HI HCR30

Hawaii Access to Justice Commission requested to assemble a working group of government agencies and community entities to determine which agency or organization should administer funding for civil legal services to low- and moderate-income individuals.

Working group must develop a plan including a history of state funding for civil legal services, analysis of benefits and barriers of assigning administration to various agencies (Judiciary, Attorney General, Department of Human Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations-Office of Community Services, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Accounting and General Services, and Hawaii Justice Foundation), and recommendations on the best administrator.

Funding for civil legal services decreased from $2,017,093 in fiscal year 2008 to $1,213,135 in fiscal year 2015, despite an increase in court fees directed to the indigent legal assistance fund in 2011.

Required participants include the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, Judiciary, Attorney General, Department of Human Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations-Office of Community Services, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii Justice Foundation, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii.

Working group must submit its plan to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the 2016 Regular Session and dissolves on June 30, 2017.