Colorado § 13-5.7-204 - Equal justice authority board - membership and meetings - rules.

§ 13-5.7-204. Equal justice authority board - membership and meetings - rules.

(1) The authority is governed by the equal justice authority board, which is made up of seven members who are residents of this state and have a demonstrated commitment to providing civil legal aid through current or prior employment with a qualified civil legal aid provider, or through substantial volunteer service with a similar organization.

(2) Members of the board must be appointed as follows:

(a) One member appointed by the chief justice of the Colorado supreme court;

(b) One member appointed by the attorney general;

(c) One member appointed by the Colorado bar association;

(d) One member appointed by the Colorado lawyer trust account foundation; and

(e) Three members appointed by the Colorado access to justice commission, at least two of whom are employed by a qualified civil legal aid provider, and at least one of whom is employed by a qualified civil legal aid provider that employs ten or fewer full-time attorneys.

(3) The appointing authorities shall make reasonable efforts to appoint board members that reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of the state, including members from both rural and urban parts of the state, and members of diverse political, racial, ability, cultural group, and socioeconomic status.

(4) Members serve terms of three years; except that initial terms of the members appointed by the Colorado access to justice commission are two-year terms in order to stagger the terms so that no more than four members' terms expire in the same year. The appointing authorities shall designate the initial terms and fill any vacancies on the board.

(5) Terms expire on December 31 of the final year of the term.

(6) Members may be reappointed to serve two additional terms.

(7) A member may be removed from the board by majority vote of the board for misfeasance, malfeasance, willful neglect of duty, or other cause after notice and a public hearing, unless notice and a public hearing are expressly waived in writing by the member being removed.

(8) The board shall meet at least four times per year.

(9) The board shall elect a chair and a vice-chair at its first meeting of each calendar year.

(10) Members serve without compensation but must be reimbursed for actual and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(11) The board shall adopt its own rules of procedure and keep a record of all proceedings.

(12) The board, by resolution, shall establish rules to ensure money received from a grant is used for purposes specified in section 13-5.7-206 and to establish a funding formula to use to determine the grant distribution amount for each qualified civil legal aid provider.

(13) (a) The authority may cooperate and enter into contracts with the commission or another agency or entity, for administrative or operational assistance, including for staffing.

(b) The authority shall pay the contracted entity in advance for all agreed upon costs incurred by the contracted entity in providing staffing for the authority to carry out its mission, including compensation for employees staffing the authority and any administration and indirect costs associated with staffing the authority.

(14) If the contracted entity expects to incur actual costs as a result of staffing the authority that exceed the amount provided by the authority pursuant to section 13-5.7-206, the authority shall pay the contracted entity for all costs incurred by the contracted entity in providing staffing to the authority, including, but limited to, compensation for employees staffing the authority and administrative costs in an amount agreed upon by the authority and contracted entity.

(15) The attorney general shall represent the authority in a cause of action.

Source: L. 2024: Entire part added, (HB 24-1286), ch. 339, p. 2293, § 2, effective June 3.