House
File
2356
-
Enrolled
House
File
2356
AN
ACT
ESTABLISHING
THE
STATE
PUBLIC
DEFENDER’S
PILOT
PROJECT
TO
IMPLEMENT
INNOVATIVE
MODELS
OF
CHILD
WELFARE
LEGAL
REPRESENTATION
AS
THE
PROJECT
TO
PRESERVE
FAMILIES.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
Section
13B.13,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
13B.13
State
public
defender
pilot
project
——
child
welfare
legal
representation
project
to
preserve
families
.
1.
Notwithstanding
any
other
provision
of
the
law
to
the
contrary,
for
each
fiscal
year
for
the
period
beginning
July
1,
2020,
and
ending
June
30,
2025,
the
state
public
defender
may
establish
a
pilot
shall
administer
and
maintain
the
project
to
implement
innovative
models
of
legal
representation
in
order
preserve
families
to
assist
families
involved
in
the
child
welfare
system.
The
state
public
defender
shall
have
sole
discretion
to
establish
and
implement
the
pilot
project.
2.
The
state
public
defender
may
implement
administer
and
maintain
the
new
pilot
project
in
up
to
sixteen
counties
to
preserve
families
throughout
the
state.
3.
The
purpose
of
the
pilot
project
is
to
preserve
families
shall
implement
,
administer,
and
study
innovative
ways
models
of
legal
representation
,
through
a
team
approach
or
through
other
methods,
to
achieve
positive
outcomes
for
families,
reduce
trauma
to
young
children,
and
deliver
financial
benefits
to
families
and
their
communities.
House
File
2356,
p.
2
4.
The
state
public
defender
may
coordinate
with
other
agencies
and
organizations
to
implement
the
pilot
project
administer
and
maintain
,
seek
grant
funding
for
,
and
measure
the
results
analyze
the
outcomes
of
the
project
to
preserve
families
.
5.
The
state
public
defender
may
appoint
an
attorney
to
represent
an
indigent
person
prior
to
initiation
of
formal
proceedings,
without
court
order,
if
such
representation
is
deemed
appropriate
by
the
state
public
defender
and
relates
to
the
purposes
of
the
pilot
project
to
preserve
families
.
6.
The
state
public
defender
may
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
to
administer
this
section.
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
______________________________
AMY
SINCLAIR
President
of
the
Senate
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
House
and
is
known
as
House
File
2356,
Ninety-first
General
Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN
NELSON
Chief
Clerk
of
the
House
Approved
_______________,
2026
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor