This morning the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies marked up its bill covering FY 2010. Included in the bill is $440 million for the Legal Services Corporation. This figure represents a 12.8 percent increase from the funding level provided LSC in FY 2009.

The legislation also removes the current restriction on seeking attorneys' fees included in each appropriations' bill rider since 1996. The bill does not remove other restrictive riders, including the restrictions on non-LSC funds and class actions, the removal of which had been sought by the Obama Administration in its budget request to the Congress.