CORRECTED COPY
LRB-3780/1
MLJ:ahe
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
October 19, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives Tusler, Quinn, Goyke,
Anderson, Berceau, E. Brooks, Considine, Crowley, Doyle, Edming,
Genrich, Horlacher, Mason, Mursau, Pope, C. Taylor, Subeck and Kessler,
cosponsored by Senators Testin and Vinehout. Referred to Committee on
Colleges and Universities.
AB567,1,2 1An Act relating to: a Public Defender Board student loan payment pilot
2program and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill directs the Public Defender Board to establish a student loan payment
pilot program for private bar attorneys who accept public defender appointments.
The program would provide a payment to use to repay student loans of up to $20,000
per year for attorneys in counties with a population of 25,000 or less who agree to
accept at least 50 state public defender appointments per year. The bill provides
$250,000 GPR in each fiscal year of the 2017-19 biennium for the program.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB567,1 3Section 1 . Nonstatutory provisions.
AB567,1,44 (1) Student loan payment pilot program.
AB567,2,45 (a) The public defender board shall conduct a student loan payment pilot
6program for private bar attorneys who accept public defender appointments. The

1program shall provide up to $20,000 per year, or the outstanding balance on the
2attorney's student loans, whichever is less, to eligible attorneys to use to repay
3student loans. To be eligible to receive a payment under this paragraph in any
4calendar year, an attorney must meet all of the following criteria:
AB567,2,5 51. The attorney is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin.
AB567,2,6 62. The attorney is certified to accept state public defender appointments.
AB567,2,8 73. The attorney agrees to accept a minimum of 50 state public defender
8appointments per year.
AB567,2,11 94. The attorney maintains a law practice that either is headquartered or
10performs a demonstrated majority of its legal work in a county with a population of
1125,000 or fewer residents.
AB567,2,13 125. The attorney has outstanding student loans that were incurred to obtain a
13juris doctor degree from an accredited university.
AB567,2,2114 (b) An attorney who will meet all of the criteria under paragraph (a) may apply
15for the student loan payment pilot program beginning on January 1 of each year to
16qualify to receive a payment at the end of that year. Applications will be accepted
17on a rolling basis and all payments will be disbursed in the order that applications
18are received. At the end of the year, the attorney must certify that he or she has met
19all of the criteria for that year and must provide proof of his or her outstanding
20student loan balance on January 1 of that year to determine the payment amount
21that he or she is eligible to receive under the program.
AB567,3,522 (c) The public defender board may promulgate emergency rules under section
23227.24 of the statutes to implement the program under paragraph (a) for the period
24before the effective date of permanent rules but not to exceed the period authorized
25under section 227.24 (1) (c) of the statutes, subject to extension under section 227.24

1(2) of the statutes. Notwithstanding section 227.24 (1) (a), (2) (b), and (3) of the
2statutes, the board is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule
3under this paragraph as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the
4public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of
5emergency for a rule promulgated under this paragraph.
AB567,2 6Section 2. Fiscal changes.
AB567,3,177 (1) Student loan payment pilot program. In the schedule under section 20.005
8(3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the public defender board under section
920.550 (1) (a) of the statutes, the dollar amount for fiscal year 2017-18 is increased
10by $250,000 to conduct a student loan payment pilot program under Section 1 (1) of
11this act for private bar attorneys who accept public defender appointments and who
12meet certain additional criteria. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the
13statutes for the appropriation to the public defender board under section 20.550 (1)
14(a) of the statutes, the dollar amount for fiscal year 2018-19 is increased by $250,000
15to conduct a student loan payment pilot program under Section 1 (1) of this act for
16private bar attorneys who accept public defender appointments and who meet
17certain additional criteria.
AB567,3,1818 (End)
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