Urge House Judiciary Committee to Support HB972: Surcharge Sunset Repeal

URGE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT HB972:

CONTINUED FUNDING FOR LEGAL SERVICES

Bill Will Help Maryland’s Most Vulnerable Victims

Continue to Receive Legal Services

Join the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) and the Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC) in urging members of the House Judiciary Committee to support HB972.  This bill would lift the sunset provisions on an increase in filing fees that support civil legal services for economically disadvantaged people in Maryland.  MLSC is Maryland's primary funder of civil legal services and relies heavily on the surcharge fees. MLSC provides significant funding for MCASA's Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI).  With this support, SALI serves low-income victims of sexual violence across Maryland.  MLSC funding is especially critical in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases.  Almost 40% of SALI's cases involve sexual assaults against children. MLSC also supports services for victims at numerous rape crisis centers around the state including:

• CASA of Washington County;
• Heartly House (Frederick County);
• HopeWorks of Howard County;
• Life Crisis Center (Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties); and
• Sexual Assault/ Spouse Abuse Resource Center (SARC) (Harford County).

Legal services—like those provided by SALI and other rape crisis centers—are are a vital part of Maryland's safety net for children, women, and men victimized by sexual violence. The increase in filing fee surcharges was enacted in 2010 to combat a significant loss of income from Interest on Lawyer's Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Revenue, which dropped by more than 70% due to the recession.  The IOLTA Revenue has not recovered from the losses at the end of the last decade, and the surcharges on filing fees are necessary to prevent a $6 million loss of revenue to MLSC, which would drastically impact Maryland's most vulnerable populations who need legal services. The contact information for the members of the House Judiciary Committee is provided below for your convenience.  Please call and/or email the committee members to urge them to support HB972 and, in doing so, support victims of sexual violence in Maryland. To learn more about MCASA's 2017 legislative agenda and how you can help, visit http://www.mcasa.org/law-public-policy/legislative-agenda/. Thank you for your activism and support for sexual assault survivors. Our continued efforts to speak up and speak out make a difference. Lisae Lisae C. Jordan Executive Director and Counsel   MARYLAND HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE PHONE AND EMAILS: Leadership Joseph F. Vallario, Jr. (D-23B) – Chair Phone: (410) 841-3488 Email: [email protected].us Kathleen M. Dumais, Vice Chair (D-15) Phone: (410) 841-3052 | (301) 858-3052 E-mail: [email protected].us Anne Arundel County Michael E. Malone (R-33) Phone: (410) 841-3510 | (301) 858-3510 E-mail: [email protected].us Baltimore City Frank M. Conaway, Jr. (D-40) (410) 841-3189 | (301) 858-3189 E-mail: [email protected]s Curtis Stovall (Curt) Anderson (D-43) Phone: (410) 841-3291 | (301) 858-3291 E-mail: [email protected]s Baltimore County Charles E. Sydnor III (D-44B) Phone: (410) 841-3802 | (301) 858-3802 E-mail: [email protected].us Joseph C. (Joe) Cluster, (R-8) Phone: (410) 841-3526 | (301) 858-3526 E-mail: [email protected] Dan K. Morhaim, M.D. (D-11) Phone: (410) 841-3054 | (301) 858-3054 E-mail: [email protected] Charles & Prince George's Counties Elizabeth G. (Susie) Proctor (D-27A) Phone: (410) 841-3083 | (301) 858-3083 E-mail: [email protected]s Carroll & Howard Counties Trent M. Kittleman (R-9A) Phone: (410) 841-3556 | (301) 858-3556 E-mail: [email protected].us Harford County Glen Glass (R-34A) Phone: (410) 841-3280 | (301) 858-3280 E-mail: [email protected] Susan K. McComas (R-34B) Phone: (410) 841-3272 | (301) 858-3272 E-mail: [email protected]s Howard County Vanessa E. Atterbeary (D-13) Phone: (410) 841-3471 | (301) 858-3471 E-mail: [email protected].md.us Montgomery County David Moon (D-20) Phone: (410) 841-3474 | (301) 858-3474 E-mail: [email protected] Pamela E. Queen (D-14) Phone:(410) 841-3380 | (301) 858-3380 E-mail: [email protected] Prince George's County Jazz Lewis (D-24) Phone: (410) 841-3691 | (301) 858-3691 Email: [email protected] Carlo Sanchez (D-47B) Phone: (410) 841-3340 | (301) 858-3340 E-mail: [email protected]s St. Mary's County Deborah C. Rey (R-29B) Phone: (410) 841-3227 | (301) 858-3227 E-mail: [email protected] Washington County Neil C. Parrott (R-2A) Phone: (410) 841-3636 | (301) 858-3636 E-mail: [email protected] Brett R. Wilson (R-2B) Phone: (410) 841-3125 | (301) 858-3125 E-mail: [email protected]