Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1472
       
       
        
       By Senator Pizzo
       
       
       
       
       
       38-01895-21                                           20211472__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Assistant State Attorney and
    3         Assistant Public Defender Student Loan Repayment
    4         Program; creating s. 1009.695, F.S.; establishing a
    5         student loan repayment program within the Department
    6         of Education for assistant state attorneys and
    7         assistant public defenders; providing the purpose of
    8         the program; requiring the Department of Education to
    9         administer the program; providing requirements for
   10         eligibility; providing procedures for payments;
   11         requiring payments to be contingent upon proof of
   12         eligibility and annual recertification through an
   13         annual certification affidavit; specifying
   14         certification criteria; providing that payments are
   15         not considered taxable income; requiring the
   16         department to reduce payments for all program
   17         participants by a proportional amount if appropriated
   18         funds are insufficient to provide maximum payment for
   19         all program participants’ loans; authorizing the
   20         Department of Education to adopt rules; providing for
   21         program funding; providing an effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Section 1009.695, Florida Statutes, is created
   26  to read:
   27         1009.695Assistant State Attorney and Assistant Public
   28  Defender Student Loan Repayment Program.—
   29         (1)The Assistant State Attorney and Assistant Public
   30  Defender Student Loan Repayment Program is established within
   31  the Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to
   32  increase employment and retention of assistant state attorneys
   33  and assistant public defenders in the public sector by making
   34  payments that offset student loans issued or guaranteed by a
   35  state or the Federal Government. The department shall administer
   36  the program.
   37         (2)To be eligible to participate in the program, the
   38  assistant state attorney or assistant public defender must meet
   39  all of the following requirements:
   40         (a)Be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
   41         (b)Be employed full time by a state attorney or public
   42  defender in the state.
   43         (c)Have completed not more than a total of 10 years of
   44  continuous service as an assistant state attorney or assistant
   45  public defender.
   46         (d)Be earning a salary of less than $65,000 as an
   47  assistant state attorney or assistant public defender.
   48         (e)Not have received any disciplinary action from The
   49  Florida Bar.
   50         (f)Have an unsatisfied student loan that was issued or
   51  guaranteed by a state or the Federal Government.
   52         (g)Not be eligible for any other state, local, or federal
   53  grant or private fund that assists in student loan repayment.
   54         (3)Only student loans that are not in default and that
   55  were issued pursuant to the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20
   56  U.S.C. ss. 1001 et seq., as amended, to fund a program
   57  participant’s law school education are eligible for repayment
   58  under the program.
   59         (4)From the funds available, the Department of Education
   60  shall make an annual payment pursuant to subsection (6) as
   61  follows:
   62         (a)Three thousand dollars if the program participant has a
   63  total of at least 4 years, but not more than 7 years, of
   64  continuous service as an assistant state attorney or assistant
   65  public defender.
   66         (b)Five thousand dollars if the program participant has a
   67  total of more than 7 years, but not more than 10 years, of
   68  continuous service as an assistant state attorney or assistant
   69  public defender.
   70         (5)All payments are contingent upon continued proof of
   71  eligibility through an annual certification affidavit on a form
   72  authorized by the department which certifies that the program
   73  participant meets all eligibility requirements of this section
   74  as of his or her most recent employment anniversary. A program
   75  participant must submit such affidavit to his or her employer
   76  within 30 days after his or her employment anniversary. If the
   77  employer signs such affidavit, the employer must submit the
   78  signed annual certification affidavit to the department within
   79  60 days after the program participant’s most recent employment
   80  anniversary.
   81         (6)Payments made pursuant to this section do not
   82  constitute taxable income to the program participant. Each
   83  payment shall be made directly to the financial institution that
   84  services the program participant’s student loan. If the program
   85  participant holds more than one student loan that is eligible
   86  for repayment under this section, payment shall be made toward
   87  the program participant’s student loan that has the highest
   88  current interest rate.
   89         (7)If funds appropriated are insufficient to provide
   90  maximum payment for all program participants’ student loans, the
   91  department shall reduce payments for all program participants by
   92  a proportional amount for the year for which funds appropriated
   93  are insufficient.
   94         (8)The Department of Education may adopt rules necessary
   95  to administer the program.
   96         (9)The Assistant State Attorney and Assistant Public
   97  Defender Student Loan Repayment Program may be funded annually,
   98  contingent upon a specific appropriation in the General
   99  Appropriations Act.
  100         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.