Senate Bill sb0250

    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 250

    By Senator Campbell





    32-200-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to student loans; creating s.

  3         43.201, F.S.; providing for a financial

  4         assistance program administered by the Justice

  5         Administrative Commission to provide assistance

  6         to qualified trial court staff attorneys,

  7         assistant state attorneys, and assistant public

  8         defenders for the repayment of eligible student

  9         loans; defining the term "eligible student

10         loan"; providing the elements of the program;

11         providing for funding; providing an effective

12         date.

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

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16         Section 1.  Section 43.201, Florida Statutes, is

17  created to read:

18         43.201  Justice Administrative Commission; student loan

19  program administration.--

20         (1)  The commission shall administer a student loan

21  program for career trial court staff attorneys and for career

22  assistant state attorneys and assistant public defenders as

23  described in chapter 27. The purpose of the program shall be

24  to provide financial assistance to trial court staff

25  attorneys, assistant state attorneys, and assistant public

26  defenders with eligible student loans.

27         (2)  As used in this section, the term "eligible

28  student loan" means a loan that was issued pursuant to the

29  Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, to a trial court

30  staff attorney, an assistant state attorney, or an assistant

31  public defender to fund his or her law school education.

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 250
    32-200-04




 1         (3)  The program shall be administered in the following

 2  manner:

 3         (a)  A trial court staff attorney, an assistant state

 4  attorney, or a public defender is not eligible for assistance

 5  under the program until the trial court staff attorney,

 6  assistant state attorney, or public defender has been employed

 7  as a trial court staff attorney, an assistant state attorney,

 8  or an assistant public defender for 3 years of continuous

 9  service on his or her employment anniversary date.

10         (b)  After an individual has completed 3 years of

11  continuous service, an affidavit of certification on a form

12  approved by the commission shall be submitted to the chief

13  judge's office, the state attorney's office, or the public

14  defender's office as appropriate. The affidavit of

15  certification shall, upon approval of the chief judge, the

16  state attorney, or the public defender, be submitted to the

17  commission.

18         (c)  Upon receipt of the certificate, the commission

19  may begin yearly payments in the amount of $3,000 to the

20  lender that services the eligible student loan. These payments

21  shall be made for the benefit of the qualified trial court

22  staff attorney, assistant state attorney, or assistant public

23  defender named in the certificate and for the purpose of

24  satisfying the eligible student loan obligation.

25         (d)  Upon an individual's completion of 6 years of

26  continuous service, the loan assistance payment amount shall

27  increase to $5,000. After 12 years of continuous service or

28  upon completion of the payment of the eligible student loan,

29  whichever occurs first, loan assistance shall cease. The total

30  amount of loan assistance permitted under the program for any

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 250
    32-200-04




 1  one trial court staff attorney, assistant state attorney, or

 2  assistant public defender may not exceed $44,000.

 3         (4)  The program shall be funded annually by an

 4  appropriation from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice

 5  Administrative Commission.

 6         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

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 9                          SENATE SUMMARY

10    Provides for a financial assistance program for the
      repayment of eligible student loans for career trial
11    court staff attorneys, assistant state attorneys, and
      assistant public defenders.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.