Title
Title
Equal Access Fund | Distribution of Funds for CARE Act Legal Representation (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
The State Budget Act of 2023 appropriated $22,852,000 to the Judicial Council to allocate to the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission of the State Bar of California for the implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act. The commission will distribute a portion of these funds through the Equal Access Fund as grants to qualified legal services projects to provide legal counsel for representation in CARE Act proceedings, matters related to CARE agreements and CARE plans, or to county public defender offices in the event that no qualified legal services program is available to provide representation; to qualified support centers or other entities that have expertise in providing legal training and technical assistance to legal aid providers or public defenders related to the implementation of the CARE Act; and to the State Bar of California for administration of this program.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
Judicial Council staff recommends that the Judicial Council, effective September 19, 2023, approve the distribution of $22,852,000 to the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission of the State Bar of California for the implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act, as authorized by the Budget Act of 2023.
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