H-3019

AN ACT Relating to civil legal services; amending RCW 43.08.260; adding a new section to chapter 43.08 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. It is the intent of the legislature to promote the provision of civil legal services to indigent persons, subject to available funds. To the extent that funds are appropriated for civil legal services for the indigent, the legislature intends that civil legal services be offered within an oversight framework that ensures accountability.

Sec. 2. RCW 43.08.260 and 1995 c 399 s 62 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) The legislature recognizes the ethical obligation of attorneys to represent clients without interference by third parties in the discharge of professional obligations to clients. However, to ensure the most beneficial use of state resources, the legislature finds that it is within the authority of the legislature to specify the categories of legal cases in which qualified legal aid programs may provide civil representation with state moneys. Accordingly, moneys appropriated for civil legal representation pursuant to this section shall not be used for legal representation that is either outside the scope of this section or prohibited by this section.

(b) Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of existing entities, including but not limited to the Washington state bar association, the public disclosure commission, the state auditor, and the federal legal services corporation to resolve issues within their respective jurisdictions.

(2) Any money appropriated by the legislature from the public safety and education account pursuant to RCW 43.08.250 or from any other state fund or account for civil representation of indigent persons shall be used solely for the purpose of contracting with qualified legal aid programs for legal representation of indigent persons in matters relating to: (a) Domestic relations and family law matters, (b) public assistance((,)) and health care, ((~~and entitlement programs,~~)) (c) public housing and utilities, ((~~and~~)) (d) ((~~unemployment compensation~~)) social security, (e) mortgage foreclosures, (f) home protection bankruptcies, (g) consumer fraud and unfair sales practices, (h) rights of residents of long-term care facilities, (i) wills, estates, and living wills, (j) elder abuse, and (k) guardianship.

(3) For purposes of this section, a "qualified legal aid program" means a not-for-profit corporation incorporated and operating exclusively in Washington which has received basic field funding for the provision of civil legal services to indigents ((~~under Public Law 101-515~~)) from the federal legal services corporation or that has received funding for civil legal services for indigents under this section before July 1, 1997.

(((2) Funds distributed to qualified legal aid programs under this section shall be distributed on a basis proportionate to the number of individuals with incomes below the official federal poverty income guidelines who reside within the counties in the geographic service areas of such programs. The department of community, trade, and economic development shall use the same formula for determining this distribution as is used by the legal services corporation in allocating funds for basic field services in the state of Washington.

~~(3)(a)~~)) (4) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall establish a distribution formula based on the distribution by county of individuals with incomes below the official federal poverty level guidelines. When entering into a contract with a qualified legal services provider under this section, the department shall require the provider to provide legal services in a manner that maximizes geographic access in accordance with the formula established in this subsection (4).

(5) Funds distributed to qualified legal aid programs under this section may not be used directly or indirectly for ((lobbying or in class action suits. Further, these funds are subject to all limitations and conditions imposed on use of funds made available to legal aid programs under the legal services corporation act of 1974 (P.L. 93-355; P.L. 95-222) as currently in effect or hereafter amended.)):

((~~(b)(i)~~)) (a) Lobbying. (i) For purposes of this section, "lobbying" means any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone communication, letter, printed or written matter, or other device directly or indirectly intended to influence any member of congress or any other federal, state, or local nonjudicial official, whether elected or appointed:

(A) In connection with any act, bill, resolution, or similar legislation by the congress of the United States or by any state or local legislative body, or any administrative rule, rule-making activity, standard, rate, or other enactment by any federal, state, or local administrative agency;

(B) In connection with any referendum, initiative, constitutional amendment, or any similar procedure of the congress, any state legislature, any local council, or any similar governing body acting in a legislative capacity; or

(C) In connection with inclusion of any provision in a legislative measure appropriating funds to, or defining or limiting the functions or authority of, the recipient of funds ((~~pursuant to chapter 54, Laws of 1992~~)) under this section.

(ii) "Lobbying" does not include the response of an employee of a legal aid program to a written request from a governmental agency, an elected or appointed official, or committee on a specific matter. This exception does not authorize communication with anyone other than the requesting party, or agent or employee of such agency, official, or committee.

