Senate File 2260 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY BOLKCOM
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act establishing a public interest law loan repayment program
2 and making an appropriation.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261.23A PUBLIC INTEREST LAW LOAN
1 2 REPAYMENT PROGRAM == FUND.
1 3 1. A public interest law loan repayment program is
1 4 established to be administered by the college student aid
1 5 commission, in consultation with the Iowa state bar
1 6 association, to encourage attorneys to enter public service
1 7 careers in Iowa.
1 8 2. An individual is eligible for the program if the
1 9 individual meets the following conditions:
1 10 a. Graduated from a college of law or law school
1 11 accredited by the American bar association council of the
1 12 section of legal education and admissions to the bar.
1 13 b. Has been admitted to the bar of Iowa and is an active
1 14 member of the Iowa state bar association.
1 15 c. Is licensed to practice law in the state.
1 16 d. Is employed in Iowa in any of the following offices,
1 17 agencies, or organizations:
1 18 (1) A nonprofit organization which represents the public
1 19 interest and is exempt from federal taxation under section
1 20 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
1 21 (2) A civil legal aid provider.
1 22 (3) A governmental agency as defined in section 261A.4.
1 23 (4) Public defender.
1 24 (5) Prosecutor.
1 25 e. Receives an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars or
1 26 less.
1 27 3. The annual amount of public interest law loan repayment
1 28 an applicant may receive shall not exceed five thousand
1 29 dollars annually.
1 30 4. Eligible loans include the federally guaranteed loans
1 31 under the federal family education loan program or the federal
1 32 direct loan program, and subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford
1 33 loans and consolidated loans, including principal and
1 34 interest.
1 35 5. A public interest law loan repayment fund is created in
2 1 the state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the
2 2 commission. The fund is created for deposit of moneys
2 3 appropriated to or received by the commission for use under
2 4 the program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any balance in the
2 5 fund on June 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the
2 6 general fund of the state but shall remain in the fund for
2 7 additional loan repayment in accordance with this section.
2 8 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
2 9 earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
2 10 6. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
2 11 17A to administer this section.
2 12 Sec. 2. COLLEGE STUDENT AID COMMISSION == PUBLIC INTEREST
2 13 LAW LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM. There is appropriated from the
2 14 general fund of the state to the college student aid
2 15 commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and
2 16 ending June 30, 2009, the following amount, or so much thereof
2 17 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
2 18 For purposes of the public interest law loan repayment
2 19 program established pursuant to section 261.23A, if enacted:
2 20 .................................................. $ 2,000,000
2 21 EXPLANATION
2 22 This bill establishes a public interest law loan repayment
2 23 program to be administered by the college student aid
2 24 commission, in consultation with the Iowa state bar
2 25 association, to encourage attorneys to enter public service
2 26 careers in Iowa. The bill appropriates $2 million for the
2 27 program for FY 2008=2009.
2 28 An individual is eligible for the program if the individual
2 29 graduated from a college of law or law school; was admitted to
2 30 and is an active member of the Iowa bar; is licensed to
2 31 practice law in the state; is employed in Iowa by a nonprofit
2 32 organization which represents the public interest, a civil
2 33 legal aid provider, or a governmental agency, or is employed
2 34 as a public defender or a prosecutor; and receives an annual
2 35 salary of $50,000 or less.
3 1 The annual amount of loan repayment an applicant may
3 2 receive shall not exceed $5,000 annually.
3 3 The public interest law loan repayment fund is created in
3 4 the state treasury under the control of the commission. The
3 5 fund is created for deposit of moneys appropriated to or
3 6 received by the commission for use under the program. Moneys
3 7 in the fund do not revert to the general fund at the end of a
3 8 fiscal year but remain in the fund for additional loan
3 9 repayment under the program. Interest or earnings on moneys
3 10 in the fund are credited to the fund.
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