The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush August 14 as part of the Higher Education Act reauthorization package. The loan repayment assistance for prosecutors appears in §§951 and 952 of H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Access Act. The complete text of that bill is available at http://thomas.loc.gov (enter bill number HR 4137 in the search box to view the final enrolled version online).
Despite this good news, note that H.R 4137 merely authorizes the creation of a repayment assistance program. Before such a program becomes operational, Congress must appropriate funds and the U.S. Attorney General must promulgate regulations to govern their disbursement. Unfortunately, both contingencies can take years; in fact, Congress is under no obligation to ever fund the program. In other words, passing this legislation is only the first step in what may be a very long journey, so don’t go out and buy yourself a shiny new pickup just yet.
TDCAA will keep you informed of developments as they occur. Call with further questions.