HB0574 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 08005 NHT 18109 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB0574

Introduced 2/6/2009, by Rep. Arthur L. Turner

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/65.85 new

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to administer a student loan repayment assistance program for public sector attorneys. Subject to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, each year requires the Commission to award a grant to each qualified applicant in an amount equal to 10% of the amount of law school student loans he or she must repay that year. Provides that if a grant recipient receives a grant each year for 10 years and the amount of law school student loans he or she must repay in each of those years is at least 5% of the attorney's gross annual income, then the grant amount for the 10th year shall equal the remainder of the amount that he or she owes on the law school student loans. Provides that the total amount in grants that a person may receive must not exceed $60,000. Provides that a person is a qualified applicant if, among other qualifications, (i) the person is an attorney licensed in this State, (ii) the person is employed in a public sector job, but does not have to be employed as an attorney in that job, and (iii) the person agrees to provide at least 12 hours of pro-bono work at a qualified public sector agency each year that he or she receives a grant. Effective July 1, 2009.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is amended by adding Section 65.85 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.85 new)

Sec. 65.85. Student loan repayment assistance program for public sector attorneys.

(a) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois law students to enter and continue working in the public sector, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under this Section. The Commission shall administer the program and shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for the program's effective implementation. The Commission may use up to 5% of the appropriation for this program for administration and promotion of the program.

(b) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, each year the Commission shall award a grant to each qualified applicant in an amount equal to 10% of the amount of law school student loans he or she must repay that year. If a grant recipient receives a grant under this Section each year for 10 years and the amount of law school student loans he or she must repay in each of those years is at least 5% of the attorney's gross annual income, then the grant amount for the 10th year shall equal the remainder of the amount that he or she owes on the law school student loans. However, the total amount in grants that a person may receive under this Section must not exceed $60,000. The Commission shall encourage the recipient of a grant under this Section to use the grant amount awarded to pay off his or her law school student loans.

(c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section if he or she meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen.

(2) The person is a resident of this State.

(3) The person is an attorney licensed in this State.

(4) The person has law school student loans to repay.

(5) The person is employed in a public sector job, as determined by the Commission, but does not have to be employed as an attorney in that job.

(6) The person is not a participant in a federal loan forgiveness program for attorneys.

(7) The person agrees to provide at least 12 hours of pro-bono work at a qualified public sector agency, as determined by the Commission, each year that he or she receives a grant under this Section.

(d) All applications for grant assistance under this Section shall be made to the Commission. The form of application and the information required to be set forth in the application shall be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require applicants to submit with their applications such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2009.