Pennsylvania Study Finds Gaps in Legal Aid Funding Oversight System
Legislative review reveals Pennsylvania’s $14 million legal aid funding system lacks proper oversight, with county offices using outdated processes to collect court filing fees.
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA — A legislative review has identified significant oversight gaps in Pennsylvania’s Access to Justice account, which generates more than $14 million annually through court filing fees to fund civil legal aid for low-income residents.
The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report, presented Wednesday, examined the 24-year-old funding system that charges a $6 surcharge on certain court filings and a $4 fee on traffic offenses. The study was mandated by House Bill 331, which Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law in February.
Committee staff discovered that county row offices — including clerks of courts and registers of wills — serve as the largest revenue source for the Access to Justice account but rely on outdated mailing procedures to submit payments. The system lacks comprehensive oversight to track payment patterns over time.
Oversight Concerns Emerge
“While individual transactions are scrutinized, no one entity is assigned to take a broader view, comparing month-to-month or year-to-year remittances to identify variances,” the report stated. Staff described the current monitoring system as insufficient for detecting irregularities in the revenue stream.
“In the same way that you and I look at our checking account every month and make sure that everything went in and out as we expected,” said Stevi Sprenkle, addressing the need for improved financial oversight of the system.
The collected fees flow through intermediary agencies before reaching the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, creating what officials previously described as a “stable, predictable funding stream” for legal services.
System Improvements Needed
The legislative committee found that county row offices continue using what researchers termed an “antiquated” mailing process to remit Access to Justice payments. This outdated system contributes to the lack of consistent monitoring and verification of revenue collection.
The report analyzed current fee structures, identified instances where required surcharges were not properly assessed, and examined potential alternative funding sources for legal aid programs. The review revealed an incomplete picture of total revenues collected by county offices across Pennsylvania.
The Access to Justice account was established two decades ago to provide consistent funding for civil legal assistance programs serving low-income Pennsylvanians. The system has operated with minimal structural changes since its inception, despite technological advances that could improve tracking and accountability.
Legislative committee staff emphasized the need for stronger oversight mechanisms to ensure all required fees are properly collected and remitted to support legal aid services throughout the commonwealth.
