LSC gets $15M in supplemental disaster bill

Listen to this article

The Legal Services Corp. will receive $15 million to fund legal aid in the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019 passed Monday by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill provides $19.1 billion in supplemental disaster funds for response efforts to damage caused by hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters that occurred from 2017-2019. The Senate passed the legislation last month by a vote of 85-5. President Trump is expected to sign the bill.

Unlike previous supplemental packages, this funding is not limited to providing mobile resources and technology and to increasing pro bono outreach efforts.

“We are very grateful to Congress for recognizing the important role civil legal aid plays in getting disaster survivors back on their feet,” said LSC President James J. Sandman in a news release. “The $15 million Congress appropriated to LSC for disaster legal assistance will allow people to access insurance benefits, fight wrongful evictions and fend off consumer scams.”