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92_HB3563eng
HB3563 Engrossed LRB9206190OBpcB
1 AN ACT concerning attorneys.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Career Criminal Justice Attorney Retention Act.
6 Section 5. As used in this Act:
7 "Eligible attorney" means an attorney who is employed
8 full-time as an assistant State's attorney, assistant public
9 defender, assistant appellate defender, assistant appellate
10 prosecutor, non-supervisory legal aid attorney, and assistant
11 attorney general whose application under Section 10 of this
12 Act has been accepted and authorized by the State Treasurer
13 to receive assistance to encourage retention by professionals
14 in the criminal justice system.
15 "Education expenses" means the cumulative total of the
16 eligible attorney's cost of attendance at any law school at
17 which the attorney completed course work required to obtain
18 his or her law degree.
19 Section 10. Stipend. Beginning 2 years after the
20 effective date of this Act, an eligible attorney may apply to
21 the State Treasurer on forms furnished by the State Treasurer
22 for an annual stipend for education expenses.
23 To be accepted for a stipend, an eligible attorney must
24 meet the following qualifications:
25 (a) the attorney is currently licensed to practice
26 law in the State of Illinois;
27 (b) the attorney signs a statement agreeing to
28 remain in his or her present employment for at least one
29 year after receiving the stipend;
30 (c) the attorney has been employed as an eligible
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1 attorney for the previous 2 years before applying;
2 (d) the attorney submits either (i) proof of the
3 amount of outstanding student loans and the creditor to
4 whom repayment is due or (ii) an affidavit that the
5 attorney has no outstanding student loans.
6 An eligible attorney must apply each year for a stipend.
7 The amount of the annual stipend is $3,500 and may be
8 received by an eligible attorney for 5 years.
9 If the eligible attorney's application indicates that he
10 or she has outstanding student loans, the payment must be
11 made directly to the creditor to whom repayment is due. If
12 the eligible attorney's application indicates that he or she
13 has no outstanding student loans, the payment must be made to
14 the eligible attorney as reimbursement for his or her
15 educational expenses. If the amount of the outstanding
16 student loans is less than the annual stipend, the amount of
17 the stipend not paid to the creditor must be paid to the
18 eligible attorney.
19 The amount of the annual stipend shall be adjusted for
20 inflation each July 1 using the Consumer Price Index of the
21 Bureau of Labor Standards of the U.S. Department of Labor.
22 If an eligible attorney receives a stipend or a stipend
23 is payed on his or her behalf and resigns his or her
24 position, the eligible attorney must repay to the State
25 1/12th of the amount of the annual stipend for each month
26 left in the stipend year that he or she was not an eligible
27 attorney.
28 Section 15. Funding. The General Assembly shall make
29 appropriations to the State Treasurer for annual stipends
30 under this Act.
31 Section 20. Rules. The State Treasurer must adopt rules
32 for the implementation of this Act.
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1 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2 becoming law.
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