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