§ 25-3004.Service provider; receipt of funds; eligibility; powers and duties; audit.

Once the commission certifies a service provider under section 25-3003, section 25-3004 spells out what that provider can do with grant money. Each certified provider is eligible to receive funds from the Legal Aid and Services Fund for its certified service area, in an amount the commission determines. Grants go to providers that give eligible low-income persons direct legal representation, not merely referrals or general advice. A provider may use the money it receives to provide legal services in civil matters to any eligible low-income person within that area.

Because public money is at stake, the section also requires accountability. Any provider that has received fund money must be audited annually. Where a provider received funds under the direct-representation standard, the audit must confirm that representation happened — through an entry of appearance in a court action, an executed retainer agreement, or similar proof that a lawyer represented the client.