William E Morris Institute For Justice

Programs: The institute provides training & technical assistance for legal aidprograms and community groups. The institute litigates and advocates on behalf of low-income persons. The institute's 2016 program service accomplishments include:- litigation to require the arizona health care cost containment system ("ahcccs") to remedy medicaid violations: we filed a lawsuit against ahcccs for its failure to properly process refugee and other immigrant recertifications for full medicaid and instead transfer the immigrants to emergency-only coverage and for its use of notices of eligibility that violate the medicaid statute and (continued on schedule o) constitutional due process. Prior to lawsuit and after lawsuit filed, over 4,000 improper transfers were corrected. - filed emergency administrative complaint with u. S. Housing and urban development concerning the city of phoenix housing department's failure to open its wait list and accept applications for the section 8 voucher program in compliance with federal civil rights laws. Most issues resolved. - proposed and presented rule petition for legal services committee of the state bar that allowed for changes of judge in eviction cases in justice court that the arizona supreme court in august 2016 approved for a trial period. - required ahcccs to change its policy on medicaid-funded abortions. Medicaid funds abortions when the pregnancy results from rape or incest and the rape or incest was reported to authorities. Federal law requires that any reporting requirements must be waived if the treating physician certifies that the patient was unable to comply with the requirement. Ahcccs had not implemented the waiver process. At our request, ahcccs implemented the waiver process. - submitted objections to ahcccs and the federal government concerning the state's waiver requests for our medicaid program that undercut the purpose of the program to provide health care to low-income persons. We objected to requests for heightened premiums and copayments; termination from program for nonpayment of premiums and copayments; denial of transportation; lifetime limits on eligibility; and work-related requirements. The federal government denied most of the requests and we will monitor the new waiver. - worked with the arizona department of economic security to ensure that its policies and notices on the three month time limit for "able bodied adults" complied with the federal food stamp law. Several thousand persons will continue to get food stamps. - ensure that state courts properly process fee waivers and deferrals so low-income arizonans have timely access to the courts. Thousands of persons helped. - ensure that state courts provide language services to limited english proficient persons as required by title vi of the civil rights act so the persons have access to the courts. Recent activities include modifications to state court template for language access plans. Thousands of persons helped. - request that cities and counties "ban the box" (take questions about criminal history off job applications) and work to develop fair chance policies. - for legal services and community advocate trainings, we put on about 8 each year.