Amendment ID: S2564-257

EHS 257

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation

Messrs. DiDomenico and Eldridge, Ms. DiZoglio, Ms. Jehlen, Ms. Chang-Diaz, Ms. Creem, Mr. Moore, Ms. Rausch, Mr. Collins, Ms. Moran, Ms. Comerford, Ms. Gobi, Messrs. O'Connor, Keenan, Gomez, Crighton, Feeney, Hinds, Cyr and Pacheco, Ms. Chandler, Messrs. Timilty, Brady and Montigny and Ms. Lovely move that the proposed new text be amended in section 2A, after the line item 1599-2051, by adding the following new item:-

"XXXX-XXXX For the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation for the operation of the following programs; provided that not more than $12,400,000 shall be allocated to fund the housing and eviction representation provided by employees of legal services organizations funded by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and previously funded with federal COVID relief resources to promote housing stability and homelessness prevention to those at risk of eviction, provided that the corporation shall administer the program for the legal representation of indigent or otherwise disadvantaged residents of the commonwealth with incomes at 80 percent of the current area median income established annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, including tenants and qualified owner occupant landlords to also improve equity in legal representation; provided further that not more than $2,300,000 shall be allocated to fund a Medical Legal Partnership Program to address health harming legal needs and promote health equity and access to legal assistance to improve overall health outcomes for low income residents; provided further that not more than $1,900,000 shall be allocated to fund a High-Quality Education for All Students Program to address barriers to fair, equitable and high quality education for low income students; and provided further that not more than $1,600,000 shall be allocated to fund a Legal Services Family Preservation Program to provide legal assistance and related supportive services to families at the early stages of involvement with the department of children and families with the goal of keeping families intact; provided further that the corporation shall be responsible for exercising oversight, implementing fiscal controls, and for data collection, deliverables, and ongoing programmatic evaluation of each of these the programs; provided further that the corporation shall submit a report on these expenditures to the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees on annual basis ……..................…$18,200,000"