HF 2356 Iowa House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act establishing the state public defender’s pilot project to implement innovative models of child welfare legal representation as the project to preserve families.

HF 2356 makes Iowa's temporary child welfare legal representation pilot program permanent as the "Project to Preserve Families" (PPF). It allows the state public defender to implement this program statewide (previously limited to 16 counties) for indigent families involved in child welfare cases. The program uses innovative legal approaches - such as team-based representation - to help keep families together, reduce trauma for children, and generate cost savings for communities. The public defender must coordinate with other agencies, study outcomes, and adopt rules to administer the PPF through 2025.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 9, 2026 Signed Apr 9, 2026
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Enrolled Enrolled with Governor's Action · 1 edit · Apr 9, 2026
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Floor votes · Senate Mar 23, 2026

How they voted

460
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 49
Mar 23, 2026
D Democratic15
14 Yea 1
93% Yea
R Republican34
32 Yea 2
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
14
Key actions
3
Committee
0
Apr 9, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor.
lower
Mar 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 47, nays 0.
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 90, nays 0.
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.