2023S0259-T 03/07/23
 
  By: Smith H.B. No. 4487
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to student loan repayment assistance for prosecutors and
  certain criminal lawyers practicing in rural counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter Y, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER Y. REPAYMENT OF CERTAIN LAW SCHOOL EDUCATION LOANS:
  RURAL CRIMINAL LAWYERS [ASSISTANT DISTRICT OR COUNTY ATTORNEY]
         Sec. 61.9601.  DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this
  subchapter:
               (1)  "Rural[, "rural] county" means a county with a
  population of 100,000 [50,000] or less.
               (2)  "Appointed attorney" means an attorney who accepts
  appointments to represent adult or juvenile indigent criminal
  defendants.
               (3)  "Employed" means:
                     (A)  full-time salaried work;
                     (B)  for part-time employees, an annualized
  average of 15 hours per week of salaried work; or
                     (C)  an annualized average of 15 hours per week of
  work as an appointed attorney.
         Sec. 61.9602.  REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. (a) The
  board shall provide, using funds appropriated for that purpose and
  in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, assistance in
  the repayment of [law school] education loans for attorneys who
  apply and qualify for the assistance.
         (b)  The provision of financial assistance in the repayment
  of education loans under this subchapter promotes a public purpose.
         Sec. 61.9603.  ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive
  repayment assistance, an attorney must:
               (1)  apply to the board;
               (2)  hold a law degree from an accredited institution
  of higher education;
               (3)  at the time of the application, be licensed to
  practice law in the State of Texas;
               (4)  have outstanding student loan debt; and
               (5)  be employed as a prosecutor, public defender, or
  appointed attorney providing services in one or more rural counties 
  [be currently employed as an attorney by a district or county
  attorney's office that serves a rural county; and
               [(3)  enter into an agreement to remain employed by the
  district or county attorney's office as provided by Section
  61.9605].
         Sec. 61.9604.  ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide
  repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan for
  education at an institution of higher education, including loans
  for undergraduate education, received by the individual [education
  loan received by the attorney] through any lender [for education at
  a school of law authorized by the board to award a degree that
  satisfies the law study requirements for licensure as an attorney
  in this state].
         (b)  The board may not provide repayment assistance for an
  education loan that is in default at the time of the attorney's
  application.
         [Sec. 61.9605.  AGREEMENT. (a) To qualify for loan
  repayment assistance under this subchapter, a person must enter
  into a written agreement with the board as provided by this section.
  The agreement must specify the conditions the person must satisfy
  to receive repayment assistance.
         [(b)  The agreement must require the person to be employed
  for a period of five years with a district or county attorney's
  office that serves a rural county. Only employment with that
  district or county attorney's office as an attorney after the date
  the person enters into the agreement may be used to satisfy the
  employment requirement under the agreement.
         [(c)  The agreement must provide that the repayment
  assistance the person receives before the person has been employed
  for five years as required by the agreement constitutes a loan until
  the person completes the five years of employment and satisfies any
  other applicable conditions of the agreement. The agreement must
  require the person to sign a promissory note acknowledging the
  conditional nature of the repayment assistance received and
  promising to repay the amount of that assistance received plus
  applicable interest and reasonable collection costs if the person
  does not satisfy the applicable conditions. The board shall
  determine the terms of the promissory note. To the extent
  practicable, the terms must be the same as those applicable to state
  or federally guaranteed student loans made at the same time. All
  amounts collected in repayment of a loan under this subsection,
  including interest, but excluding collection costs paid by the
  board to another person to collect or assist in collecting the
  amount, shall be deposited to the credit of the trust fund
  established by Section 61.9608.]
         Sec. 61.9606.  REPAYMENT. (a) The amount of loan repayment
  provided under this program shall be determined by the board and
  shall not exceed the following amounts for each year for which the
  individual establishes eligibility for the assistance:
               (1)  for the first year, $30,000;
               (2)  for the second year, $40,000;
               (3)  for the third year, $50,000; and
               (4)  for the fourth year, $60,000.
         (b)  The total amount of repayment assistance made to an
  individual may not exceed $180,000.
         (c)  An individual may receive repayment assistance grants
  for not more than four years [Except as provided by Section
  61.9609(a), the board shall provide repayment assistance under this
  subchapter in the following amounts:
               [(1)  60 percent of each payment due on an attorney's
  eligible loans during the first 12-month period after the attorney
  enters into the agreement under Section 61.9605;
               [(2)  80 percent of each payment due on an attorney's
  eligible loans during the second 12-month period after the attorney
  enters into the agreement; and
               [(3)  100 percent of each payment due on an attorney's
  eligible loans during the third 12-month period after the attorney
  enters into the agreement].
         (d) [(b)]  The board shall deliver any repayment assistance
  made under this subchapter in a lump sum payable:
               (1)  to both the individual and the lender or other
  holder of the affected loan; or
               (2)  directly to the lender or other holder of the loan
  on the individual's behalf [and the attorney and in accordance with
  any applicable federal law].
         (e) [(c)]  Loan repayment assistance received under this
  subchapter may be applied to the principal amount of the loan and to
  interest that accrues.
         Sec. 61.9607.  ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The board shall
  [may] appoint an advisory committee from outside the board's
  membership to assist the board in performing the board's duties
  under this subchapter.
         (b)  The advisory committee members must be comprised of
  equal numbers of members recommended by:
               (1)  the Texas District and County Attorneys
  Association;
               (2)  the Texas Indigent Defense Commission; and
               (3)  the Texas Judicial Council.
         (c)  The advisory committee shall make recommendations to
  the board regarding rules that:
               (1)  establish a method for documenting and verifying
  the hours worked or cases defended by applicants who are appointed
  attorneys; and
               (2)  allocate repayment in a manner that incentivizes
  service in the most rural counties. To do so, the advisory
  committee shall consider:
                     (A)  the population of the counties in which
  applicants provide services;
                     (B)  the degree of criminal lawyer scarcity in
  those counties; and
                     (C)  for appointed attorneys:
                           (i)  the distances between the counties in
  which an applicant provides service;
                           (ii)  the volume of cases handled by the
  applicant; and
                           (iii)  the hours that the applicant devoted
  to rural appointed cases during the previous calendar year.
         Sec. 61.9608.  FUNDING. (a) The loan repayment assistance
  program established by this subchapter is funded from the rural
  prosecution and defense [district and county attorney] student loan
  assistance trust fund. The trust fund is established outside the
  treasury and is administered by the comptroller. Money in the trust
  fund may be spent without appropriation and only to fund the
  program. Interest and income from the assets of the trust fund
  shall be credited to and deposited in the trust fund.
         (b)  The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
  donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this
  subchapter and shall deposit money accepted under this subsection
  to the credit of the trust fund.
         (c)  The legislature may appropriate money to the trust fund.
         Sec. 61.9609.  RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules
  necessary for the administration of this subchapter[, including a
  rule that sets the maximum amount of loan repayment assistance that
  an attorney may receive in one year].
         (b)  The board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted
  under this section and pertinent information in this subchapter to:
               (1)  each school of law authorized by the board to award
  a degree described by Section 61.9604(a); [and]
               (2)  any appropriate district or county attorneys;
               (3)  the Texas Indigent Defense Commission; and
               (4)  any appropriate public defender offices.
         (c)  The board shall administer the program under this
  subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available
  through other sources.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.