01-7824. Eligibility: Income Level for Individuals Eligible for Assistance

AGENCY:

Legal Services Corporation.

ACTION:

Final rule; correction.

SUMMARY:

The Legal Services Corporation (“Corporation”) is required by law to establish maximum income levels for individuals eligible for legal assistance. The 2001 updates to the specified income levels reflecting the annual amendments to the Federal Poverty Guidelines as issued by the Department of Health and Human Services were published on March 22, 2001. It has come to our attention that there is an error in the Income Guidelines Table as published. The very first figure in the table, the Income Guideline for a family of 1, within the 48 contiguous states should be $10,738 and not $11,188. A corrected table is set forth below.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This rule is effective as of March 22, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mattie C. Condray, Senior Assistant General Counsel, Legal Services Corporation, 750 First Street N.E., Washington, DC 20002-4250; [phone]; [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 1007(a)(2) of the Legal Services Corporation Act (“Act”), 42 U.S.C. 2996f(a)(2), requires the Corporation to establish maximum income levels for individuals eligible for legal assistance, and the Act provides that other specified factors shall be taken into account along with income.

Section 1611.3(b) of the Corporation's regulations establishes a maximum income level equivalent to one hundred and twenty-five percent (125%) of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Since 1982, the Department of Health and Human Services has been responsible for updating and issuing the Poverty Guidelines. The revised figures for 2001 set out below are equivalent to 125% of the current Poverty Guidelines as published on February 16, 2001 (66 FR 10695).

For reasons set forth above, 45 CFR 1611 is amended as follows:

PART 1611—ELIGIBILITY

1. The authority citation for Part 1611 continues to read as follows:

Authority: Secs. 1006(b)(1), 1007(a)(1) Legal Services Corporation Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 2996e(b)(1), 2996f(a)(1), 2996f(a)(2).

2. Appendix A of Part 1611 is revised to read as follows:

Appendix A of Part 1611—Legal Services Corporation 2001 Poverty Guidelines ¹

Size of family unit	48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia 2	Alaska 3	Hawaii 4
1	$10,738	$13,413	$12,363
2	14,513	18,138	16,700
3	18,288	22,863	21,038
4	22,063	27,588	25,375
5	25,838	32,313	29,713
6	29,613	37,038	34,050
7	33,388	41,763	38,388
8	37,163	46,488	42,725
1 The figures in this table represent 125% of the poverty guidelines by family size as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.
2 For family units with more than eight members, add $3,775 for each additional member in a family.
3 For family units with more than eight members, add $4,725 for each additional member in a family.
4 For family units with more than eight members, add $4,338 for each additional member in a family.

Victor M. Fortuno,

Vice President for Legal Affairs, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary.