Funds for the provision of legal services to indigent persons: disabled veterans.

Existing law, the State Bar Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California, a public corporation. Existing law requires an attorney or law firm receiving or disbursing trust funds to establish and maintain an Interest On Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) account in which the attorney or law firm is required to deposit or invest all specified client deposits or funds. Existing law directs IOLTA account interest and dividends to be paid to the State Bar of California to be distributed for the provision of civil legal services to indigent persons in a prescribed order, including, after payment of administrative costs, 85% of remaining funds to qualified legal services projects. Existing law defines terms for these purposes, including the definition of "indigent person." Existing law requires, for the purpose of that definition, that the income of a person who is disabled be determined after deducting the costs of medical and other disability-related special expenses. Existing law also presumes that projects funded either in whole or part by the Legal Services Corporation or with certain federal funds, that otherwise meet the definition of "qualified legal services project," are qualified legal services projects for these purposes. Under existing law, certain other projects that otherwise meet that definition, but do not qualify under the presumption, may also qualify for funds if they meet prescribed additional criteria, including that they provide one or both of specified special services, including the provision of legal representation, training, or technical assistance on matters concerning special client groups, including the elderly, disabled persons, juveniles, and non-English-speaking groups, or on matters of specialized substantive law important to the special client groups. This bill would expand the definition of "indigent person" by increasing one measure of income eligibility from 125% to 200% of a specified poverty threshold. The bill would further require, for the purpose of that definition, that the income of a person who is disabled be determined after deducting disability compensation from the United States Veterans Administration paid to a veteran with a service-related disability. The bill would also include disabled veterans within special client groups for purposes of the certain other projects that may qualify for funds. The bill would also state the intent of the Legislature relating to the distribution of funds for the provision of legal services to indigent persons, as described.