House File 2203 HOUSE FILE BY PETERSEN and HUSER Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act directing the department of human services to implement 2 child welfare diversion and mediation pilot projects. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5234YH 80 5 jp/gg/14 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. CHILD WELFARE MEDIATION PILOT PROJECTS. The 1 2 department of human services shall implement five or more 1 3 child welfare diversion and mediation pilot projects through 1 4 the offices of the county attorney. The projects shall be 1 5 implemented in separate counties commencing during the fiscal 1 6 year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005. The 1 7 purposes of the projects are to divert selected child abuse 1 8 and neglect cases that may otherwise result in a child in need 1 9 of assistance adjudication, improve permanency for children, 1 10 promote family unification, and reduce state expenditures 1 11 associated with adjudication of child protection cases. 1 12 Selection of children and families for participation in a 1 13 pilot project shall be based upon diversion criteria mutually 1 14 agreed upon by the department and a pilot project. The 1 15 department shall be assisted by the pilot projects in 1 16 collecting data to analyze the effectiveness of the pilot 1 17 projects and the department shall submit an initial evaluation 1 18 to the general assembly on or before December 15, 2007. The 1 19 savings attributable to the pilot projects shall be calculated 1 20 and may be allocated to the projects as necessary to assist 1 21 with operating expenses. 1 22 EXPLANATION 1 23 This bill directs the department of human services to 1 24 implement five or more child welfare diversion and mediation 1 25 pilot projects through the offices of the county attorney. 1 26 The projects are to be implemented beginning in fiscal year 1 27 2004=2005 in separate counties. The pilot projects are to 1 28 fulfill purposes stated in the bill and are to assist the 1 29 department in data collection to evaluate effectiveness. An 1 30 initial evaluation is due to the general assembly on or before 1 31 December 15, 2007. Savings attributed to the pilot projects 1 32 may be allocated to the projects to assist with operating 1 33 expenses. 1 34 LSB 5234YH 80 1 35 jp/gg/14