KS
Kansas House Bill HB2174

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2174 Compare Versions

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11 Session of 2025
22 HOUSE BILL No. 2174
33 By Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
44 Requested by Representative Rahjes
55 1-30
66 AN ACT concerning attorneys at law; relating to the practice of law in
77 rural Kansas; enacting the attorney training program for rural Kansas
88 act; providing financial assistance to attorneys and law students who
99 practice law in rural areas of the state; establishing the attorney training
1010 program for rural Kansas fund.
1111 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
1212 Section 1. (a) Section 1 et seq., and amendments thereto, shall be
1313 known and may be cited as the attorney training program for rural Kansas
1414 act.
1515 (b) The purpose of the act is to provide encouragement, opportunities
1616 and incentives for licensed attorneys or individuals who are pursing a law
1717 degree at Washburn university or the university of Kansas to practice law
1818 in rural Kansas communities.
1919 (c) As used in this act:
2020 (1) "Advisory committee" means the attorney training program for
2121 rural Kansas advisory committee established in section 2, and amendments
2222 thereto.
2323 (2) "Law school" means the Washburn university school of law and
2424 the university of Kansas school of law.
2525 (3) "Law student" means an individual enrolled in and attending law
2626 school at Washburn university or the university of Kansas.
2727 (4) "Practice of law" includes:
2828 (A) Representing a client in the practice of law;
2929 (B) serving as corporate counsel or an attorney with a local, state or
3030 federal government body;
3131 (C) teaching at a law school approved by the American bar
3232 association; and
3333 (D) serving as a judge or judicial law clerk in a federal, state or local
3434 court if the position requires a license to practice law.
3535 (4) "Program agreement" means an agreement to meet all the
3636 obligations provided in section 3, and amendments thereto.
3737 (5) "Rural" or "rural community" means any county of this state other
3838 than Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties.
3939 Sec. 2. (a) There is hereby established the attorney training program
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7575 for rural Kansas advisory committee. The advisory committee shall assist
7676 in the administration of the law student training and loan program for rural
7777 Kansas established in section 3, and amendments thereto, and the lawyer
7878 training and loan repayment assistance program for rural Kansas
7979 established in section 4, and amendments thereto.
8080 (b) The advisory committee shall consist of the following seven
8181 members appointed by the chief justice of the Kansas supreme court:
8282 (1) Three attorneys licensed in Kansas who each reside in a rural
8383 community;
8484 (2) two non-attorney members who each reside in a rural community;
8585 (3) one representative from the Washburn university school of law;
8686 and
8787 (4) one representative from the university of Kansas school of law.
8888 (c) The office of judicial administration shall provide necessary staff
8989 to support the advisory committee.
9090 (d) The chief justice shall appoint the chair of the advisory
9191 committee.
9292 (e) Any vacancy on the advisory committee shall be filled in the same
9393 manner as the original appointment.
9494 (f) The advisory committee may meet at any time and any place upon
9595 the call of the chairperson.
9696 (g) The advisory committee may adopt rules and regulations
9797 necessary to implement and administer the law student training and loan
9898 program for rural Kansas and the lawyer training and loan repayment
9999 assistance program for rural Kansas. Such rules and regulations shall
100100 include criteria for prioritizing repayment of loans if there are insufficient
101101 moneys available in the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund.
102102 Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established the law student training and
103103 loan program for rural Kansas. The program shall be administered by the
104104 advisory committee established in section 2, and amendments thereto, in
105105 coordination with:
106106 (1) Washburn university for Washburn university law students; and
107107 (2) the university of Kansas for university of Kansas law students.
108108 (b) Subject to appropriations by the legislature, each law school may
109109 enter into program agreements with law students who meet the
110110 requirements of this section and any other requirements established by the
111111 advisory committee and the applicable law school. Preference shall be
112112 given to those students who are Kansas residents. Each student entering
113113 into a program agreement shall receive a loan in an amount not to exceed
114114 $30,000 per year for not more than three years. Such loan shall be for the
115115 cost of tuition, books, supplies and other school expenses incurred by the
116116 law student in pursuing a law degree. Upon satisfaction of all obligations
117117 under this section and the program agreement, the loans provided pursuant
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161161 to this section shall be deemed satisfied and forgiven.
162162 (c) The program agreement shall require each law student who
163163 participates in the program to:
164164 (1) Complete the law degree program at the law school;
165165 (2) complete all required training and classes as determined by the
166166 law school and advisory committee;
167167 (3) complete an externship and mentoring requirement with an
168168 approved licensed attorney in a rural community;
169169 (4) engage in the full-time practice of law in a rural community
170170 within 90 days after admittance to the Kansas bar or, if such person enters
171171 a post-degree training program, within 90 days after completion of such
172172 program. Such practice shall continue for a period of at least 12 continuous
173173 months for each separate year that a student received a loan under the
174174 program, unless such obligation is otherwise satisfied; and
175175 (5) repay to the law school within 90 days of a failure to satisfy the
176176 obligation to engage in the full-time practice of law, in accordance with
177177 this section, the amount equal to the amount loaned to such person less a
178178 prorated amount based on any periods of practice of law meeting the
179179 requirements of this section, plus interest at the prime rate of interest plus
180180 2% from the date such loan accrued. Such interest shall be compounded
181181 annually.
182182 (d) Each law school, in coordination with the advisory committee,
183183 may adopt additional provisions, requirements or conditions for
184184 participation in this program as deemed practicable and appropriate or
185185 necessary for the implementation or administration of the program. Any
186186 additional provisions, requirements or conditions shall not be inconsistent
187187 with this act or appropriation acts of the legislature.
188188 (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to obligate or require a
189189 law school to enter into a program agreement with a law student.
