**Clarifying note that the "Standings Bill" is HF 2531, [successor to HSB 741]. The author would like to apologize for prior typos on this bill number, which have now been corrected**
With the Iowa General Assembly rapidly winding up its business for the 2010 session, the major focus of Friday, Saturday and continuing into the upcoming week is HF 2531, the "Standings bill", which by addition of last minute amendments and additions is sometimes referred to as the "Christmas tree" or "Catch-all" bill. HF 2531 contains the state budget, corrections and changes to bills passed earlier in the session and bills that one body may have passed but never reached vote in the other.
Among the bills which passed in one body but not the other is
SF 2349 A bill for an act requiring certain group health insurance plans established for employees of the state to provide coverage for autism spectrum disorders for certain persons, requiring certification of behavior specialists, and providing an applicability date. (Formerly SF 1.), which was amended to recognize Board Certified Behavior Analysts and other licensed health professionals as service providers of applied behavior analysis.SF 2349 was unable to come to the House floor to be deliberated as a separate bill, but as of Saturday, March 27 was active as an amendment added in the Iowa Senate to the Standings Bill, with the provision recognizing BACB certificants added as an amendment to that amendment. The amended HF 2531 also contained a budget provision for implementation of the insurance reform amendments, which strongly suggested that the autism insurance clauses would be retained in the final passed HF 2531
Although this is a positive development, on Sunday March 28, 2010, Autism Votes put out an action alert that three Iowa Representatives who had previously supported the autism insurance bill were wavering on reversing their vote, which would jeopardize approval of the amendment in the House.
Any further amendment in the House will force HF 2531 back to Senate for final concurrence.
The Iowa House is currently scheduled to resume at 10:00AM CDT, and the Senate at 2:00PM CDT. Predictions for the end of the session are imprecise, with some forecasting the final vote on the Standings bill to come as early as Monday night, and others extending through the March 31, 2010 end date originally posted on the legislative calendar.
For further reading
Iowa Legislators hope to catch all issues before sessions end
By Alex Halfmann Heartland Connection.com
Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 7:53 p.m.
Adjournment eludes Iowa legislature
Rod Boshart
Quad City Times
Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2010 10:11 pm
Iowa General Assembly
Autism Votes Iowa
Past post
Saturday, March 20, 2010
State legislation: Iowa - Autism insurance bill SF 2349 down to the wire; bill now explicitly names BCBAs as providers of ABA
© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
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