S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6668
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
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 forgive-
ness program
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph b of subdivision 2 of section 679-e of the educa-
tion 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 attor-
ney, 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 estab-
lish: (i) an application deadline and (ii) a method of selecting recipi-
ents if in any given year there are insufficient funds to cover the
needs of all the applicants. Awards shall be within the amounts appro-
priated 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.