House Bill 429 Summary

• Amends Section 19-850, Idaho Code to establish the State Public Defense Commission's powers and duties regarding training, data reporting, contracts, and oversight of indigent defense services.

• Requires the commission to promulgate rules establishing ten specific standards for defending attorneys, including principles on independence from political influence, adequate time and resources, manageable workloads, and continuous case representation.

• Clarifies that violation of the ten defending attorney principles does not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel or grounds for post-conviction relief.

• Authorizes the commission to administer, supervise, and direct public defenders in the second judicial district if three or more boards of county commissioners request participation, effective October 1, 2021 through October 1, 2025, with counties providing annual local funding shares.

• Grants the commission authority to hire an executive director and staff, provide training and continuing legal education, establish procedures for extraordinary litigation cost assistance, and hire private counsel for administrative hearings.