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Carl Rauscher         
Director of Communications and Media Relations         
rauscherc@lsc.gov         
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WASHINGTON– Today, Congress passed an FY 2024 funding deal for six appropriations bills, including the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) spending bill which funds the ���˶��� (LSC). This package provides for level funding for LSC at $560 million annually through September 30, 2024. The House and Senate both passed the appropriation with broad bipartisan support, and President Biden has indicated that he will sign it into law. 

For FY 2023, Congress increased LSC’s budget by $71 million over the prior year’s funding, supplying $560 million for civil legal aid.  

“We are very grateful to Congress for maintaining the substantial funding increase LSC received for FY 2023. That said, significant work remains to be done,” said LSC President Ron Flagg. “LSC’s appropriation is not nearly enough to meet the legal needs of low-income Americans, with half of the eligible applicants turned away due to lack of funding.”  

Individuals who have a household income at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines are eligible for LSC-funded legal assistance. In 2024, this corresponds to an annual income below $39,000 for a family of four or $18,825 for an individual. Nearly 50 million Americans qualify for LSC-funded legal services.   

The appropriations bill also includes a change to an administrative provision for LSC grantee boards. Previously, 60% of the members of grantee’s boards had to be bar-appointed attorneys. The change lowers this threshold to 33%—a provision that will allow legal aid organizations to diversify the skill sets of their leadership, such as fiscal expertise and fundraising.   

The funding package passed by Congress did not include emergency supplemental disaster funds for 2023. LSC requested $21 million in relief funds, which the White House included in its $23.5 billion disaster supplemental request to Congress. These funds would support LSC grantees’ crucial efforts to mitigate the ongoing impact of disasters on low-income individuals and families in their communities.