There is hereby established as an independent agency of state government, attached for administrative purposes to the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Department of Public Advocacy, in order to provide for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of a state-sponsored and controlled system for:
(1) The representation of indigent persons accused of crimes or mental states which may result in their incarceration or confinement; and (2) The pursuit of legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies to ensure the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, independent of any agency that provides treatment, services, or rehabilitation to persons with disabilities. For the purposes of this chapter, "persons with disabilities" shall refer to those persons eligible for protection and advocacy services under Public Laws 99-319, 102-569, 103-218, 106-170, and 106-402 as amended and any other federal enabling statute hereafter enacted that defines the eligible client base for protection and advocacy services. Effective:June 29, 2017