190190 (f) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
191191 this section shall be postponed during any:
192192 (1) Period of temporary medical disability during which the
193193 individual obligated is unable to practice law due to such disability;
194194 (2) period of time during which the reason for not engaging in the
195195 practice of law is covered in the family and medical leave act; or
196196 (3) other period of postponement agreed to or determined in the
197197 program agreement.
198198 (g) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
199199 this section shall be satisfied if:
200200 (1) The obligation to engage in the practice of law required by this
201201 section or the program agreement has been completed;
202202 (2) the individual obligated is unable to practice law because of
203203 permanent disability; or
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247247 (3) the individual obligated dies.
248248 (h) The dean of each law school shall annually submit a report to the
249249 senate standing committee on judiciary and the house standing committee
250250 on judiciary or any successor committees on the law student training and
251251 loan program for rural Kansas.
252252 Sec. 4. (a) There is hereby established the attorney training and loan
253253 repayment program for rural Kansas. The program shall be administered
254254 by the office of judicial administration in coordination with the advisory
255255 committee established in section 2, and amendments thereto.
256256 (b) Subject to appropriations by the legislature, the office of judicial
257257 administration, in coordination with the advisory committee, shall develop
258258 and maintain a Kansas rural attorney loan repayment program in which the
259259 state agrees to pay all or part of the principal, interest and related expenses
260260 of the educational loans of each eligible rural attorney selected for
261261 participation in the program. The advisory committee shall establish the
262262 total amount of annual financial assistance available under the loan
263263 repayment program. The amount of loan repayment provided to each
264264 eligible attorney under this program shall be determined by the advisory
265265 committee and shall not exceed $20,000 for each year that the attorney
266266 establishes eligibility for assistance. The total amount of repayment
267267 assistance made to any eligible rural attorney shall not exceed $100,000.
268268 No eligible rural attorney may receive loan repayment assistance under
269269 this program for more than five years.
270270 (c) A rural attorney is eligible for loan repayment assistance under the
271271 program if the rural attorney:
272272 (1) Applies to the advisory committee on a form and in a manner
273273 determined by the advisory committee;
274274 (2) holds a law degree from an accredited postsecondary educational
275275 institution;
276276 (3) is licensed to practice law in Kansas and is in good standing at the
277277 time of application;
278278 (4) has outstanding student loan debt;
279279 (5) resides in a rural community; and
280280 (6) is engaged in the practice of law in a rural community.
281281 (d) The advisory committee, in coordination with the office of
282282 judicial administration, may approve applications and provide repayment
283283 assistance for the repayment of any student loan for education at a
284284 postsecondary educational institution, including, but not limited to, loans
285285 for undergraduate education received by the rural attorney through a
286286 lender.
287287 (e) (1) Loan repayment shall be available to eligible rural attorneys
288288 on an annual basis. To receive loan repayment assistance, an eligible rural
289289 attorney shall enter into an agreement to practice law in a rural community
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333333 for a period of at least 12 continuous months for each separate year that
334334 such attorney receives loan repayment assistance under the program,
335335 unless the loan repayment obligation is otherwise satisfied as provided in
336336 this section.
337337 (2) Each agreement entered into under this section shall include
338338 reasonable penalties for breach of contract. The office of judicial
339339 administration shall be responsible for enforcing the contract and
340340 collecting any damages or penalties owed.
341341 (f) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
342342 this section shall be postponed during any:
343343 (1) Period of temporary medical disability during which the
344344 individual obligated is unable to practice law due to such disability;
345345 (2) period of time during which the reason for not engaging in the
346346 practice of law is covered in the family and medical leave act; or
347347 (3) other period of postponement agreed to or determined in program
348348 agreement.
349349 (g) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
350350 this section shall be satisfied if:
351351 (1) The obligation to engage in the practice of law required by this
352352 section or the program agreement has been completed;
353353 (2) the individual obligated is unable to practice law because of
354354 permanent disability; or
355355 (3) the individual obligated dies.
356356 (h) The office of judicial administration shall report to the legislative
357357 budget committee, the senate standing committee on judiciary and the
358358 house standing committee on judiciary or any successor committees on the
359359 attorney training and loan repayment program for rural Kansas. Such
360360 report shall include:
361361 (1) The amount of moneys allocated to the attorney training program
362362 for rural Kansas fund;
363363 (2) the number of eligible rural attorneys who applied for the
364364 program;
365365 (3) the number of eligible rural attorneys who received loan
366366 repayment assistance; and
367367 (4) the portion of moneys appropriated from the attorney training
368368 program for rural Kansas fund reported by use, county, number and
369369 categories of clients served in a manner that does not violate attorney
370370 client privilege; and
371371 (5) the process for allocating funding.
372372 (i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to create a legal
373373 entitlement to loan repayment assistance.
374374 Sec. 5. There is hereby established in the state treasury the attorney
375375 training program for rural Kansas fund. Such fund shall be administered
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419419 by the judicial administrator. All moneys credited to the attorney training
420420 program for rural Kansas fund shall be expended only for student loans for
421421 students who enter into an agreement pursuant to section 3, and
422422 amendments thereto, or student loan repayment for licensed attorneys who
423423 enter into an agreement pursuant to section 4, and amendments thereto. All
424424 expenditures from the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund
425425 shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the
426426 director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by
427427 the judicial administrator or the administrator's designee. All moneys
428428 received by the office of judicial administration for the law student
429429 training and loan program for rural Kansas and the attorney training and
430430 loan repayment program for rural Kansas shall be deposited in the state
431431 treasury in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and
432432 amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state
433433 treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit
434434 of the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund.
435435 Sec. 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
436436 publication in the statute book.
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