2
3
4
5
6 Cosponsors:
7 Melissa G. Ballard
8 Dan N. Johnson
9 Carol Spackman Moss
10 Derrin R. Owens
Lee B. Perry
Marie H. Poulson
Susan Pulsipher
Robert M. Spendlove
Steve Waldrip
Christine F. Watkins
Elizabeth Weight
Mark A. Wheatley
11
12 LONG TITLE
13 General Description:
14 This bill enacts the Promotion of Student Loan Forgiveness Programs Act.
15 Highlighted Provisions:
16 This bill:
17 ▸ defines terms;
18 ▸ instructs the Division of Antidiscrimination and Labor to develop and make
19 publicly available informational materials that describe the Public Service Loan
20 Forgiveness Program and the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program;
21 ▸ requires each employer that is a public service organization to annually provide an
22 electronic copy of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program informational
23 materials to each of the employer's employees; and
24 ▸ requires each LEA to annually provide an electronic copy of the Teacher Loan
25 Forgiveness Program informational materials to each of the LEA's teachers.
26 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
27 None
28 Other Special Clauses:
29 None
30 Utah Code Sections Affected:
31 ENACTS:
32 34-54-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
33 34-54-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
34 34-54-201, Utah Code Annotated 1953
35 34-54-202, Utah Code Annotated 1953
36 34-54-203, Utah Code Annotated 1953
37
38 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
39 Section 1. Section 34-54-101 is enacted to read:
40
41
42
43 34-54-101. Title.
44 This chapter is known as "Promotion of Student Loan Forgiveness Programs Act."
45 Section 2. Section 34-54-102 is enacted to read:
46 34-54-102. Definitions.
47 As used in this chapter:
48 (1) "Division" means the Division of Antidiscrimination and Labor in the commission.
49 (2) (a) "Employer" means, except as provided in Subsection (2)(b), a public service
50 organization in the state that employs one or more individuals.
51 (b) "Employer" does not include:
52 (i) a federal or tribal government organization, agency, or entity; or
53 (ii) a tribal college or university.
54 (3) "Employment certification form" means the form provided by the United States
55 Department of Education, in part, to verify that an individual's employment qualifies for
56 participation in a student loan forgiveness program.
57 (4) "LEA" means a school district, a charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf
58 and the Blind.
59 (5) "Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program" means the Public Service Loan
60 Forgiveness Program described in 34 C.F.R. 685.219.
61 (6) "Public service organization" means the same as that term is defined in 34 C.F.R.
62 685.219.
63 (7) "Student loan forgiveness program" means:
64 (a) the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program; or
65 (b) the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.
66 (8) "Teacher" means the same as that term is defined in 34 C.F.R. 685.217.
67 (9) "Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program" means the Teacher Loan Forgiveness
68 Program described in 34 C.F.R. 685.217.
69 Section 3. Section 34-54-201 is enacted to read:
70
71 34-54-201. Division duties.
72 (1) For each student loan forgiveness program, the division shall develop a set of
73 informational materials designed to increase awareness of the program among eligible residents
74 of the state.
75 (2) In each set of informational materials described in Subsection (1), the division shall
76 include:
77 (a) a one-page form letter for an employer to give to an employee who may be eligible
78 for the loan forgiveness program that:
79 (i) briefly summarizes the loan forgiveness program;
80 (ii) describes each step the employee must take to participate in the loan forgiveness
81 program; and
82 (iii) recommends the employee contact the employee's student loan servicer for
83 additional information about the loan forgiveness program; and
84 (b) a document that contains answers to frequently asked questions about the loan
85 forgiveness program.
86 (3) The division may use information published by a federal agency to satisfy any
87 requirement of Subsection (1) or (2).
88 (4) The division shall:
89 (a) make each set of informational materials described in this section available on the
90 division's website; and
91 (b) ensure that each set of informational materials described in this section contains
92 current and accurate information.
93 Section 4. Section 34-54-202 is enacted to read:
94 34-54-202. Employer obligations.
95 (1) (a) At least once each calendar year, an employer shall give each of the employer's
96 employees an electronic copy of the set of informational materials that the division develops in
97 accordance with Section 34-54-201 for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
98 (b) An employer shall give each employee hired on or after July 1, 2019, an electronic
99 copy of the materials described in Subsection (1)(a) within 14 days after the day on which the
100 employee begins work for the employer.
101 (2) Upon request from an employee, an employer shall complete the employer portions
102 of an employment certification form and provide a copy of the employment certification form
103 to the employee.
104 Section 5. Section 34-54-203 is enacted to read:
105 34-54-203. Additional LEA obligations.
106 (1) (a) At least once each calendar year, an LEA shall give each of the LEA's teachers
107 an electronic copy of the set of informational materials that the division develops in accordance
108 with Section 34-54-201 for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.
109 (b) An LEA shall give each teacher hired on or after July 1, 2019, an electronic copy of
110 the materials described in Subsection (1)(a) within 14 days after the day on which the teacher
111 begins work for the LEA.
112 (2) An LEA's obligations under this section are in addition to the other requirements of
113 this chapter.