Requires the court to appoint an attorney for a child in a dependency proceeding within seventy-two hours of granting a petition to terminate the parent and child relationship.

Establishes a pilot program to study the effect that automatic appointment of an attorney for a child at the time of the shelter care hearing has on certain factors.

Requires the administrative office of the courts, in consultation with the office of civil legal aid, to designate two pilot counties.

Requires a university-based child welfare research entity to evaluate the effects of attorney representation mentioned above.