[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 235 (Friday, December 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70539-70540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26722]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION


Federal Register Notice of Request for Comments; Re: 2021 LSC 
Agricultural Worker Poverty Population Estimates

AGENCY: Legal Services Corporation.

ACTION: Request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) provides special 
population grants to effectively and efficiently fund civil legal aid 
services to address the legal needs of agricultural workers and their 
dependents through grants entitled ``Basic Field--Agricultural 
Workers.'' The funding for these grants is based on data regarding the 
eligible client population to be served. LSC obtained from the U.S. 
Department of Labor data about this population that updates the data 
the Department of Labor provided in 2016. LSC seeks comments on the 
updated data, which LSC will begin using for grant allocations on 
January 1, 2022.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by January 10, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments must be submitted to 
[email protected] with attachments in Acrobat PDV format. If 
you cannot submit your comments by email, please contact LSC regarding 
alternatives for submission by calling Mark Freedman, Senior Associate 
General Counsel, Legal Services Corporation, 202-295-1623. Written 
comments sent to any other address or received after the end of the 
comment period may not be considered by LSC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Freedman, Senior Assistant 
General Counsel, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K St. NW, Washington, 
DC 20007; 202-295-1623 (phone); 202-337-6519 (fax); [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Legal Services Corporation (``LSC'' or 
``Corporation'') was established through the LSC Act ``for the purpose 
of providing financial support for legal assistance in noncriminal 
matters or

[[Page 70540]]

proceedings to persons financially unable to afford such assistance.'' 
42 U.S.C. 2996b(a). LSC performs this function primarily through 
distributing funding appropriated by Congress to independent civil 
legal aid programs providing legal services to low-income persons 
throughout the United States and its possessions and territories. 42 
U.S.C. 2996e(a)(1)(A). LSC designates geographic service areas and 
structures grants to support services to the entire eligible population 
in a service area or to a specified subpopulation of eligible clients. 
45 CFR 1634.2(c) & (d), 1634.3(b). LSC awards these grants through a 
competitive process. 45 CFR part 1634. Congress has mandated that LSC 
``insure those grants and contracts are made so as to provide the most 
economical and effective delivery of legal assistance to persons in 
both urban and rural areas.'' 42 U.S.C. 2996f(a)(3).
    Throughout the United States and U.S. territories, LSC provides 
Basic Field--General grants to support legal services for eligible 
clients. LSC provides funding for those grants on a per-capita basis 
using the poverty population as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau 
every three years. Public Law 104-134, tit. V, 501(a), 110 Stat. 1321, 
1321-50 (1996), as amended by Public Law 113-6, div. B, tit. IV, 127 
Stat. 198, 268 (2013) (LSC funding formula adopted in 1996, 
incorporated by reference in LSC's appropriations thereafter, and 
amended in 2013). Since its establishment in 1974, LSC has also 
provided subpopulation grants to support legal services for the needs 
of agricultural workers through Basic Field--Agricultural Worker grants 
under the authority of the LSC Act to structure grants for the most 
economic and effective delivery of legal assistance. 42 U.S.C. 
2996f(a)(3).
    LSC provides funding for Basic Field--Agricultural Worker grants on 
a per-capita basis by determining the size of the agricultural worker 
poverty population and separating that population from the overall 
poverty population for the applicable geographic area or areas. LSC 
expects programs receiving these grants to serve the legal needs of a 
broad range of eligible agricultural workers and their dependents who 
have specialized legal needs that are most effectively and efficiently 
served through a dedicated grant program.
    The United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) collects data regarding agricultural workers for 
federal grants serving the needs of the American agricultural worker 
population. The U.S. Census Bureau does not maintain data regarding 
agricultural workers. In 2016 LSC contracted with ETA for these data, 
including state-by-state breakdowns. A description of those data and 
their development is available at: https://www.lsc.gov/grants/basic-field-grant/lsc-service-areas/agricultural-worker-population-estimates-2016-update.
    In 2020 and 2021, LSC began the process of updating this data. LSC 
sought and obtained input from legal aid programs serving these 
eligible clients and from the National Legal Aid and Defender 
Association. More information about that process is available at: 
https://www.lsc.gov/grants/basic-field-grant/lsc-service-areas/agricultural-worker-population-estimate-2021-update.
    With consideration of the input provided, LSC contracted with ETA 
to provide more current data regarding agricultural worker population 
for grants beginning January 1, 2022. ETA has provided updated 
estimates based on an estimation methodology designed to improve the 
accuracy and validity of the estimates. The changes in data will result 
in changes in funding levels for these grants. LSC will begin using 
these estimates for grant allocations starting January 1, 2022.
    The updated estimates, the estimation methodology and additional 
materials are available at: https://www.lsc.gov/grants/basic-field-grant/lsc-service-areas/agricultural-worker-population-estimate-2021-update.
    LSC invites public comment on this issue. Interested parties may 
submit comments to LSC before the deadline stated above.

    Dated: December 7, 2021.
Mark Freedman,
Senior Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-26722 Filed 12-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7050-01-P