Bill > S3765

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Sign Language Interpreting Services Providers Loan Redemption Program in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). This loan redemption program is to provide for the redemption of a portion of a program participant's State, federal, or commercial student loans in exchange for the program participant's service at a site approved by the authority. Under the bill, the sites are to include a nonprofit agency providing sign language interpreting services, the Judiciary, an entity providing healthcare or mental health services, a public or nonpublic school, an institution of higher education, a licensed childcare provider, an entity providing video relay services and video remote interpreting services, and a nonprofit entity providing services for the general public good, as approved by the authority. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant is required to: (1) be a resident of the State; (2) be employed as an eligible provider of interpreting services, defined as an interpreter who is certified by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., listed by the State Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services or the New Jersey Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and providing interpreting services in the State; and (3) submit an application in a manner and form to be determined by the executive director of the HESAA. In selecting program participants, the executive director is required to give preference to applicants employed as an eligible provider of interpreting services in a county facing a shortage of providers of interpreting services. The bill stipulates that a selected program participant is to enter into a written contract with the authority. The contract is to specify the duration of the program participant's required service and the total amount of qualifying student loan amounts to be redeemed in return for the service. Under the bill, loan redemption is to amount to 18 percent of a program participant's qualifying loan amounts in return for one full year of service at an approved site, an additional 26 percent for a second full year of service, an additional 28 percent for a third full year of service, and an additional 28 percent for a fourth full year of service. The total loan redemption for a program participant is not to exceed $200,000. Finally, the bill stipulates that a provider of interpreting services, who is participating in the National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment Program or any other loan redemption program administered by the authority, is not eligible to simultaneously participate in the Sign Language Interpreting Services Providers Loan Redemption Program.

Committee Categories

Renee Burgess (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 10/07/2024)

Official Document