Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request
LSC requests an appropriation of $593,000,000 for FY 2020. This request reflects an increase of $28.2 million over last year’s request of $564.8 million.
Summary / Overview
LSC requests an appropriation of $593,000,000 for FY 2020. This request reflects an increase of $28.2 million over last year’s request of $564.8 million. The increase would be allocated entirely to the basic field grants that fund 132 local legal aid organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. Our request would enable LSC’s grantees to assist with 55% more civil legal problems than they currently serve.
In 2017, LSC released a report, The Justice Gap—Measuring the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans. The “justice gap” is the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs. The study showed that low-income Americans receive no or inadequate professional help for 86% of their civil legal problems. Our appropriation request would allow LSC grantees to make substantial progress in serving those persons who seek assistance but currently receive insufficient services or no service at all.