HB 24-1286

House Bill 24-1286, titled "Equal Justice Fund Authority," creates a new fund that collects fees from certain court filings and distributes the money to local organizations that help low-income individuals with legal issues. This means that when people file specific documents in court, they will pay a fee that goes into this fund. The fund will start giving out money to these organizations starting July 1, 2025. Additionally, the fund must report annually on how the collected fees are used. The bill has been signed by the governor and is now law, effective as of June 3, 2024.

Official Summary

The act creates the equal justice authority as a special purpose authority to distribute an equal justice fee for the purpose of providing monetary support to local organizations that provide legal representation and legal advice to low-income individuals. The equal justice authority is governed by the equal justice authority board, which is created in the act. The act requires certain court filings to incur the equal justice filing fee, which must be collected by the court and transmitted to the equal justice authority. The equal justice authority must deposit the money collected from the filing fee into an account maintained by a financial institution and distribute the money, beginning July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter, to local organizations that provide legal representation and legal advice to low-income individuals. On or before January 1, 2026, and each January 1 thereafter, the equal justice authority must prepare and submit a report to the house of representatives judiciary committee and the senate judiciary committee that details the use of the equal justice fees. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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