Bill Text: FL S0150 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Student Loans

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Failed) 2015-05-01 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice [S0150 Detail]

Download: Florida-2015-S0150-Introduced.html
       Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 150
       
       
        
       By Senator Ring
       
       
       
       
       
       29-00048-15                                            2015150__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to student loans; creating s. 43.45,
    3         F.S.; providing definitions; requiring the Justice
    4         Administrative Commission and the Office of the
    5         Attorney General to implement a student loan
    6         assistance program to assist a career assistant state
    7         attorney, assistant public defender, assistant
    8         attorney general, or assistant statewide prosecutor in
    9         the repayment of eligible student loans; establishing
   10         requirements for the administration of the program;
   11         requiring the administering body to make payments
   12         based on the length of employment of the eligible
   13         career attorney and availability of funds; providing
   14         funding; requiring the Justice Administrative
   15         Commission and the Office of the Attorney General to
   16         develop procedures to administer the program;
   17         providing an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 43.45, Florida Statutes, is created to
   22  read:
   23         43.45 Student loan assistance program; administration.—
   24         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   25         (a) “Administering body” means:
   26         1. The Justice Administrative Commission if the eligible
   27  career attorney is employed as an assistant state attorney or
   28  assistant public defender.
   29         2. The Office of the Attorney General if the eligible
   30  career attorney is employed as an assistant attorney general or
   31  assistant statewide prosecutor.
   32         (b) “Eligible attorney” means an assistant state attorney,
   33  assistant public defender, assistant attorney general, or
   34  assistant statewide prosecutor.
   35         (c) “Eligible career attorney” means an eligible attorney
   36  who has completed at least 3 years, but not more than 12 years,
   37  of continuous service as an eligible attorney, regardless of
   38  whether the eligible attorney had a break in employment of less
   39  than 2 weeks while transferring to another employer of eligible
   40  attorneys.
   41         (d) “Eligible student loan” means a loan that is not in
   42  default and that was issued pursuant to the Higher Education Act
   43  of 1965, 20 U.S.C. ss. 1001 et seq., as amended, to an eligible
   44  career attorney to fund his or her law school education.
   45         (e) “Employment anniversary” means the anniversary of the
   46  date that an eligible career attorney commenced employment as an
   47  eligible attorney.
   48         (2) The administering body shall implement a student loan
   49  assistance program for eligible career attorneys. The purpose of
   50  the program is to provide financial assistance to eligible
   51  career attorneys for the repayment of eligible student loans.
   52         (3) The student loan assistance program is administered in
   53  the following manner:
   54         (a) Within 30 days after the employment anniversary of an
   55  eligible career attorney, such attorney must submit to his or
   56  her employer a certification affidavit on a form authorized by
   57  the administering body, which certifies that the eligible career
   58  attorney was an eligible career attorney with one or more
   59  eligible student loans as of his or her last employment
   60  anniversary. If the employer signs the certification affidavit,
   61  the employer shall submit the affidavit to the administering
   62  body within 60 days after the most recent employment anniversary
   63  of the eligible career attorney.
   64         (b) Upon receipt of a certification affidavit, the
   65  administering body shall make a maximum payment of:
   66         1. Three thousand dollars if the eligible career attorney
   67  has at least 3 years, but not more than 6 years, of continuous
   68  service as an eligible career attorney.
   69         2. Five thousand dollars if the eligible career attorney
   70  has more than 6 years, but not more than 12 years, of continuous
   71  service as an eligible career attorney.
   72  
   73  If funds appropriated are insufficient to provide the maximum
   74  payment for each eligible career attorney, the administering
   75  body shall prorate payments by an equal percentage reduction.
   76         (c) A payment under paragraph (b) shall be made by the
   77  administering body:
   78         1. To the lender of the eligible student loan;
   79         2. Between July 1 and July 31 of the next fiscal year
   80  following receipt of the certification affidavit by the
   81  administering body;
   82         3. For the benefit of the eligible career attorney named in
   83  the certification affidavit and for the purpose of satisfying
   84  his or her eligible student loan obligation; and
   85         4. For the eligible student loan that has the highest
   86  current interest rate if the eligible career attorney holds more
   87  than one eligible student loan.
   88         (d) Payments under paragraph (b) cease upon totaling
   89  $44,000 per eligible career attorney or upon full satisfaction
   90  of the eligible student loan, whichever occurs first.
   91         (4) The student loan assistance program may be funded
   92  annually contingent upon a specific appropriation in the General
   93  Appropriations Act for the student loan assistance program.
   94         (5) The Justice Administrative Commission and the Office of
   95  the Attorney General shall develop procedures to administer this
   96  section.
   97         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.

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