SECTION 229.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this act or any other general or special law to the contrary, the amount appropriated in section 2 of this act for expenditure by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation may not be distributed by that corporation as financial assistance for a qualified legal services program for civil legal services unless said program: (1) assesses a reasonable co-payment upon recipients of said services as determined by said corporation, provided that the corporation may permit waivers or reductions of co-payment in the event the recipient is financially unable to pay and (2) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the corporation that it regularly seeks to recover attorney's fees whenever permitted by statute.
