A bill for 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. (Formerly HSB 566 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026.

STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 09, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
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.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
KimlReynolds
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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05.
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 proj e ct — child w e lfar e
legal represen ta tion project to preserve families .
1 . Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the
contrary, for e ach fiscal year for th e p e riod b e ginning -July 1,
20 20, — and e nding Jun e 30, — 2- 02 5 , the state public defender may
establish a pilot shall administer and maintain the project to
implement — innovative mod e ls of l e gal r e presentation in ord e r
preserve families to assist families involved in the child
welfare system. ¥ h e— a bate public d e f e nd e r shall hav e sol e
discr e tion to es tablish and implem e nt th e pilot proj e ct.
2 . The state public defender may impl e m e nt administer and
maintain the n e w pilot project in up to sixt ee n counties to
preserve families throughout the state.
3 . The purpos e of th e pilot project 4-s 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 — th e pilot project
administer and maintain , seek grant funding for, and me asur e
th e r e sults 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 GRASSL
Speaker of^the House 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.
Approved