2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 20 - EDUCATION (§§ 20-1-1 — 20-18-7) › Chapter 3 - POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION (§§ 20-3-1 — 20-3-683) › Article 7 - SCHOLARSHIPS, LOANS, AND GRANTS (§§ 20-3-230 — 20-3-519.14) › Part 3 - GEORGIA STUDENT FINANCE AUTHORITY (§§ 20-3-310 — 20-3-494) › Subpart 7A - STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT FOR MEDICAL EXAMINERS EMPLOYED BY GBI (§ 20-3-460) › Section 20-3-460 - Repayment options for full-time medical examiner employed by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation

(a)
As used in this Code section, the term:
(1)
"Eligible applicant" means a person who:
(A)
Is a legal resident of the State of Georgia as established by rules and regulations of the authority;
(B)
Is a physician duly licensed and authorized to practice medicine in this state under Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43; and
(C)
Is currently employed as a full-time medical examiner by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and has been so employed for at least one year.
(2)
"Recipient" means an eligible applicant who applied for and was approved by the authority for student loan repayment under this Code section.
(3)
"Student loan" means debt incurred by an eligible applicant that is:
(A)
Evidenced by a promissory note which required the funds received to be used to pay for the cost of attendance for the undergraduate, graduate, or professional education of the eligible applicant;
(B)
Not in default at the time of application for repayment under this Code section; and
(C)
Not subject to an existing service obligation or to repayment through another student loan repayment or loan forgiveness program or as a condition of employment.
(b)
The authority is authorized to approve the applications of eligible applicants submitted in accordance with rules and regulations established by the authority governing the student loan repayment application process.
(c)
The authority is authorized to provide for the repayment of student loans held by recipients in consideration of the recipient performing services in the form of the practice of medicine as a full-time medical examiner employed by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
(d)
(1)
Each recipient, before being granted any student loan repayment, shall enter into a student loan repayment agreement with the authority agreeing to the terms and conditions upon which the student loan repayment is granted, including such terms and conditions set forth in this Code section.
(2)
The authority shall have the power to terminate a student loan repayment agreement at any time for any cause deemed sufficient by the authority, provided that such power shall not be arbitrarily or unreasonably exercised.
(e)
Each student loan repayment agreement entered into under the authority granted in this Code section shall be signed by the director of the authority and by the recipient and shall:
(1)
Provide for repayment of the recipient's student loans in a total amount as the authority shall determine, but not to exceed a maximum of $120,000.00 or the total student loan debt of the recipient, whichever is less, to be paid out over a term of not more than five years in installments made on an annual basis;
(2)
Provide that any payment made by the authority under a student loan repayment agreement shall be made in consideration of services rendered by the recipient practicing medicine as a full-time medical examiner employed by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; and
(3)
Require that the recipient shall remain a legal resident of the state as established by rules and regulations of the authority; maintain licensure as a physician authorized to practice medicine in this state under Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43; and be employed as a full-time medical examiner by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at all times during the term of the agreement.
(f)
The authority shall adopt such rules and regulations as are reasonable and necessary to implement the provisions of this Code section.
(g)
Student loan repayment for recipients having entered into a student loan repayment agreement with the authority pursuant to this Code section shall be contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly for the purposes of this Code section in annual appropriations Acts of the General Assembly.
Added by 2023 Ga. Laws 49,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.