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Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2174
By Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Requested by Representative Rahjes
1-30
AN ACT concerning attorneys at law; relating to the practice of law in
rural Kansas; enacting the attorney training program for rural Kansas
act; providing financial assistance to attorneys and law students who
practice law in rural areas of the state; establishing the attorney training
program for rural Kansas fund.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) Section 1 et seq., and amendments thereto, shall be
known and may be cited as the attorney training program for rural Kansas
act.
(b) The purpose of the act is to provide encouragement, opportunities
and incentives for licensed attorneys or individuals who are pursing a law
degree at Washburn university or the university of Kansas to practice law
in rural Kansas communities.
(c) As used in this act:
(1) "Advisory committee" means the attorney training program for
rural Kansas advisory committee established in section 2, and amendments
thereto.
(2) "Law school" means the Washburn university school of law and
the university of Kansas school of law.
(3) "Law student" means an individual enrolled in and attending law
school at Washburn university or the university of Kansas.
(4) "Practice of law" includes:
(A) Representing a client in the practice of law;
(B) serving as corporate counsel or an attorney with a local, state or
federal government body;
(C) teaching at a law school approved by the American bar
association; and
(D) serving as a judge or judicial law clerk in a federal, state or local
court if the position requires a license to practice law.
(4) "Program agreement" means an agreement to meet all the
obligations provided in section 3, and amendments thereto.
(5) "Rural" or "rural community" means any county of this state other
than Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties.
Sec. 2. (a) There is hereby established the attorney training program
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for rural Kansas advisory committee. The advisory committee shall assist
in the administration of the law student training and loan program for rural
Kansas established in section 3, and amendments thereto, and the lawyer
training and loan repayment assistance program for rural Kansas
established in section 4, and amendments thereto.
(b) The advisory committee shall consist of the following seven
members appointed by the chief justice of the Kansas supreme court:
(1) Three attorneys licensed in Kansas who each reside in a rural
community;
(2) two non-attorney members who each reside in a rural community;
(3) one representative from the Washburn university school of law;
and
(4) one representative from the university of Kansas school of law.
(c) The office of judicial administration shall provide necessary staff
to support the advisory committee.
(d) The chief justice shall appoint the chair of the advisory
committee.
(e) Any vacancy on the advisory committee shall be filled in the same
manner as the original appointment.
(f) The advisory committee may meet at any time and any place upon
the call of the chairperson.
(g) The advisory committee may adopt rules and regulations
necessary to implement and administer the law student training and loan
program for rural Kansas and the lawyer training and loan repayment
assistance program for rural Kansas. Such rules and regulations shall
include criteria for prioritizing repayment of loans if there are insufficient
moneys available in the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund.
Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established the law student training and
loan program for rural Kansas. The program shall be administered by the
advisory committee established in section 2, and amendments thereto, in
coordination with:
(1) Washburn university for Washburn university law students; and
(2) the university of Kansas for university of Kansas law students.
(b) Subject to appropriations by the legislature, each law school may
enter into program agreements with law students who meet the
requirements of this section and any other requirements established by the
advisory committee and the applicable law school. Preference shall be
given to those students who are Kansas residents. Each student entering
into a program agreement shall receive a loan in an amount not to exceed
$30,000 per year for not more than three years. Such loan shall be for the
cost of tuition, books, supplies and other school expenses incurred by the
law student in pursuing a law degree. Upon satisfaction of all obligations
under this section and the program agreement, the loans provided pursuant
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to this section shall be deemed satisfied and forgiven.
(c) The program agreement shall require each law student who
participates in the program to:
(1) Complete the law degree program at the law school;
(2) complete all required training and classes as determined by the
law school and advisory committee;
(3) complete an externship and mentoring requirement with an
approved licensed attorney in a rural community;
(4) engage in the full-time practice of law in a rural community
within 90 days after admittance to the Kansas bar or, if such person enters
a post-degree training program, within 90 days after completion of such
program. Such practice shall continue for a period of at least 12 continuous
months for each separate year that a student received a loan under the
program, unless such obligation is otherwise satisfied; and
(5) repay to the law school within 90 days of a failure to satisfy the
obligation to engage in the full-time practice of law, in accordance with
this section, the amount equal to the amount loaned to such person less a
prorated amount based on any periods of practice of law meeting the
requirements of this section, plus interest at the prime rate of interest plus
2% from the date such loan accrued. Such interest shall be compounded
annually.
(d) Each law school, in coordination with the advisory committee,
may adopt additional provisions, requirements or conditions for
participation in this program as deemed practicable and appropriate or
necessary for the implementation or administration of the program. Any
additional provisions, requirements or conditions shall not be inconsistent
with this act or appropriation acts of the legislature.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to obligate or require a
law school to enter into a program agreement with a law student.
