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 college student aid commission, which will assess the needs and capabilities of interested counties or municipalities before allowing them to participate. Eligible counties or municipalities 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. Participating attorneys 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 counties or municipalities and the attorneys involved in the program. Counties or municipalities must contribute 35% of the total incentive payments, while attorneys are required to work full-time in the eligible area for at least five years, serve as contract attorneys with the state public defender, and participate in volunteer legal projects. A new fund is created to support the program, which will be limited to five attorneys in its first year. The college student aid commission is also tasked with adopting rules for the program's administration and may accept various forms of funding to support its objectives.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8.33