20-166.   Access to justice fund; expenditures;grant guidelines establishedby the supreme court.(a) There is hereby created in the state treasury theaccessto justice fund. Money credited to the fund pursuant to K.S.A. 20-362, andamendments thereto, shall be used solely for the purpose of making grants foroperating expenses to programs, including dispute resolution programs, whichprovide access to the Kansas civil justice system for persons who wouldotherwise be unable to gain access to civil justice. Such programs may providelegal assistance to pro se litigants, legal counsel for civil and domesticmatters or other legal or dispute resolution services provided the recipient ofthe assistance or counsel meets financial qualifications under guidelinesestablished by the program in accordance with grant guidelines promulgated bythe supreme court of Kansas.

      (b)   All expenditures from the access to justice fund shall be made inaccordance with appropriations acts upon warrants of the director of accountsand reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the chief justice of theKansas supreme court or by a person or persons designated by the chief justice.

      (c)   The chief justice may apply for, receive and accept money from anysource for the purposes for which money in the access to justice fund may beexpended. Upon receipt of each such remittance,the chief justice shall remit theentire amountto the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions ofK.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance,the state treasurer shalldeposit the entire amount inthe state treasury to the credit of the access tojustice fund.

      (d)   Grants made to programs pursuant to this section shall be based on thenumber of persons to be served and such other requirements as may beestablished by the Kansas supreme court in guidelines established andpromulgated to regulate grants made under authority of this section. Theguidelines may include requirements for grant applications, organizationalcharacteristics, reporting and auditing criteria and such other standards foreligibility and accountability as are deemed advisable by the supreme court.

      History:   L. 1996, ch. 234, § 1;L. 2001, ch. 5, § 69; July 1.