The bill establishes a Rural Attorney Recruitment Assistance Program aimed at helping rural counties and municipalities in Iowa recruit attorneys. The program will be administered by the department, which will conduct assessments to evaluate the need for legal services in interested counties or municipalities. To qualify for the program, a county or municipality must have a population of less than 26,000 and be located more than 20 miles from a city with a population of at least 50,000, as per the 2020 federal census. Eligible participants will receive an incentive payment equivalent to 90% of the University of Iowa College of Law resident tuition and fees, distributed in five equal annual installments, in addition to their salary and benefits.

The bill outlines the responsibilities of both the participating counties or municipalities and the attorneys involved. Counties or municipalities must contribute 35% of the total incentive payments, while the department will cover the remaining balance upon certification of payment. Attorneys must agree to work full-time in the eligible area for at least five years and participate in volunteer legal projects. A fund is created to support the program, which will be limited to five attorneys in its initial year. The department is also authorized to accept various forms of funding to support the program's implementation and administration.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8.33