Senate Bill 2398

    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2398

    By Senator Sebesta





    20-1600-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to forensic laboratories;

  3         requiring the Board of Regents and the State

  4         Board of Community Colleges to establish a loan

  5         forgiveness program for eligible students who

  6         commit to work in an approved state or federal

  7         forensic laboratory after graduation; requiring

  8         that the Board of Regents and the State Board

  9         of Community Colleges consult with the

10         Department of Law Enforcement in establishing

11         criteria for participation by students and

12         educational institutions in the loan

13         forgiveness program; providing an effective

14         date.

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  Student loan forgiveness program for

19  forensic laboratory personnel.--

20         (1)  The Board of Regents and the State Board of

21  Community Colleges shall establish a loan forgiveness program

22  within the State Community College System and the State

23  University System for the purpose of encouraging students to

24  become qualified for employment in forensic laboratories where

25  critical shortages exist. A student who qualifies for the loan

26  forgiveness program shall receive repayments for loans

27  received from federal programs or commercial lending

28  institutions. Loan repayments shall be made for any eligible

29  student who commits to work in an approved state or federal

30  forensic laboratory after graduation.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2398
    20-1600-00




  1         (2)  The Board of Regents and the State Board of

  2  Community Colleges shall consult with the Department of Law

  3  Enforcement in establishing the criteria for participation by

  4  students and educational institutions in the loan forgiveness

  5  program and in determining the areas of critical personnel

  6  shortages so that the program fulfills a documented state

  7  interest.

  8         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  9  law.

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12                          SENATE SUMMARY

13    Requires that the Board of Regents and the State Board of
      Community Colleges establish a loan forgiveness program
14    to encourage students to qualify for employment in
      forensic laboratories. Provides for the repayment of
15    loans for students who commit to work in an approved
      state or federal forensic laboratory after graduation.
16    Requires that the Board of Regents and the State Board of
      Community Colleges consult with the Department of Law
17    Enforcement in establishing criteria for the program.

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