House File 2572 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2572 BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2174) A BILL FOR An Act providing for a task force to address legal services for 1 indigent parties. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5565HV (3) 91 lh/ns

H.F. 2572 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 602.1615 Legal services for 1 indigent parties task force. 2 1. The judicial branch shall establish a task force that 3 shall do all of the following: 4 a. Identify how legal services are delivered in this state 5 to indigent parties in criminal, juvenile, and child abuse and 6 neglect proceedings statewide. 7 b. Recommend improvements to the delivery of legal services 8 to indigent parties. 9 c. Recommend methods for providing legal services in cases 10 involving conflicts of interest where local public defenders 11 may be unable to accept representation. 12 d. Evaluate and recommend ways to ensure indigent parties 13 receive competent representation. 14 e. Identify potential funding options to support the 15 delivery of legal services for indigent parties. 16 f. Identify strategies to increase the number of qualified 17 attorneys needed to provide legal representation to all 18 residents of this state. 19 2. The task force shall consist of the following members: 20 a. A member appointed by the chief justice of the supreme 21 court. 22 b. A member appointed by the governor. 23 c. A member appointed by the attorney general. 24 d. A member appointed by the state public defender. 25 e. A member in good standing with the Iowa state bar 26 association appointed by the association. 27 f. A member in good standing with the Iowa state bar 28 association who has been licensed to practice for five years or 29 less appointed by the association. 30 g. A member in good standing with the Iowa association for 31 justice appointed by the association. 32 h. A county attorney appointed by the Iowa county attorneys 33 association. 34 i. A member appointed by the dean of the Drake university 35 -1- LSB 5565HV (3) 91 lh/ns 1/ 3

H.F. 2572 law school. 1 j. A member appointed by the dean of the university of Iowa 2 college of law. 3 k. A member of the house of representatives appointed by the 4 speaker of the house. 5 l. A member of the senate appointed by the majority leader 6 of the senate. 7 3. For the period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 8 November 15, 2030, the task force shall convene at least once 9 each calendar year, and may convene more frequently as deemed 10 necessary by a majority vote of the task force. 11 4. For the period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 12 November 15, 2030, the judicial branch shall submit a report 13 to the governor and the general assembly containing the task 14 force’s findings and recommendations on or before November 15 15 annually. 16 5. Members of the task force shall serve without 17 compensation but may be reimbursed for actual expenses in 18 the performance of their duties. Task force members who are 19 members of the general assembly shall be paid in accordance 20 with section 2.32A. The remaining task force members shall be 21 reimbursed from moneys appropriated for the purpose of this 22 section or otherwise appropriated to the judicial branch. 23 6. This section is repealed November 15, 2030, and the task 24 force shall dissolve on that date. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill directs the judicial branch to establish a task 29 force to investigate the statewide delivery of legal services 30 to indigent parties in criminal, juvenile, and child abuse 31 and neglect proceedings and to develop recommendations to 32 improve service delivery, address public defender conflicts of 33 interest, ensure competent representation, identify sustainable 34 funding, and increase the number of qualified attorneys 35 -2- LSB 5565HV (3) 91 lh/ns 2/ 3

H.F. 2572 available to serve indigent Iowans. 1 The required members of the task force are specified in the 2 bill. The bill provides that for the period beginning July 1, 3 2026, and ending November 15, 2030, the task force must convene 4 at least once per year. The bill requires the judicial branch 5 to submit a report to the governor and the general assembly by 6 November 15 each year through 2030. 7 -3- LSB 5565HV (3) 91 lh/ns 3/ 3