What's happening
This bill waives the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who qualify for the federal public service loan forgiveness program.
Why it matters
Reduces financial barriers for attorneys working in public service. by exempting those who qualify for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program from paying the state’s biennial registration fee, potentially making public interest law careers more accessible.
Aligns state professional requirements with federal loan forgiveness incentives,. encouraging more lawyers to pursue and remain in qualifying public sector or nonprofit jobs, which are often lower-paying but provide critical legal services.
Signals state support and recognition for attorneys serving public needs,. potentially boosting recruitment and retention in essential but understaffed legal areas such as legal aid, public defense, and government service.
May lead to budgetary impacts on funds supported by attorney registration fees,. as a segment of lawyers would no longer contribute, possibly affecting programs financed by these fees unless offset by other revenue sources.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Waive Fees for Public Service Lawyers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to judiciary
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to judiciary
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
987
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 6, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to waiving the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who meet the federal public service loan forgiveness program employment qualifications
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 468-a of the judiciary law, as amended by section 9 of part K of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
4. The biennial registration fee shall be three hundred seventy-five dollars, sixty dollars of which shall be allocated to and be deposited in a fund established pursuant to the provisions of section ninety-seven-t of the state finance law, fifty dollars of which shall be allocated to and shall be deposited in a fund established pursuant to the provisions of section ninety-eight-b of the state finance law, twentyfive dollars of which shall be allocated to be deposited in a fund established pursuant to the provisions of section ninety-eight-c of the state finance law, and the remainder of which shall be deposited in the attorney licensing fund. Such fee shall be required of every attorney who is admitted and licensed to practice law in this state, whether or not the attorney is engaged in the practice of law in this state or elsewhere, except attorneys who certify to the chief administrator of the courts that they have either retired from the practice of law or met the employment requirements for participation of the federal public service loan forgiveness program as set out in 34 CFR 685.219.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of the foregoing provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07002-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the judiciary law, in relation to waiving the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who meet the federal public service loan forgiveness program employment qualifications
Purpose
Waives the biennial registration fee for New York attorneys who meet the federal public service loan forgiveness program employment qualifications
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends Section 468-a of the Judiciary Law, to allow New York attorneys who meet the employment requirements for participation in the federal public service loan forgiveness program, as set forth by 34 C.F.R. 685.219, to similarly be eligible for a waiver of the biennial attorney registration fee collected by the New York Office of Court Administration.
Section 2 sets forth the effective date of this legislation.
Justification
As the nation's student debt crisis has continued to balloon in recent years, law school graduates have been especially crippled by the cost of their education. In 2015, The New York Times reported that the average student loan debt carried by an American law school graduate was approximately $140,000. This is in stark contrast to the average student loan debt of $37,712 carried by students receiving an undergraduate degree in 2016.
Recognizing that massive student loan debt brings a negative impact upon the nation's economy, often disenabling professionals from making 'big ticket' purchases for up to thirty years in their futures, the federal government implemented several reforms related to the repayment of student loan debt. These included the establishment of the income-based repayment programs, as well as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLFP), now codified at 34 C.F.R. 685.219. Graduates who are employed full-time by government organizations and most 501(c)(3) nonprofit groups are eligible for participation in the PSLFP, which forgives the balance of a graduate's student loan debt after making ten years of payments on student loans, while employed by such an organization. The PSLFP seeks to incentivize students to work in government and/or non-profit positions where employers typically cannot afford the salaries that can be earned in the private sector.
Building upon this theme, this legislation seeks to waive the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who also qualify for participation in the PSLFP. This fee, currently pegged at $375 every two years, comes in addition to costly aspects of maintaining one's bar license, including fees associated with mandatory continued legal education and an attorney's admission to practice before federal courts. As the State of New York and other organizations necessarily seek out the best and brightest attorneys to work on behalf of the People, this legislation takes an important step toward incentivizing lawyers to accept positions in public service.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal impact
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of the rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of the foregoing provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.