HB 0169

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to student loans; creating s. 43.201,
3F.S.; providing for a financial assistance program
4administered by the Justice Administrative Commission to
5provide assistance to qualified trial court staff
6attorneys, assistant state attorneys, and assistant public
7defenders for the repayment of eligible student loans;
8defining the term "eligible student loan"; providing the
9elements of the program; providing for funding; providing
10an effective date.
11
12Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14     Section 1.  Section 43.201, Florida Statutes, is created to
15read:
16     43.201  Justice Administrative Commission; student loan
17program administration.--
18     (1)  The Justice Administrative Commission shall administer
19a student loan program for career trial court staff attorneys
20and for career assistant state attorneys and assistant public
21defenders as described in chapter 27. The purpose of the program
22shall be to provide financial assistance to trial court staff
23attorneys, assistant state attorneys, and assistant public
24defenders for the repayment of eligible student loans.
25     (2)  As used in this section, the term "eligible student
26loan" means a loan that was issued pursuant to the Higher
27Education Act of 1965, as amended, to a trial court staff
28attorney, an assistant state attorney, or an assistant public
29defender to fund his or her law school education.
30     (3)  The program shall be administered in the following
31manner:
32     (a)  A trial court staff attorney, an assistant state
33attorney, or an assistant public defender is not eligible for
34assistance under the program until the trial court staff
35attorney, assistant state attorney, or assistant public defender
36has been employed as a trial court staff attorney, an assistant
37state attorney, or an assistant public defender for 3 years of
38continuous service on his or her employment anniversary date.
39     (b)  After an individual has completed 3 years of
40continuous service, an affidavit of certification on a form
41approved by the commission shall be submitted to the chief
42judge's office, the state attorney's office, or the public
43defender's office as appropriate. The affidavit of certification
44shall, upon approval of the chief judge, the state attorney, or
45the public defender, be submitted to the commission.
46     (c)  Upon receipt of the certificate, the commission may
47begin yearly payments in the amount of $3,000 to the lender that
48services the eligible student loan. These payments shall be made
49for the benefit of the qualified trial court staff attorney,
50assistant state attorney, or assistant public defender named in
51the certificate and for the purpose of satisfying the eligible
52student loan obligation.
53     (d)  Upon an individual's completion of 6 years of
54continuous service, the loan assistance payment amount shall
55increase to $5,000. After 12 years of continuous service or upon
56completion of the payment of the eligible student loan,
57whichever occurs first, loan assistance shall cease. The total
58amount of loan assistance permitted under the program for any
59one trial court staff attorney, assistant state attorney, or
60assistant public defender may not exceed $44,000.
61     (4)  The program shall be funded annually by an
62appropriation from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice
63Administrative Commission.
64     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.


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