A bill for an act relating to indigent defense and the appointment of counsel by the court.

HF 16 modifies liability rules for court-appointed defense attorneys in Iowa. It states that noncontract attorneys appointed by a court (without their consent) who face claims of ineffective counsel will be treated as state employees under Iowa’s tort claims law. This means the state will defend and cover legal costs if such attorneys are sued, provided the ineffective representation directly caused harm. The bill specifically applies to criminal, juvenile, and civil cases involving indigent defense.