What's happening
This bill waives the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who qualify for federal public service loan forgiveness.
Why it matters
Supports public service careers. By waiving the registration fee for attorneys who qualify for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), the bill removes a recurring financial burden, making public interest law and government service more financially viable for lawyers.
Targets those with high student debt. The PSLF program is designed for individuals with federal student loans working in qualifying public service jobs. This bill directly benefits attorneys in such roles, who are often managing significant educational debt on modest public sector salaries.
May help address attorney shortages in public service. Reducing costs for qualifying attorneys could help recruit and retain legal talent in sectors like legal aid, public defense, and government agencies, where attorney turnover and vacancies are common due to lower pay compared to private practice.
Signals state-level commitment to public service. The law aligns New York’s attorney licensing policies with federal incentives, reinforcing the state’s support for attorneys pursuing careers that serve the public good.
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Who cares
New York attorneys meeting federal public service loan forgiveness employment requirements
They could avoid the $375 biennial registration fee by certifying their qualifying employment to the chief administrator of the courts.
Chief administrator of the courts
The bill would expand the fee exemption to cover attorneys who certify that they meet the federal program’s employment requirements.
Attorney licensing fund and other statutory fee-recipient funds
Waiving registration fees for qualifying attorneys would reduce the fees available for allocation to these funds.
Headline styles
Waive Fees for Public Service Lawyers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
23 Co-sponsors
- Al Taylor
- Fred Thiele
- Nader Sayegh
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Carmen E. Arroyo
- Daniel O'Donnell
- Latoya Joyner
- Walter T. Mosley
- Michael Blake
- Jo Anne Simon
- Marianne Buttenschon
- Richard Gottfried
- Jaime R. Williams
- Barbara Lifton
- Vivian Cook
- Karines Reyes
- Anthony D'Urso
- Catalina Cruz
- Steve Stern
- David Weprin
- Phil Steck
- Nathalia Fernandez
- Taylor Darling
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to judiciary
- Print number 6085a
- Amend and recommit to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Waive Fees for Public Service Lawyers
In Senate Committee · Judiciary · Sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6085--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 27, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, TAYLOR, THIELE, SAYEGH, STIRPE, ARROYO, O'DONNELL, JOYNER, MOSLEY, BLAKE, SIMON, BUTTENSCHON, GOTTFRIED, WILLIAMS, LIFTON, COOK, REYES, D'URSO, CRUZ, STERN, WEPRIN, STECK, FERNANDEZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GRIFFIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
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 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m).
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10034-03-9
A. 6085--A 2
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. 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.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.