Oklahoma law may pay loans for prosecutors in high-need districts

The District Attorneys Council may pay a loan servicer or lender directly for an eligible assistant district attorney. The employee must work full time as an Oklahoma assistant district attorney and serve in a committee-designated high-need jurisdiction. Payments depend on available funds and continued eligibility; the law does not guarantee assistance. The Council may pay up to $5,000 in any 12-month period and no more than $50,000 total for one employee. The loan must be from before the employee began work, or be for education directly related to the job and incurred during employment. The law takes effect November 1, 2026. The yearly limit applies in any 12-month period.

An employee who leaves a designated high-need jurisdiction before completing the required service must repay the loan assistance. This applies to an employee who received a payment under the program and ends service in a designated high-need jurisdiction before completing the required hours. If the employee works fewer hours than required for the assistance received, the repayment amount is reduced based on hours worked. The required service is 2,000 hours of full-time work in a designated high-need jurisdiction for each $5,000 paid toward loan expenses.

A committee representing district attorneys, working with the District Attorneys Council, decides who may participate and which jurisdictions count as high-need. The program is for eligible full-time assistant district attorneys with qualifying education loans; service must be in a jurisdiction the committee designates as high-need. The committee considers factors such as population, rural remoteness, vacancies or turnover, distance from colleges, and workforce needs. Participants must submit loan and payment records each year in the manner the committee sets. Participants must submit documentation annually.