HB 0099 2004
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to student loans; creating s. 43.201,
3	F.S.; providing for a financial assistance program
4	administered by the Justice Administrative Commission to
5	provide assistance to qualified trial court staff
6	attorneys, assistant state attorneys, and assistant public
7	defenders for the repayment of eligible student loans;
8	defining the term "eligible student loan"; providing the
9	elements of the program; providing for funding; providing
10	an effective date.
11
12	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14	Section 1. Section 43.201, Florida Statutes, is created to
15	read:
16	43.201 Justice Administrative Commission; student loan
17	program administration.--
18	(1) The Justice Administrative Commission shall administer
19	a student loan program for career trial court staff attorneys
20	and for career assistant state attorneys and assistant public
21	defenders as described in chapter 27. The purpose of the program
22	shall be to provide financial assistance to trial court staff
23	attorneys, assistant state attorneys, and assistant public
24	defenders with eligible student loans.
25	(2) As used in this section, the term "eligible student
26	loan" means a loan that was issued pursuant to the Higher
27	Education Act of 1965, as amended, to a trial court staff
28	attorney, an assistant state attorney, or an assistant public
29	defender to fund his or her law school education.
30	(3) The program shall be administered in the following
31	manner:
32	(a) A trial court staff attorney, an assistant state
33	attorney, or an assistant public defender is not eligible for
34	assistance under the program until the trial court staff
35	attorney, assistant state attorney, or assistant public defender
36	has been employed as a trial court staff attorney, an assistant
37	state attorney, or an assistant public defender for 3 years of
38	continuous service on his or her employment anniversary date.
39	(b) After an individual has completed 3 years of
40	continuous service, an affidavit of certification on a form
41	approved by the commission shall be submitted to the chief
42	judge's office, the state attorney's office, or the public
43	defender's office as appropriate. The affidavit of certification
44	shall, upon approval of the chief judge, the state attorney, or
45	the public defender, be submitted to the commission.
46	(c) Upon receipt of the certificate, the commission may
47	begin yearly payments in the amount of $3,000 to the lender that
48	services the eligible student loan. These payments shall be made
49	for the benefit of the qualified trial court staff attorney,
50	assistant state attorney, or assistant public defender named in
51	the certificate and for the purpose of satisfying the eligible
52	student loan obligation.
53	(d) Upon an individual's completion of 6 years of
54	continuous service, the loan assistance payment amount shall
55	increase to $5,000. After 12 years of continuous service or upon
56	completion of the payment of the eligible student loan,
57	whichever occurs first, loan assistance shall cease. The total
58	amount of loan assistance permitted under the program for any
59	one trial court staff attorney, assistant state attorney, or
60	assistant public defender may not exceed $44,000.
61	(4) The program shall be funded annually by an
62	appropriation from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice
63	Administrative Commission.
64	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.