# Plain Language Summary: POWER 2.0 Act

This bill makes permanent a federal program that was set to expire. Back in 2018, Congress created the "Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent Act," which encourages lawyers to volunteer their services for free to help people who can't afford legal representation. That original law had an expiration date built in—it was only supposed to last four years. This new bill simply removes that expiration date, allowing the program to continue indefinitely instead of shutting down.

The practical effect is that the federal government will continue supporting and promoting pro bono legal work without interruption. This means lawyers across the country can keep participating in organized programs that connect them with low-income individuals, families, and organizations that need legal help but can't pay for it. People who might otherwise go without legal representation—whether they're dealing with housing issues, family matters, immigration problems, or other legal challenges—benefit from having access to volunteer attorneys through these established networks.

By making this program permanent, Congress is essentially saying it wants to keep this system in place as an ongoing part of how the justice system operates, rather than having to renew it every few years. There's no new funding being created here, and no new requirements for lawyers—it's simply keeping an existing program alive that was about to expire. For everyday people, this means the volunteer legal services that may have been available in their communities can continue without worrying about the program disappearing when the four-year deadline hits.

POWER 2.0 Act

Peltola, Mary Sattler

Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent Act of 2022 or the POWER 2.0 Act This bill makes permanent the requirement for the chief judge of each federal judicial district to lead, at least annually, a public event to promote pro bono legal services for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The requirement was enacted in 2018; it is scheduled to sunset after a four-year period.