 
6e~v~ee services 
providers may receive disbursement to provide free civil 
legal services: 
(1) 
Nonprofit 
organizations 
whose 
missions 
a~e--t9 
p~eviee include 
the 
prov~s~on of 
free civil 
legal 
services and who have at least one year of experience 
providing free civil legal services; 
(2) 
Legal 
aid 
clinics 
of 
accredited 
law 
schools 
operating exclusively in Maine; and 
Page l-LR1498(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
, 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
.. to H.P. 510, L.D. 715 
(3) 
Programs whose primary mission is to coordinate 
pro bono legal services for low-income people in this 
State. ' 
Further amend the bill in section 1 in paragraph A in the 
last line (page 1, line 7 in L.D.) by inserting at the end the 
following: 
. 'This paragraph does not apply to fees dedicated 
under section 17-A or section l8-B, subsection 8.' 
Further amend the bill by striking out all of section 3. 
Further amend the bill by relettering 
nonconsecutive 
Part 
letter 
or 
section 
consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
or renumbering any 
number 
to 
read 
This 
amendment 
expands 
the 
number 
of 
legal 
services 
providers that are eligible to receive funding from the Civil 
Legal Services 
Fund to include nonprofit organizations whose 
missions include the provision of free legal services, including 
the provision of civil legal services to needy people. 
The bill revises the language for the collection of funds 
for the Civil Legal Services Fund. 
It provides that 
7~o of the 
fees collected by the Judicial Branch will be deposited in the 
Civil Legal Services Fund. 
This amendment clarifies that fees 
collected by the Judicial Branch for publications under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 4, section 17-A and fees collected by the 
Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Service under section l8-A, 
subsection 8 are not subject to the 7~ distribution to the Civil 
Legal Services Fund. 
This 
$400,000 
bill. 
amendment 
in each of 
deletes the General 
Fund appropriation of 
fiscal years 2005-06 and 2006-07 from the 
FISCAL NOTE REQmRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT, 
Approved: 05/19/05 ;:t;?ac:.. 
Revenue 
LD715 
LR 1498(02) 
An Act To Provide Support For Legal Services for Low-income Mainers 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A" 
Committee: Judiciary 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2005-06 
2006-07 
Projections 
2007-08 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$298,994 
$551,988 
$565,788 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Projections 
2008-09 
$579,932 
Requiring 7% of any fee collected by the Judicial Department after July 1, 2005 to be deposited in the Maine Civil 
Legal Services Fund and take the place of the current funding formula for the fund will have no net effect on revenues 
for the biennium. It is estimated by the Judicial Department that both funding methods will bring in approximately 
$306,000 annually. Doubling the surcharge imposed on each civil fine, penalty or forfeiture from $5 to $10 will result 
in an increase in revenue to the Civil Legal Services Fund of $298,994 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $551,988 in fiscal 
year 2006-07. 
LR1498(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1