Colorado § 13-5.7-206 - Distribution of equal justice fees - purpose.

§ 13-5.7-206. Distribution of equal justice fees - purpose.

(1) On July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter, the authority shall annually distribute all money deposited into the authority's account as required by section 13-5.7-205 (2), less the authority's direct and indirect expenses in administering the requirements of this part 2 and any other related work completed to advance the mission of the authority. The authority shall distribute sixty-seven percent of the remaining revenue to the Colorado recipient of a federal legal services corporation field grant and thirty-three percent to qualified civil legal aid providers.

(2) The board, by resolution, shall establish a funding formula to use to determine the distribution amount for each qualified civil legal aid provider. In developing the formula, the board shall consider the following factors:

(a) The number of attorney hours spent serving people in Colorado in poverty in the previous year;

(b) The number of full-time attorneys employed by the qualified civil legal aid provider;

(c) The number of individuals living in poverty who receive legal representation or legal advice from the qualified civil legal aid provider;

(d) Geographic reach of services; and

(e) Ability and experience serving populations with barriers to legal assistance, including people with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency.

(3) In establishing the funding formula pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the board shall consider the vital importance of the work of qualified civil legal aid providers that employ ten or fewer full-time attorneys to low-income Colorado communities.

(4) Money received from a grant must be used for the following purposes:

(a) To provide access to legal representation to indigent persons by providing annual grants to the Colorado recipient of a federal legal services corporation field grant and other qualified civil legal aid providers pursuant to this section;

(b) To increase the efficiency of Colorado courts for all court users by reducing slowdowns caused by self-representation; and

(c) To pay the direct and indirect costs of administering the requirements of this part 2, including payment for costs associated with staffing the authority and reimbursement of the actual and necessary expenses of board members as required by section 13-5.7-204.

Source: L. 2024: Entire part added, (HB 24-1286), ch. 339, p. 2295, § 2, effective June 3.