CHAPTER 68

Substitute for House Bill No. 2595*

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 stipends to law students who meet certain requirements and agree to practice law in rural areas; providing loan forgiveness to lawyers who meet certain requirements and practice law in rural areas; 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) “Department” means the department of commerce.

(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.

(5) “Program agreement” means an agreement to meet all the obligations provided in section 3, and amendments thereto.

(6) “Rural” or “rural community” means any county of this state other than Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties.

(d) The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 2031.

Sec. 2. (a) There is hereby established the law student training and stipend program for rural Kansas. The program shall be administered by the department 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 department and the applicable law school. Preference shall be given to students who are Kansas residents.

(c) Each student entering into a program agreement under this section shall receive a stipend in an amount of not to exceed $3,000 per school year for not more than three years for tuition, books, supplies and other school expenses incurred by a law student in pursuing a law degree. Upon satisfaction of all obligations under this section and the program agreement, the stipends provided pursuant to this section shall be deemed satisfied and forgiven.

(d) 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) engage in the full-time practice of law in rural Kansas within 90 days after admittance to the Kansas bar for a period of at least 12 continuous months for each separate school year that a student receives a stipend under the program, unless such obligation is otherwise satisfied as provided in this section; and

(3) upon failure to satisfy the obligation to engage in the full-time practice of law in rural Kansas in accordance with the provisions of this section, repay to such university, within 90 days of such failure, the amount equal to the total amount of the stipend received by such law student less a prorated amount based on any such periods of practice of law in rural Kansas meeting the requirements of this section, plus interest at the prime rate of interest plus 2% from the date that such stipend accrued. Such interest shall be compounded annually.

(e) Each law school, in coordination with the department, 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.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to obligate or require a law school to enter into a program agreement with a law student.

(g) (1) An obligation to engage in the practice of law in accordance with this section shall be postponed during any:

(A) Period of temporary medical disability during which the individual obligated is unable to practice law due to such disability;

(B) period of inability to engage in the practice of law for a reason covered in the family and medical leave act; or

(C) other period of postponement agreed to or determined in the program agreement.

(2) The obligation to engage in the practice of law required by this section or the program agreement shall be satisfied if:

(A) The individual obligated is unable to practice law because of permanent disability; or

(B) the individual obligated dies.

(h) The dean of university of Kansas school of law and the dean of Washburn university school of law shall annually submit a report about the program to the senate committees on ways and means and judiciary and the house of representatives committees on appropriations, judiciary and higher education budget.

(i) The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 2031.

Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established the attorney training and loan repayment program for rural Kansas. The program shall be administered by the department.

(b) Subject to appropriations by the legislature, the department, in coordination with Washburn university and the University of Kansas, 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 department 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 department and shall not exceed $20,000 for each year that each such 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 department on a form and in a manner determined by the department;

(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 department, in coordination with Washburn university and the University of Kansas 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 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 department 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 inability to engage in the practice of law for a reason 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

(3) the individual obligated dies.

(h) The department shall annually submit a report about the program to the senate committees on ways and means and judiciary and the house of representatives committees on appropriations, judiciary and higher education budget. 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;

(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.

(j) The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 2031.

Sec. 4. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund. Such fund shall be administered by the department of commerce. All moneys credited to the attorney training program for rural Kansas fund shall be expended only for student stipends 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 secretary of commerce or the secretary’s designee. All moneys received by the department of commerce for the law student training and stipend 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.

(b) The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 2031.

Sec. 5. The office of judicial administration shall coordinate with the department as requested by the department to administer the provisions of this act. Such coordination shall include, but not be limited to, providing verification of bar admission, law school graduation and employment verification for students who participate in the attorney training program for rural Kansas. The supreme court may establish rules to provide for securely sharing the information as required in this section.

Sec. 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.

Approved April 6, 2026.