Senator Wiener and Assembly Member Gabriel's amendments to the Budget Act of 2024 allocate $25 million for legal services and immigration assistance programs across California. The legislation directs $10 million to the Judicial Council for distribution through the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission to qualified legal services projects serving indigent persons facing detention, deportation, eviction, wage theft, or intimate partner violence.
An additional $10 million is designated for the Department of Social Services to provide immigration-related services, including removal defense, through grants or contracts with qualified organizations. The bill also provides $5 million to the California Access to Justice Commission for one-time expansion grants to nonprofit legal service providers. Organizations receiving funds must meet qualification requirements under the Business and Professions Code, with minimum grant awards set at $25,000.
The Department of Finance maintains oversight authority for fund transfers related to immigration services, while both the Judicial Council and Department of Social Services must report grant distributions to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The appropriations remain available for encumbrance through June 2026 and expenditure until June 2028, with administrative costs capped at 2.5 percent for specified allocations.