(b) Grass roots lobbying. For purposes of this section, "grass roots lobbying" means preparation, production, or dissemination of information the purpose of which is to encourage the public at large, or any definable segment thereof, to contact legislators or their staff in support of or in opposition to pending or proposed legislation; or contribute to or participate in a demonstration, march, rally, lobbying campaign, or letter writing or telephone campaign for the purpose of influencing the course of pending or proposed legislation.

(d) Participating in or identifying the program with prohibited political activities. For purposes of this section, "prohibited political activities" means (i) any activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, a candidate for partisan or nonpartisan office, a partisan political group, or a ballot measure; (ii) advertising or contributing or soliciting financial support for or against any candidate, political group, or ballot measure; or (iii) voter registration or transportation activities.

(e) Representation in fee-generating cases, except as permitted by subsection (6) of this section. For purposes of this section, "fee-generating" means a case that might reasonably be expected to result in a fee for legal services if undertaken by a private attorney. However, a fee-generating case may be accepted when the case has been rejected by the local lawyer referral service or two private attorneys.

(f) Organizing any association, union, or federation, or representing a labor union. However, nothing in this subsection (5)(f) prohibits the provision of legal services to clients as otherwise permitted by this section.

(g) Representation of undocumented aliens.

(h) Picketing, demonstrations, strikes, or boycotts.

(i) Engaging in inappropriate solicitation. For purposes of this section, "inappropriate solicitation" means promoting the assertion of specific legal claims among persons who know of their rights to make a claim and who decline to do so. Nothing in this subsection precludes a legal services program or its employees from providing information regarding legal rights and responsibilities or providing information regarding the program's services and intake procedures through community legal education activities, responding to an individual's specific question about whether the individual should consult with an attorney or take legal action, or responding to an individual's specific request for information about the individual's legal rights or request for assistance in connection with a specific legal problem.

(j) Conducting training programs that (i) advocate particular public policies; (ii) encourage or facilitate political activities, labor or antilabor activities, boycotts, picketing, strikes, or demonstrations; or (iii) attempt to influence legislation or rule making. Nothing in this subsection (5)(j) precludes representation of clients as otherwise permitted by this section.

(6) The department may establish requirements for client participation in the provision of civil legal services under this section, including but not limited to copayments and sliding fee scales.

(7)(a) Contracts entered into by the department with qualified legal services programs under this section must specify that the program's expenditures of moneys distributed under this section:

(i) Must be audited annually by an independent outside auditor. These audit results must be provided to the department; and

(ii) Are subject to audit by the state auditor.

(b)(i) Any entity auditing a legal services program under this section shall have access to all records of the legal services program to the full extent necessary to determine compliance with this section, with the exception of confidential information protected by the United States Constitution, the state Constitution, the attorney-client privilege, and applicable rules of attorney conduct.

(ii) The legal services program shall have a system allowing for production of case-specific information, including client eligibility and case type, to demonstrate compliance with this section, with the exception of confidential information protected by the United States Constitution, the state Constitution, the attorney-client privilege, and applicable rules of attorney conduct. Such information shall be available to any entity that audits the program.

(8) The department must recover or withhold amounts determined by an audit to have been used in violation of this section.

(9) The department may adopt rules to implement this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.08 RCW to read as follows:

The joint legislative civil legal services oversight committee is established.

(1) The committee's members are one member from each of the minority and majority caucuses of the house of representatives, who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and one member from each of the minority and majority caucuses of the senate, who are appointed by the president of the senate.

(2)(a) The committee shall oversee the provision of civil legal services funded through RCW 43.08.260 and shall act as a forum for discussion of issues related to state-funded civil legal services.

(b) By December 1, 1997, and by December 1st of each year thereafter, the committee must report to the appropriate standing policy and fiscal committees of the legislature on the provision of legal services under RCW 43.08.260.

(3) The committee chairman is selected by the members and shall serve a one-year term. The chairman position rotates between the house and senate members and the political parties.

(4) The committee shall meet at least four times during each fiscal year. The committee shall accept public testimony at a minimum of two of these meetings.