Read the full stored bill text
Senate
File
2370
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2370
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SSB
3076)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
the
state
public
defender’s
pilot
project
1
to
implement
innovative
models
of
child
welfare
legal
2
representation
as
the
project
to
preserve
families.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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S.F.
2370
Section
1.
Section
13B.13,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
13B.13
State
public
defender
pilot
project
——
child
welfare
3
legal
representation
project
to
preserve
families
.
4
1.
Notwithstanding
any
other
provision
of
the
law
to
the
5
contrary,
for
each
fiscal
year
for
the
period
beginning
July
1,
6
2020,
and
ending
June
30,
2025,
the
state
public
defender
may
7
establish
a
pilot
shall
administer
and
maintain
the
project
to
8
implement
innovative
models
of
legal
representation
in
order
9
preserve
families
to
assist
families
involved
in
the
child
10
welfare
system.
The
state
public
defender
shall
have
sole
11
discretion
to
establish
and
implement
the
pilot
project.
12
2.
The
state
public
defender
may
implement
administer
and
13
maintain
the
new
pilot
project
in
up
to
sixteen
counties
to
14
preserve
families
throughout
the
state.
15
3.
The
purpose
of
the
pilot
project
is
to
preserve
families
16
shall
implement
,
administer,
and
study
innovative
ways
models
17
of
legal
representation
,
through
a
team
approach
or
through
18
other
methods,
to
achieve
positive
outcomes
for
families,
19
reduce
trauma
to
young
children,
and
deliver
financial
benefits
20
to
families
and
their
communities.
21
4.
The
state
public
defender
may
coordinate
with
other
22
agencies
and
organizations
to
implement
the
pilot
project
23
administer
and
maintain
,
seek
grant
funding
for
,
and
measure
24
the
results
analyze
the
outcomes
of
the
project
to
preserve
25
families
.
26
5.
The
state
public
defender
may
appoint
an
attorney
to
27
represent
an
indigent
person
prior
to
initiation
of
formal
28
proceedings,
without
court
order,
if
such
representation
is
29
deemed
appropriate
by
the
state
public
defender
and
relates
to
30
the
purposes
of
the
pilot
project
to
preserve
families
.
31
6.
The
state
public
defender
may
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
32
chapter
17A
to
administer
this
section.
33
EXPLANATION
34
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
35
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2370
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
1
Under
current
law,
the
state
public
defender
(SPD)
may
2
establish
a
pilot
project
to
implement
innovative
models
3
of
legal
representation
to
assist
families
involved
in
the
4
child
welfare
system
by
implementing
and
studying
ways
to
5
achieve
positive
outcomes
for
families,
reduce
trauma
to
young
6
children,
and
deliver
financial
benefits
to
families
and
their
7
communities.
The
SPD
may
implement
the
pilot
project
in
up
to
8
16
counties
throughout
the
state,
and
the
pilot
project
expires
9
on
June
30,
2025.
10
This
bill
changes
the
pilot
project
into
a
permanent
program
11
known
as
the
project
to
preserve
families
(PPF)
and
allows
the
12
SPD
to
administer
and
maintain
the
PPF
throughout
the
state.
13
The
SPD
may
adopt
rules
to
administer
the
PPF.
14
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