Senate Bill sb0362

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 362

    By Senator Campbell





    32-341-06                                            See HB 81

  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 career assistant attorneys general,

  7         assistant statewide prosecutors, assistant

  8         state attorneys, and assistant public defenders

  9         for the repayment of eligible student loans;

10         defining the term "eligible student loan";

11         providing the elements of the program;

12         providing loan assistance payment amounts;

13         providing for funding; 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.  Section 43.201, Florida Statutes, is

19  created to read:

20         43.201  Justice Administrative Commission; student loan

21  program administration.--

22         (1)  The Justice Administrative Commission shall

23  administer a student loan program for career assistant

24  attorneys general, assistant statewide prosecutors, assistant

25  state attorneys, and assistant public defenders. The purpose

26  of the program shall be to provide financial assistance to

27  assistant attorneys general, assistant statewide prosecutors,

28  assistant state attorneys, and assistant public defenders for

29  the repayment of eligible student loans.

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

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

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






    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 362
    32-341-06                                            See HB 81




 1  Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, to an assistant

 2  attorney general, assistant statewide prosecutor, assistant

 3  state attorney, or assistant public defender to fund his or

 4  her law school education.

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

 6  manner:

 7         (a)  An assistant attorney general, assistant statewide

 8  prosecutor, assistant state attorney, or assistant public

 9  defender is not eligible for assistance under the program

10  until the assistant attorney general, assistant statewide

11  prosecutor, assistant state attorney, or assistant public

12  defender has been employed as an assistant attorney general,

13  assistant statewide prosecutor, assistant state attorney, or

14  assistant public defender for 3 years of continuous service on

15  his or her employment anniversary date.

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

17  continuous service, an affidavit of certification on a form

18  approved by the commission shall be submitted to the Office of

19  the Attorney General, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the

20  state attorney's office, or the public defender's office, as

21  appropriate. The affidavit of certification shall, upon

22  approval of the Attorney General, statewide prosecutor, state

23  attorney, or public defender, as appropriate, be submitted to

24  the commission.

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

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

27  lender that services the eligible student loan. These payments

28  shall be made for the benefit of the assistant attorney

29  general, assistant statewide prosecutor, assistant state

30  attorney, or assistant public defender named in the

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






    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 362
    32-341-06                                            See HB 81




 1  certificate and for the purpose of satisfying the eligible

 2  student loan obligation.

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

 4  continuous service, the annual loan assistance payment amount

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

 6  or upon completion of the payment of the eligible student

 7  loan, whichever occurs first, loan assistance shall cease. The

 8  total amount of loan assistance permitted under the program

 9  for any one assistant attorney general, assistant statewide

10  prosecutor, assistant state attorney, or assistant public

11  defender may not exceed $44,000.

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

13  appropriation from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice

14  Administrative Commission.

15         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

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