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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- H 5521 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001318 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND STUDENT LOAN REPAYME NT |
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| 16 | 16 | | PROGRAM |
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| 17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Hull, Ackerman, J. Brien, Casimiro, |
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| 18 | 18 | | Henries, Cortvriend, Cardillo, Perez, and Baginski |
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| 19 | 19 | | Date Introduced: February 10, 2023 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Referred To: House Finance |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by 1 |
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| 25 | 25 | | adding thereto the following chapter: 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | CHAPTER 112 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | RHODE ISLAND STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM 4 |
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| 28 | 28 | | 16-112-1. Short title. 5 |
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| 29 | 29 | | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rhode Island Student Loan 6 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Repayment Program”. 7 |
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| 31 | 31 | | 16-112-2. Creation. 8 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (a) There is hereby established at the Rhode Island student loan authority (RISLA) a 9 |
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| 33 | 33 | | restricted receipt account entitled the Rhode Island student loan repayment fund (“the fund”). The 10 |
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| 34 | 34 | | fund shall be used to provide eligible individuals, as defined in § 16-112-4, with payment from the 11 |
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| 35 | 35 | | state to the individual’s lending agency to pay a portion of their student loan debt. 12 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) RISLA shall administer the fund. 13 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (c) RISLA shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this chapter, 14 |
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| 38 | 38 | | which shall include, but are not limited to, providing an easy-to-follow guide in a variety of 15 |
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| 39 | 39 | | languages regarding how to complete the request for student loan repayment assistance. 16 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 16-112-3. Definitions. 17 |
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| 41 | 41 | | For purposes of this chapter: 18 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC001318 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | “Underserved community” means a federally designated health professional shortage area 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | as identified by the United States Health Resources and Services Administration. 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16-112-4. Eligibility of individuals. 3 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (a) Individuals employed by a Rhode Island based employer may be eligible for the Rhode 4 |
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| 49 | 49 | | Island student loan repayment program if they: 5 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (1) Have unpaid health professional student loans; 6 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) Have a license to practice as a clinical social worker; and 7 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) Have committed to practice full time for two (2) years or practice part-time for four (4) 8 |
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| 53 | 53 | | years within this state. 9 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (b) Preference for student loan repayment assistance under this chapter may be given to 10 |
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| 55 | 55 | | individuals who work in an underserved community. 11 |
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| 56 | 56 | | 16-112-5. Student loan repayment of program amounts. 12 |
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| 57 | 57 | | The total amount of student loan repayments may not exceed the outstanding balance. 13 |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 14 |
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| 59 | 59 | | ======== |
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| 60 | 60 | | LC001318 |
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| 61 | 61 | | ======== |
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| 62 | 62 | | |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | LC001318 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 65 | 65 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 66 | 66 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 67 | 67 | | OF |
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| 68 | 68 | | A N A C T |
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| 69 | 69 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT |
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| 70 | 70 | | PROGRAM |
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| 71 | 71 | | *** |
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| 72 | 72 | | This act would establish the Rhode Island student loan repayment program wherein eligible 1 |
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| 73 | 73 | | individuals who: (1) Have unpaid health professional student loans; (2) Have a license to practice 2 |
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| 74 | 74 | | as a clinical social worker; and (3) Have committed to practice full-time for two (2) years or practice 3 |
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| 75 | 75 | | part-time for four (4) years, within Rhode Island, may apply to have their student loans, or a portion 4 |
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| 76 | 76 | | thereof, paid by the state directly to the individual’s lending agency. The program would be 5 |
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| 77 | 77 | | administered by the Rhode Island student loan authority (RISLA). 6 |
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| 78 | 78 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 7 |
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| 79 | 79 | | ======== |
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| 80 | 80 | | LC001318 |
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| 81 | 81 | | ======== |
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