---
type: "Bill"
title: "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."
description: "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."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ia"
legislature: "Iowa General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "HF 2356"
citation: "Iowa HF 2356 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["families", "juvenile justice", "pilot programs", "state public defender"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 4
action_count: 14
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2026-02-09"
last_action: "2026-05-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4387eb50-f96b-4515-a48a-538d6a08a7a5"
source_url: "https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF 2356&ga=91"
source_hash: "0aca281dc7cf7bae1f915a82d5309d41448c3e77cda2bd039ccf80e0a8a6d5b6"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ia"]
---

# Iowa HF 2356 (2025-2026) — 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.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF2356.html)
2. **Enrolled with Governor's Action** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGEG/91/attachments/HF2356.html)
3. **Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/Attachments/HF2356_GovLetter.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/attachments/HF2356.html)

## Votes

- Shall the bill pass? — **47–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-02-09** Introduced, placed on calendar. `introduction`
- **2026-02-25** Fiscal note.
- **2026-02-26** Passed House, yeas 90, nays 0. `passage`
- **2026-02-26** Immediate message.
- **2026-03-02** Message from House.
- **2026-03-02** Read first time, attached to SF 2370. `reading-1`
- **2026-03-19** Placed on calendar under unfinished business.
- **2026-03-23** Substituted for SF 2370.
- **2026-03-23** Passed Senate, yeas 47, nays 0. `passage`
- **2026-03-23** Immediate message.
- **2026-03-24** Message from Senate.
- **2026-04-09** Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
- **2026-04-09** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-20** Fiscal note.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4387eb50-f96b-4515-a48a-538d6a08a7a5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Iowa legislature records).