Sub. H.B. No. 5 Summary

• Establishes the Ohio Public Defender State Loan Repayment Program to repay educational loans for attorneys employed as public defenders in designated shortage areas, administered by the State Public Defender.

• Eligible participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are either final-year law school students or admitted attorneys in good standing in Ohio; loans covered include tuition, fees, books, room and board from ABA-accredited law schools.

• Provides up to $50,000 for a three-year service commitment (or up to $85,000 with optional fourth/fifth years) for full-time practitioners, with reduced amounts for part-time practitioners; participants must repay designated damages if they fail to complete service obligations.

• Appropriates $1,500,000 annually (fiscal years 2020 and 2021) to the Public Defender Loan Repayment Fund and creates two new funding sources (public defender shortage area fund and public defender loan repayment fund).

• Establishes a task force to study Ohio's indigent defense system and provide recommendations to the General Assembly regarding delivery, structure, and funding of indigent defense by August 1, 2020.