Bill > H1344

This bill proposes changes to the rules governing billable hours for private attorneys who represent indigent clients, meaning those who cannot afford legal representation. Specifically, it modifies the annual cap on billable hours set by the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), which is the state agency responsible for overseeing public defense. Currently, private attorneys are generally limited to billing 1,650 hours per year. This bill would allow for a waiver of this limit, increasing the cap to 1,800 billable hours, if the chief counsel of the CPCS determines it's necessary due to reasons such as a shortage of qualified attorneys in a specific area or for a particular type of case, if using a specific provider is more cost-effective due to specialized expertise, or if shifting work to other providers would decrease quality and increase costs. The bill also addresses a separate limitation that prohibits attorneys from taking new cases after billing 1,350 hours in a fiscal year, except in homicide cases; this prohibition can also be waived under the same conditions as the annual hour cap. The responsibility for managing these billable hours will remain with the private attorneys.