(f) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
this section shall be postponed during any:
(1) Period of temporary medical disability during which the
individual obligated is unable to practice law due to such disability;
(2) period of time during which the reason for not engaging in the
practice of law is covered in the family and medical leave act; or
(3) other period of postponement agreed to or determined in the
program agreement.
(g) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
this section shall be satisfied if:
(1) The obligation to engage in the practice of law required by this
section or the program agreement has been completed;
(2) the individual obligated is unable to practice law because of
permanent disability; or
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(3) the individual obligated dies.
(h) The dean of each law school shall annually submit a report to the
senate standing committee on judiciary and the house standing committee
on judiciary or any successor committees on the law student training and
loan program for rural Kansas.
Sec. 4. (a) There is hereby established the attorney training and loan
repayment program for rural Kansas. The program shall be administered
by the office of judicial administration in coordination with the advisory
committee established in section 2, and amendments thereto.
(b) Subject to appropriations by the legislature, the office of judicial
administration, in coordination with the advisory committee, shall develop
and maintain a Kansas rural attorney loan repayment program in which the
state agrees to pay all or part of the principal, interest and related expenses
of the educational loans of each eligible rural attorney selected for
participation in the program. The advisory committee shall establish the
total amount of annual financial assistance available under the loan
repayment program. The amount of loan repayment provided to each
eligible attorney under this program shall be determined by the advisory
committee and shall not exceed $20,000 for each year that the attorney
establishes eligibility for assistance. The total amount of repayment
assistance made to any eligible rural attorney shall not exceed $100,000.
No eligible rural attorney may receive loan repayment assistance under
this program for more than five years.
(c) A rural attorney is eligible for loan repayment assistance under the
program if the rural attorney:
(1) Applies to the advisory committee on a form and in a manner
determined by the advisory committee;
(2) holds a law degree from an accredited postsecondary educational
institution;
(3) is licensed to practice law in Kansas and is in good standing at the
time of application;
(4) has outstanding student loan debt;
(5) resides in a rural community; and
(6) is engaged in the practice of law in a rural community.
(d) The advisory committee, in coordination with the office of
judicial administration, may approve applications and provide repayment
assistance for the repayment of any student loan for education at a
postsecondary educational institution, including, but not limited to, loans
for undergraduate education received by the rural attorney through a
lender.
(e) (1) Loan repayment shall be available to eligible rural attorneys
on an annual basis. To receive loan repayment assistance, an eligible rural
attorney shall enter into an agreement to practice law in a rural community
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for a period of at least 12 continuous months for each separate year that
such attorney receives loan repayment assistance under the program,
unless the loan repayment obligation is otherwise satisfied as provided in
this section.
(2) Each agreement entered into under this section shall include
reasonable penalties for breach of contract. The office of judicial
administration shall be responsible for enforcing the contract and
collecting any damages or penalties owed.
(f) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
this section shall be postponed during any:
(1) Period of temporary medical disability during which the
individual obligated is unable to practice law due to such disability;
(2) period of time during which the reason for not engaging in the
practice of law is covered in the family and medical leave act; or
(3) other period of postponement agreed to or determined in program
agreement.
(g) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with
this section shall be satisfied if:
(1) The obligation to engage in the practice of law required by this
section or the program agreement has been completed;
(2) the individual obligated is unable to practice law because of
permanent disability; or
(3) the individual obligated dies.
(h) The office of judicial administration shall report to the legislative
budget committee, the senate standing committee on judiciary and the
house standing committee on judiciary or any successor committees on the
attorney training and loan repayment program for rural Kansas. Such
report shall include:
(1) The amount of moneys allocated to the attorney training program
for rural Kansas fund;
(2) the number of eligible rural attorneys who applied for the
program;
(3) the number of eligible rural attorneys who received loan
repayment assistance; and
(4) the portion of moneys appropriated from the attorney training
program for rural Kansas fund reported by use, county, number and
categories of clients served in a manner that does not violate attorney
client privilege; and
(5) the process for allocating funding.
(i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to create a legal
entitlement to loan repayment assistance.
Sec. 5. There is hereby established in the state treasury the attorney
training program for rural Kansas fund. Such fund shall be administered
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by the judicial administrator. All moneys credited to the attorney training
program for rural Kansas fund shall be expended only for student loans for
students who enter into an agreement pursuant to section 3, and
amendments thereto, or student loan repayment for licensed attorneys who
enter into an agreement pursuant to section 4, and amendments thereto. All
expenditures from the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund
shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the
director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by
the judicial administrator or the administrator's designee. All moneys
received by the office of judicial administration for the law student
training and loan program for rural Kansas and the attorney training and
loan repayment program for rural Kansas shall be deposited in the state
treasury in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and
amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state
treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit
of the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund.
Sec. 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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