Iowa Code § 13.2 — IA Code / Title I / Chapter 13 / Section 13.2
Duties.
Status: in_force

(1) It shall be the duty of the attorney general, except as otherwise provided by law to:

(1) (a) Prosecute and defend all causes in the appellate courts in which the state is a party or interested.

(1) (b) Prosecute and defend in any other court or tribunal, all actions and proceedings, civil or criminal, in which the state may be a party or interested, when, in the attorney general’s judgment, the interest of the state requires such action, or when requested to do so by the governor, executive council, or general assembly. The attorney general may prosecute a criminal proceeding on behalf of the state even if a county attorney does not request the attorney general to act as a county attorney in a proceeding under section 331.754, subsection 7.

(1) (c) Prosecute and defend all actions and proceedings brought by or against any state officer in the officer’s official capacity.

(1) (d) Prosecute and defend all actions and proceedings brought by or against any employee of a judicial district department of correctional services in the performance of an assessment of risk.

(1) (e) Give an opinion in writing, when requested, upon all questions of law submitted by the general assembly or by either house thereof, or by any state officer, elective or appointive. Questions submitted by state officers must be of a public nature and relate to the duties of such officer.

(1) (f) Prepare drafts for contracts, forms, and other writings which may be required for the use of the state.

(1) (g) Supervise county attorneys in all matters pertaining to the duties of their offices, and from time to time to require of them reports as to the condition of public business entrusted to their charge.

(1) (h) Promptly account, to the treasurer of state, for all state funds received by the attorney general.

(1) (i) Keep in proper books a record of all official opinions, and a register of all actions, prosecuted and defended by the attorney general, and of all proceedings had in relation thereto, which books shall be delivered to the attorney general’s successor.

(1) (j) Perform all other duties required by law.

(1) (k) Inform prosecuting attorneys and assistant prosecuting attorneys to the state of all changes in law and matters pertaining to their office and establish programs for the continuing education of prosecuting attorneys and assistant prosecuting attorneys. The attorney general may accept funds, grants and gifts from any public or private source which shall be used to defray the expenses incident to implementing duties under this paragraph.

(1) (l) Establish and administer, in cooperation with the law schools of Drake university and the state university of Iowa, a prosecutor intern program incorporating the essential elements of the pilot program denominated “law student intern program in prosecutors’ office” funded by the Iowa crime commission and participating counties. The attorney general shall consult with an advisory committee including representatives of each participating law school and the Iowa county attorneys association, inc. concerning development, administration, and critique of this program. The attorney general shall report on the program’s operation annually to the general assembly and the supreme court.

(1) (m) Develop written procedures and policies to be followed by prosecuting attorneys in the prosecution of domestic abuse cases under chapters 236 and 708.

(1) (n) Develop written procedures and policies to be followed by prosecuting attorneys in the prosecution of elder abuse of a vulnerable elder under chapter 235F.

(1) (o) Submit a report by January 15 of each year to the co-chairpersons and ranking members of the joint appropriations subcommittee on the justice system, to the executive council, and to the legislative services agency detailing all money settlement awards and court money awards that were awarded to the state of Iowa. The report shall specify the parties to each settlement or court proceeding, any court of jurisdiction, the settlement amount, the state’s share of the settlement amount, the name of the fund in which the receipts were deposited, and the planned use of the moneys.

(1) (p) Develop written procedures and policies to be followed by prosecuting attorneys in the prosecution of elder abuse, older individual assault, theft against an older individual, consumer frauds committed against an older individual, and financial exploitation of an older individual under sections 708.2D, 714.2A, 714.16A, 726.24, and 726.25.

(1) (q) Enforce the prohibitions on guaranteed income programs as described in section 331.301, subsection 24, and section 364.3, subsection 18.

(2) Executing the duties of this section shall not be deemed a violation of section 68B.6.

[R60, §124 – 127, 130, 131; C73, §150 – 153; C97, §208 – 210; S13, §208-a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §149; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §13.2]95 Acts, ch 180, §1; 99 Acts, ch 112, §1; 2004 Acts, ch 1091, §1; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §121; 2009 Acts, ch 119, §32; 2014 Acts, ch 1107, §9; 2014 Acts, ch 1138, §17; 2015 Acts, ch 30, §6; 2018 Acts, ch 1168, §18; 2022 Acts, ch 1132, §9; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2047, 2073; 2024 Acts, ch 1109, §1, 4