H 3482 Concurrent Resolution, By W.D. Smith
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT
 FEDERAL LEGISLATION AMENDING THE PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM TO ADD FULL-TIME
 ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS TO THE CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO QUALIFY FOR LOAN
 FORGIVENESS, TO ENACT LEGISLATION PROVIDING FOR FORGIVENESS OF STAFFORD LOANS
 AND OTHER FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS FOR FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS AND
 FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS, AND TO ENACT FURTHER LEGISLATION TO
 PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR REPAYMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE AND LAW
 SCHOOL LOANS TO PRIVATE LENDING INSTITUTIONS FOR FULL-TIME ASSISTANT
 PROSECUTORS AND FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS.

   02/08/05  House  Introduced HJ-6
   02/08/05  House  Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
                     Resolutions HJ-6

REQUESTING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT FEDERAL LEGISLATION AMENDING THE PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM TO ADD FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS TO THE CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO QUALIFY FOR LOAN FORGIVENESS, TO ENACT LEGISLATION PROVIDING FOR FORGIVENESS OF STAFFORD LOANS AND OTHER FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS FOR FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS AND FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS, AND TO ENACT FURTHER LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR REPAYMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE AND LAW SCHOOL LOANS TO PRIVATE LENDING INSTITUTIONS FOR FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS AND FULL-TIME ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS.

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly recognizes the crucial role that the state's assistant prosecutors and assistant public defenders play in our criminal justice system each and every day; and

Whereas, the prosecutor's offices and public defender's offices rely on attracting, training, and retaining young attorneys to prosecute and defend cases in the state's courts in order to keep our criminal justice system running efficiently, effectively, and professionally; and

Whereas, these offices have limited resources and offer salaries which are often lower than salaries offered by law firms and private corporations; and

Whereas, complex criminal laws and procedures for resolving criminal cases require that our prosecutor's offices and public defender's offices retain well-trained, highly qualified, and experienced prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers; and

Whereas, tuition and other costs of undergraduate and law school education have continued to increase; and

Whereas, the federal government offers student loan assistance through the Perkins and Stafford Student Loan Programs; and

Whereas, the United States Government, in addition to Perkins Loan forgiveness, already provides assistance in repayment of federal student loans and private loans for members of certain professions, including doctors, police officers, and JAG Corps attorneys who provide their own specialized public service; and

Whereas, the United States Department of Education should be applauded for clarifying that assistant prosecutors qualify under the Perkins Student Loan Program, but the need exists to include assistant public defenders as a class of people who qualify for this loan forgiveness; and

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly asks the United States Congress to provide additional federal assistance for repayment of undergraduate and law school loans to private lending institutions for full-time assistant prosecutors and full-time assistant public defenders; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly urge that these new programs assist in full forgiveness and repayment of federal and private loans and provide incentives for continued service by providing for forgiveness and repayment of ten percent of loans after one year of service, an additional fifteen percent of loans after two years of service, an additional twenty percent of loans after three years of service, an additional twenty-five percent of loans after four years of service, and the final thirty percent of loans after five years of service; and

Whereas, it is also critical for the President of the United States to support federal programs for loan forgiveness and loan repayment and to sign legislation when enacted by the United States Congress. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, request the Congress of the United States to enact federal legislation amending the Perkins Loan Program to add full-time assistant public defenders to the class of people who qualify for loan forgiveness, to enact legislation providing for forgiveness of Stafford Loans and other federal student loans for full-time assistant prosecutors and full-time assistant public defenders, and to enact further legislation to provide additional federal assistance for repayment of undergraduate and law school loans to private lending institutions for full-time assistant prosecutors and full-time assistant public defenders.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.