Bill Text: PA HR555 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging Federal implementation to implement the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2008.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-12-08 - Referred to EDUCATION [HR555 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HR555-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2969
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 555 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY LENTZ, BELFANTI, BEYER, BRENNAN, BROWN, CREIGHTON, DeWEESE, GIBBONS, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, MANDERINO, McGEEHAN, MURPHY, MURT, PARKER, PAYTON, SANTARSIERO, SIPTROTH AND YOUNGBLOOD, DECEMBER 8, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, DECEMBER 8, 2009
A RESOLUTION
Urging Federal implementation of the John R. Justice Prosecutors
and Defenders Incentive Act of 2008.
WHEREAS, President George W. Bush signed into law the John R.
Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2008 as Title
IX Pt. E of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law
110-315, 122 Stat. 3470), establishing a student loan repayment
assistance program for eligible prosecutors and public
defenders; and
WHEREAS, This new program authorizes the Attorney General of
the United States to assume the obligation to repay up to
$10,000 per year and $60,000 total in student loans for
borrowers who agree to remain employed, for at least three
years, as either state or local criminal prosecutors or as
Federal, state or local public defenders in criminal cases, with
priority given to borrowers who have the least ability to repay
their loans; and
WHEREAS, At this moment in time, while President Barack Obama
is making a national appeal to our citizens to choose public
service, we should do everything in our power to encourage the
best and the brightest attorneys to serve their communities and
their nation as prosecutors and public defenders to both help
fight crime and to protect the rights of the accused; and
WHEREAS, All too often the financial realities that new
lawyers face after earning a law degree, such as student loans,
prevent them from pursuing these career paths, especially in
light of the fact that the average salary of a prosecutor is
less than half of the starting salary for an attorney at a large
private law firm; and
WHEREAS, Before this program can be implemented and begin
accepting applications, Congress must appropriate funds, the
President must allocate funds and the Attorney General of the
United States must promulgate regulations; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge Congress and the President of
the United States to appropriate and allocate an appropriate
level of funds and urge the Attorney General of the United
States to promulgate regulations to implement Title IX Pt. E of
the Higher Education Opportunity Act; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the presiding officers of each house of Congress, to each member
of Congress from Pennsylvania and to the President of the United
States.
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