What's happening
This bill expands and increases loan forgiveness benefits for district attorneys, indigent legal services attorneys, and related legal professionals in New York.
Why it matters
Makes loan forgiveness available sooner in an attorney’s career. by allowing eligibility to begin after two years (instead of three or four) of employment, which can help recruit and retain legal professionals earlier in their public service.
Expands the types of eligible legal professionals. by including attorneys working in non-profit civil legal services corporations and not just district attorneys or criminal defense, potentially assisting a wider range of public interest lawyers facing high student debt.
Increases the potential financial relief per year. from $3,400 to $5,500, meaning qualifying attorneys can receive more substantial help with their student loans, which could make public service careers more financially viable.
Extends the total period of eligibility from six to seven years. , allowing attorneys to benefit from an additional year of loan forgiveness payments and further reducing the burden of long-term student debt for those in these public service roles.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to rules
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6668
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
August 23, 2019
Introduced by Sen. RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the New York state district attorney and indigent legal services attorney loan forgiveness program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph b of subdivision 2 of section 679-e of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part VV of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
b. "Eligible period" means the [six-year] seven-year period after completion of the [third] second year and before the commencement of the tenth year of employment as an eligible attorney. For purposes of this section, all periods of time during which an admitted attorney was employed as an eligible attorney and all periods of time during which a law school graduate awaiting admission to the New York state bar was employed by a prosecuting [or] agency, criminal defense agency, and/or non-profit indigent civil legal services corporation as permitted by section four hundred eighty-four of the judiciary law shall be combined.
§ 2. Paragraph d of subdivision 2 of section 679-e of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part VV of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
d. "Year of qualified service" means the twelve month period measured from the anniversary of the attorney's employment as an eligible attorney, or as a law school graduate awaiting admission to the New York state bar employed by a prosecuting [or] agency, criminal defense agency, and/or non-profit indigent civil legal services corporation as permitted by section four hundred eighty-four of the judiciary law, adjusted for any interruption in employment. Any period of temporary leave from service taken by an eligible attorney shall not be considered in the calculation of qualified service. However, the period of tempo-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13472-02-9
S. 6668 2
rary leave shall be considered an interruption in employment and the calculation of the time period of qualified service shall recommence when the eligible attorney returns to full time service.
§ 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 679-e of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part VV of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
a. An eligible attorney may apply for reimbursement after the completion of each year of qualified service provided however that reimbursement to each eligible attorney shall not exceed [three thousand four hundred] five thousand five hundred dollars, per qualifying year, subject to appropriations available therefor. The president may establish: (i) an application deadline and (ii) a method of selecting recipients if in any given year there are insufficient funds to cover the needs of all the applicants. Awards shall be within the amounts appropriated for such purpose and based on availability of funds.
§ 4. Paragraph b of subdivision 3 of section 679-e of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part VV of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
b. An eligible attorney may apply after the completion of the [fourth] second year of qualified service, and annually thereafter after the completion of the [fifth] third through ninth year of qualified service, and may seek a student loan expense grant for only the previous year of qualified service within the time periods prescribed by the president. An eligible attorney may receive student loan expense grants for no more than [six] seven years of qualified service within an eligible period.
§ 5. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020. Nothing in this act shall be implemented in a manner that diminishes the current award or status of eligible attorneys currently participating in the program.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the New York state district attorney and indigent legal services attorney loan forgiveness program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::
This bill would increase student loan forgiveness for district attor- neys, public defenders, and indigent civil legal services attorneys.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Expands the eligibility period for indigent legal service attorneys to receive certain loan forgiveness and increases loan reimbursement for certain attorneys who work in legal services with indigent clients.
JUSTIFICATION::
Public defenders, district attorneys, and indigent legal service attor- neys such as housing and immigration attorneys, provide vital services to their communities. However, since the inception of the District Attorney and Indigent Legal Service Attorney Loan Forgiveness Program in 2009, law school tuition has grown dramatically, and law school debt increased by 43% at public schools, and by 34% at private schools. As a result, the attrition rates for these public servants are particularly high, and debt loads drive indigent legal service attorneys and assist- ant district attorneys to more profitable positions in government or at private firms. As a result of the high rate of attrition, low-income New Yorkers are deprived of experienced and talented representation.
Increasing the student loan forgiveness award from $3,400 per annum to $5,500 per annum will help alleviate debt burdens, and it will allow public interest attorneys to continue working for their communities. Similarly, decreasing the wait-time for attorneys to access the award from three years to two years will help attract talented law students to the profession. This is crucial for many rural counties, where there are shortages of indigent legal services attorneys. Further, as people of color and other underrepresented groups have disproportionately high student debt burdens, this debt relief will enable diverse populations to pursue careers in indigent legal services. While the cost of this program is minimal, it will have a profound impact on legal represen- tation for communities.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect April 1, 2020. Nothing in this act shall be implemented in a manner that diminishes the current award or status of eligible attorneys currently participating in the program.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.