The bill establishes a new initiative called the "project to preserve families," which is aimed at assisting families involved in the child welfare system. It amends Section 13B.13 of the Iowa Code, replacing the previous pilot project focused on child welfare legal representation. The state public defender is mandated to administer and maintain this project, which will implement and study innovative models of legal representation to achieve positive outcomes for families, reduce trauma to young children, and provide financial benefits to families and their communities.

Additionally, the bill allows the state public defender to coordinate with other agencies and organizations to seek grant funding and analyze the outcomes of the project. It also grants the state public defender the authority to appoint an attorney to represent an indigent person prior to formal proceedings if deemed appropriate, and it includes provisions for adopting rules to administer the project. Overall, the bill emphasizes a collaborative and proactive approach to legal representation in the context of family preservation within the child welfare system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13B.13
Enrolled: 13B.13