Access to Counsel in Evictions – Task Force Termination and Special Fund

HB 103 makes permanent an annual $14 million funding requirement from abandoned property proceeds to the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund. This fund, administered by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC), provides resources for legal representation in eviction cases for low-income tenants. The bill requires the Comptroller to distribute these funds annually from net proceeds of abandoned property sales (after other required distributions) starting in fiscal year 2025. It also terminates the Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force on a specified date.