House File 642 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  SORENSON


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to full=time county attorneys and the practice of
  2    law.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2532HH 83
  5 jm/nh/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 236.3B, Code 2009, is amended to read
  1  2 as follows:
  1  3    236.3B  ASSISTANCE BY COUNTY ATTORNEY.
  1  4    A county attorney's office may provide assistance to a
  1  5 person wishing to initiate proceedings pursuant to this
  1  6 chapter or to a plaintiff at any stage of a proceeding under
  1  7 this chapter, if the individual does not have sufficient funds
  1  8 to pay for legal assistance and if the assistance does not
  1  9 create a conflict of interest for the county attorney's
  1 10 office.  The assistance provided may include, but is not
  1 11 limited to, assistance in obtaining or completing forms,
  1 12 filing a petition or other necessary pleading, presenting
  1 13 evidence to the court, and enforcing the orders of the court
  1 14 entered pursuant to this chapter.  Providing assistance
  1 15 pursuant to this section shall not be considered the private
  1 16 practice of law for the purposes of section 331.752.
  1 17    Sec. 2.  Section 331.752, subsection 1, Code 2009, is
  1 18 amended to read as follows:
  1 19    1.  The board may provide that the county attorney is a
  1 20 full=time or part=time county officer in the manner provided
  1 21 in this section.  A full=time county attorney shall otherwise
  1 22 refrain from the private practice of law for monetary
  1 23 remuneration.
  1 24                           EXPLANATION
  1 25    This bill relates to full=time county attorneys.  The bill
  1 26 prohibits a full=time county attorney from the practice of law
  1 27 for monetary gain, other than as a full=time county attorney.
  1 28 Currently, a county attorney is prohibited from the private
  1 29 practice of law.
  1 30 LSB 2532HH 83
  1 31 jm/nh/5