LSC Board Initiates Rulemakings On Three Regulations

November 4, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

At its October 29th meeting in Boise, Idaho, the LSC Board of Directors agreed to initiate rulemaking proceedings on three LSC regulations. LSC will issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to repeal 45 CFR Part 1631, a regulation which requires that pre-FY 1982 funds be spent in accordance with the restrictions contained in the FY 1986 Appropriations Act governing LSC. Inasmuch as the FY 1986 restrictions are no longer in effect and LSC believes there are no pre-1982 funds in the system, LSC will recommend that the rule is obsolete and be repealed.

LSC plans to review the rules on client grievance procedures (45 CFR Part 1621) and prohibiting discrimination on the basis of handicap or disability (45 CFR Part 1624). The two regulations were written in 1977 and 1979, respectively, and may require updating. LSC will begin by convening a Rulemaking Workshop for each regulation, the purpose of which will be to have open discussions to elicit information about problems and concerns with each rule and provide an opportunity to share ideas on how to address those issues. LSC will invite grantees and other interested parties to participate in the workshops, and the meetings will be open to public observation. After each workshop, LSC management will report to the Board on the issues discussed and seek guidance on how to proceed with respect to a rulemaking. Additional information on the workshops will be sent to grantees and be published in the Federal Register next week.

For more information, visit the Rulemaking Notices section of LSC's Electronic Reading Room: http://www.lsc.gov/foia2/foia_eprr.php

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974. For 50 years, LSC has provided financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 131 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.