The bill amends the definition of "indigent" in Section 27A of chapter 261 of the General Laws to clarify the criteria for determining indigency. The new definition includes individuals receiving specific types of public assistance, those whose income is 125% or less of the poverty guidelines, and individuals unable to pay legal fees without sacrificing basic necessities. Additionally, it specifies that inmates must comply with certain procedures to be considered indigent.

Further amendments to Section 2A of chapter 211D include a requirement for the court to reassess a person's financial circumstances if there is doubt about their indigency status, with a written report to be filed by the chief probation officer. The bill also removes certain subsections and mandates quarterly reports from the office of the commissioner of probation to the legislative committees, detailing the number of individuals claiming indigency, those found to be misrepresenting information, and other relevant data to evaluate the effectiveness of indigency verification processes.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 261-27A