HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1055

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by House Committee On:

Judiciary

Appropriations

Title: An act relating to pro bono legal services for military service members, veterans, and their families.

Brief Description: Concerning pro bono legal services for military service members, veterans, and their families.

Sponsors: Representatives Kilduff, Muri, Haler, Shea, Appleton, Klippert, Lovick, Stokesbary, Stanford, Jinkins, Reeves, MacEwen, Koster, Hayes, Barkis, Kloba, Frame, Ormsby, Bergquist, Goodman, Gregerson, Young, Kirby, Fey, Slatter, Sawyer and Tarleton; by request of Attorney General.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Judiciary: 1/11/17, 1/19/17 [DP];

Appropriations: 2/15/17, 2/21/17 [DPS].

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

  • Creates an Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance within the Office of the Attorney General to promote and facilitate civil legal assistance programs, pro bono services, and self-help services for military service members, veterans, and their families.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Jinkins, Chair; Kilduff, Vice Chair; Rodne, Ranking Minority Member; Muri, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Frame, Goodman, Graves, Haler, Hansen, Kirby, Klippert, Orwall and Shea.

Staff: Audrey Frey (786-7289).

Background:

"Civil legal aid" refers to free or low-cost legal services designed to help low-income individuals, families, and communities solve civil legal problems that they experience.

Civil legal aid programs in Washington include:

Civil legal aid services available specifically for low-income veterans, military personnel, and their families in Washington include:

National and regional organizations providing civil legal aid services to veterans, military personnel, and their families include:

Other protections and resources available to veterans, military personnel, and their families include:

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Summary of Bill:

The Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance (the Office) is created within the Office of the Attorney General. The purpose of the Office is to promote and facilitate civil legal assistance programs, pro bono services, and self-help services for military service members, veterans, and their family members domiciled or stationed in Washington.

Definitions.

The Attorney General may not provide legal assistance, pro bono services, or self-help services to a service member, veteran, or family member with regard to a criminal prosecution.

Duties of the Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance.

The Office shall:

Advisory Committee.

The Office shall establish an advisory committee to provide advice and assistance to the Attorney General regarding program design, operation, volunteer recruitment and support strategies, service delivery objectives and priorities, and funding. The committee shall include, among others:

The Attorney General may apply for and receive grants, gifts, donations, bequests, or other contributions to help support, and to be used exclusively for, the operations of the Office.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: This bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Washington looks to its veterans to protect the state. Washington has over 600,000 service members, veterans, and their families. This bill will fill the gaps in civil legal aid available to veterans, assist veterans, and streamline things for veterans who are newly arrived in the state. Last year it had unanimous support in the House.

The Nevada model inspired this bill. Nevada served over 100,000 veterans last year.

Washington is the sixth largest military state. Military service members face unique problems. The service offered to veterans through the Judge Advocate General does not provide all the civil legal service that veterans need. This bill will fill some of those gaps by placing this within the Attorney General's office.

This bill is a wonderful starting point for addressing the need veterans have. It's a good place to consolidate resources and point people in the right direction. There's a perception among veterans that civilians just don't get it. It helps when the person providing services is a veteran or has lots of experience working in the veteran's community.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Kilduff, prime sponsor; Representative Muri; Mark San Souci, Department of Defense; Travis Alley, Office of the Attorney General; and John Varga and Ari Hargrave, Washington State Veterans Bar Association.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 33 members: Representatives Ormsby, Chair; Robinson, Vice Chair; Chandler, Ranking Minority Member; MacEwen, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Stokesbary, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bergquist, Buys, Caldier, Cody, Condotta, Fitzgibbon, Haler, Hansen, Harris, Hudgins, Jinkins, Kagi, Lytton, Manweller, Nealey, Pettigrew, Pollet, Sawyer, Schmick, Senn, Springer, Stanford, Sullivan, Taylor, Tharinger, Vick, Volz and Wilcox.

Staff: Meghan Morris (786-7119).

Summary of Recommendation of Committee On Appropriations Compared to Recommendation of Committee On Judiciary:

A null and void clause was added, making the bill null and void if funding for the bill is not provided in the operating budget.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed. However, the bill is null and void unless funded in the budget.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) The bill helps promote and facilitate legal access for pro bono legal services for current and former military service members. Last year a similar bill passed with unanimous support in the House of Representatives. Current and former service members can have unique legal challenges that are complicated by or are a result of their service. To address these issues, the Office of the Attorney General will create the Office of Military and Veterans Assistance (Office). There will be an advisory committee to ensure efficiencies and collaboration with existing efforts. The Office will require modest annual outlay and one full-time coordinator. The fiscal estimates are based on a similar program successfully launched in Nevada that emphasizes public-private partnerships. If only 1 percent of the licensed attorneys in Washington perform just eight hours of pro bono service each year, Washington service members will have the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal service aid.

Nevada has been the model for a year and a half. In that time, Nevada collected 150 volunteer attorneys to help military veterans and their families in 900 different cases. The investment is worth it for Washington, which is the sixth largest military state.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Travis Alley, Office of the Attorney General; and Mark San Souci, United States Department of Defense.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.