Acting to reform and modernize a program vital to ensuring affordable communications for low-income consumers, the Federal Communications Commission today approved a comprehensive overhaul of its Lifeline program.

As a universal service program that fulfills Congress’s mandate to ensure the availability of communications to all Americans, Lifeline for the past 25 years has helped tens of millions of low-income Americans afford basic phone service. Access to telephone service is essential for finding a job, connecting with family, or getting help in an emergency, and the percentage of low-income households with phone service has increased from 80% in 1985, when Lifeline began, to nearly 92% last year.

The January edition of the Health Law PA News, a free bi-monthly newsletter from the Pennsylvania Health Law Project is now available. For prior editions or more information about the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, please see the PHLP website at www.phlp.org.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) reports that the nonprofit programs funded by LSC to deliver civil legal assistance to low-income Americans are implementing layoffs and staff reductions because of budget constraints, based on a survey conducted by LSC.

According to the survey, LSC-funded programs anticipate laying off 393 employees, including 163 attorneys, in 2012. The reductions continue a staffing downturn that began about a year ago. In December 2010, LSC-funded programs employed 4,351 attorneys, 1,614 paralegals and 3,094 support staff. During 2011, LSC programs reduced their staffing by 833 positions through layoffs and attrition. They now anticipate a new round of layoffs this year, bringing the staffing loss to 1,226 full-time personnel.

The survey was conducted in late December and early January, and 132 of the 135 nonprofit legal aid programs funded by LSC responded. Eight of the regional programs of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, serving individuals and families in Pennsylvania, are among the programs receiving funding from the Legal Services Corporation.

Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis has announced the 57 schools and organizations that will receive a total of $64.4 million as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Challenge Grant.

“The purpose of these grants is to fund the establishment and sustainability of community learning centers that provide educational services to students in high poverty and low-performing schools,” Tomalis said. “The entities which were selected to receive funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Challenge provide educational experiences that complement, supplement and fill-in the gaps of the work being done in the classroom.”