HB0574 Engrossed

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    AN ACT concerning education.

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


 
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    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is 
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amended  by adding Section 65.85 as follows:
 
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    (110 ILCS 947/65.85  new)
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    Sec. 65.85. Student loan repayment assistance program for 
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public sector attorneys.
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    (a) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois 
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law students to enter and continue working in the public 
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sector, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider 
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applications for loan repayment assistance under this Section. 
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The Commission shall administer the program and shall make all 
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necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section 
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for the program's effective implementation. The Commission may 
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use up to 5% of the appropriation for this program for 
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administration and promotion of the program.
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    (b) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such 
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purposes, each year the Commission shall award a grant to each 
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qualified applicant in an amount equal to 10% of the total 
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amount in law school student loans owed at the time of the 
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initial application. If a grant recipient receives a grant 
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under this Section each year for 10 years and the amount of law 
 


 






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school student loans he or she must repay in each of those 
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years is at least 5% of the attorney's gross annual income, 
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then the grant amount for the 10th year shall equal the 
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remainder of the amount that he or she owes on the law school 
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student loans.  However, the total amount in grants that a 
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person may receive under this Section must not exceed $60,000.  
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The Commission shall encourage the recipient of a grant under 
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this Section to use the grant amount awarded to pay off his or 
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her law school student loans.
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    (c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section if 
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he or she meets all of the following qualifications:
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        (1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible 
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    noncitizen.
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        (2) The person is a resident of this State.
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        (3) The person is an attorney licensed in this State.
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        (4) The person has law school student loans to repay.
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        (5)  The person is employed in a public sector job, as 
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    determined by the Commission, but does not have to be 
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    employed as an attorney in that job.
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        (6) The person is not a participant in a federal loan 
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    forgiveness program for attorneys.
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        (7)  The person agrees to provide at least 30 hours of 
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    pro-bono work with a legal aid entity within this State, as 
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    determined by the Commission, in consultation with the 
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    Illinois Equal Justice Foundation as to those legal aid 
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    entities most in need of pro-bono attorneys, each year that 
 


 






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    he or she receives a grant under this Section.
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        (8)  The person's gross annual income is $80,000 or 
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    less. 
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    (d) All applications for grant assistance under this 
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Section shall be made to the Commission. The form of 
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application and the information required to be set forth in the 
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application shall be determined by the Commission, and the 
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Commission shall require applicants to submit with their 
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applications such supporting documents as the Commission deems 
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necessary.
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    (e)  The Commission, in consultation with the Illinois 
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Public Defender Association, shall give preference to those 
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grant applicants under this Section who serve or shall agree to 
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serve in areas of this State in which a significant shortage of 
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public defenders exists. 
 

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