State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ House Amendment 001 ]


92_HB5599

 
                                               LRB9214228RCsb

 1        AN ACT concerning attorneys' education expenses.

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

 4        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 5    Career Criminal Justice Attorney Education Expenses Repayment
 6    Act.

 7        Section 5.  As used in this Act:
 8        "Eligible  attorney"  means  an  attorney who is employed
 9    full-time as an assistant State's attorney, assistant  public
10    defender,  assistant  appellate defender, assistant appellate
11    prosecutor, or assistant attorney general  whose  application
12    under Section 10 of this Act has been accepted and authorized
13    by the State Treasurer to receive assistance in the repayment
14    of his or her student education expenses.
15        "Student  education  expenses" means the cumulative total
16    of the eligible attorney's outstanding student loans covering
17    the cost of  attendance  at  any  law  school  at  which  the
18    attorney  completed course work required to obtain his or her
19    law degree.

20        Section 10.  Education  expenses  repayment  stipend.  An
21    eligible  attorney  may apply to the State Treasurer on forms
22    furnished by the State Treasurer for  an  annual  stipend  to
23    repay his or her student education expenses.
24        To  be  accepted for a stipend, an eligible attorney must
25    meet the following qualifications:
26             (a)  the attorney is currently licensed to  practice
27        law in the State of Illinois;
28             (b)  the  attorney  signs  a  statement  agreeing to
29        remain in his or her present employment for at least  one
30        year after receiving the stipend; and
 
                            -2-                LRB9214228RCsb
 1             (c)  the  attorney  attaches  verification of his or
 2        her outstanding student loans.
 3        An eligible attorney must apply each year for  a  stipend
 4    for student education expenses repayment.
 5        The  amount  of  the  annual  stipend  is  $3,500  or the
 6    outstanding balance of the eligible attorney's student loans,
 7    whichever is  less,  and  may  be  received  by  an  eligible
 8    attorney  for  5 years. In addition, an eligible attorney who
 9    has received 5 annual stipends may receive  an  additional  7
10    annual  stipends  in  the  amount  of  $5,000 per year or the
11    outstanding balance of his or her student loans, whichever is
12    less.
13        The amount of the annual stipend shall  be  adjusted  for
14    inflation  each  July 1 using the Consumer Price Index of the
15    Bureau of Labor Standards of the U.S. Department of Labor.
16        If an eligible attorney receives a  stipend  and  resigns
17    his  or her position, the eligible attorney must repay to the
18    State 1/12th of the amount of the  annual  stipend  for  each
19    month  left  in  the  stipend  year that he or she was not an
20    eligible attorney.

21        Section 15.  Funding.  The General  Assembly  shall  make
22    appropriations  to  the  State  Treasurer for annual stipends
23    under this Act.

24        Section 20.  Rules.  The State Treasurer must adopt rules
25    for the implementation of this Act.

26        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
27    becoming law.

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