PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1511 PRINTER'S NO. 2279
No. 1313 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY TRICH, COLE, LLOYD, STAIRS, MELIO, LESCOVITZ, COY,
DALEY, FREEMAN, HECKLER, NAILOR, JOHNSON, ROEBUCK, HERMAN,
ANGSTADT, NOYE, CARLSON, CARONE, ARGALL, MERRY, FLEAGLE,
G. SNYDER, BARLEY, STEIGHNER, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BISHOP,
WILLIAMS, TRELLO, JAMES, HARPER, PISTELLA AND TELEK,
MAY 6, 1991
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JULY 10, 1991
AN ACT
1 Providing for Commonwealth support for the Agriculture Education
2 Loan Forgiveness Program for Pennsylvania residents who
3 graduate from institutions of higher education and who apply
4 their degrees in agriculture to family farms within this
5 Commonwealth.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Agriculture
10 Education Loan Forgiveness Act.
11 Section 2. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
16 Agency.
17 "Agricultural products." Crops, livestock and livestock
1 products, and commodities, including, but not limited to:
2 (1) Field crops, including corn, wheat, oats, rye,
3 barley, hay, potatoes and dry beans.
4 (2) Fruits, including apples, peaches, grapes, cherries
5 and berries.
6 (3) Vegetables, including tomatoes, snap beans, cabbage,
7 carrots, beets, onions and mushrooms.
8 (4) Horticultural specialties, including nursery stock,
9 ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees and flowers.
10 (5) Cattle, sheep, hogs, goats, horses, poultry,
11 furbearing animals, milk, eggs and furs.
12 (6) Timber, wood and other wood products derived from
13 trees.
14 (7) Aquatic plants and animals and their by-products.
15 (8) Products derived from any of the above and other
16 products derived from the business of farming, including such
17 other products as may be manufactured, derived or prepared
18 from the heretofore mentioned products, raw or processed,
19 which are used as food for man or animals.
20 "Family farm." The real property of a farm owned by members
21 of an immediate family or by a family farm corporation used for
22 the production, for commercial purposes, of agricultural
23 products.
24 "Family farm corporation." A corporation of which at least
25 75% of its assets are devoted to the business of agriculture and
26 at least 75% of each class of stock of the corporation is
27 continuously owned by members of the immediate family.
28 "Immediate family member." A spouse, child, stepchild,
29 parent, stepparent, grandparent, brother, stepbrother, sister,
30 stepsister or like relative-in-law of an owner of real property.
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1 "Practice of veterinary medicine." The practice in the field
2 of veterinary medicine by any person qualified by educational
3 training and experience in the science and techniques of
4 veterinary medicine and who is currently licensed to practice
5 veterinary medicine by the Pennsylvania State Board of
6 Veterinary Medicine under the act of December 27, 1974 (P.L.995,
7 No.326), known as the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act.
8 "Qualified applicant." A resident of this Commonwealth who
9 meets all of the following criteria:
10 (1) Holds a degree in a field related to the production
11 of agricultural products or in the field of veterinary
12 medicine, from an institution of higher education located
13 within this Commonwealth, approved by the agency for
14 participation under this act.
15 (2) Is in the first year of full-time employment or work
16 on a family farm or in the practice of veterinary medicine, a
17 portion of which activity must be for the protection and
18 enhancement of agricultural animal health and productivity,
19 on or after July 1, 1989 1991. <--
20 (3) Has borrowed through the agency-administered
21 Guaranteed Student Loan Programs.
22 "Secretary." The Secretary of Agriculture of the <--
23 Commonwealth.
24 "Veterinary medicine." That branch of medicine which deals
25 with the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, administration,
26 prescription, operation or manipulation or application of any
27 apparatus or appliance for any disease, pain, deformity, defect,
28 injury, wound or physical condition of any animal or for the
29 prevention of or the testing for the presence of any disease.
30 Section 3. Agriculture Education Loan Forgiveness Program.
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1 Qualified applicants who are selected for the Agriculture
2 Education Loan Forgiveness Program, in accordance with this act,
3 shall be eligible for payment by the agency of a portion of the
4 debt incurred by the applicant through the agency-administered
5 Guaranteed Student Loan Programs for the education necessary to
6 receive a degree in an agriculturally related field. For each
7 year that the applicant is employed full time on a family farm
8 or works full time on a family farm, a portion of which must be
9 located within this Commonwealth, or is engaged in the practice
10 of veterinary medicine within this Commonwealth, a portion of
11 which activity must be for the protection and enhancement of
12 agricultural animal health and productivity, the agency shall
13 forgive a proportional part of the applicant's loan. No more
14 than $2,000 shall be forgiven in any year, and no more than
15 $10,000 shall be forgiven for any applicant. Payments shall be
16 made in accordance with the procedures established by the
17 agency.
18 Section 4. Loan forgiveness awards.
19 Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those
20 applicants who are approved by the Department of Agriculture <--
21 AGENCY. Each applicant shall be required to submit such <--
22 documentation of continued eligibility as the agency may
23 require. THE REQUIRED CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENTATION SHALL BE <--
24 DEVELOPED BY THE AGENCY IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
25 AGRICULTURE.
26 Section 5. Funding.
27 Loan forgiveness awards shall be made to the extent that
28 funds are appropriated by the General Assembly.
29 Section 6. Responsibility of agency.
30 It shall be the responsibility of the agency to administer
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1 the Agriculture Education Loan Forgiveness Program established
2 by this act and to adopt such regulations, policies, procedures
3 and forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with the
4 provisions of this act.
5 Section 7. Appropriation. <--
6 The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
7 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Higher
8 Education Assistance Agency for the fiscal year July 1, 1991, to
9 June 30, 1992, to provide for the loan forgiveness authorized in
10 the provisions of this act.
11 Section 8 7. Effective date. <--
12 This act shall take effect July 1, 1991.
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