MA H1768

Amends the legal definition of "indigent" to include recipients of public assistance programs (TANF, SNAP, refugee cash assistance, veterans' benefits, SSI), persons with income at or below 125% of federal poverty guidelines, or persons unable to pay court fees without depriving themselves or dependents of necessities

Eliminates mandatory bi-annual reassessments of indigency status for defendants receiving appointed counsel for first offenses

Requires courts to order reassessment of a person's indigency status only when the court receives information casting doubt on their eligibility, with probation officers filing written certification reports

Removes subsections (f), (g), and (h) from Chapter 211D Section 2A, streamlining indigency verification procedures

Requires the Office of the Commissioner of Probation to submit quarterly reports to legislative committees detailing indigency determinations, misrepresentation findings, and disqualifications, broken down by court division and month