Another effort to provide insurance coverage for autism treatment and a proposal to bring agricultural education to more Iowa students are among the things a pair of Fort Dodge lawmakers will work on this year.
State Sen. Daryl Beall and state Rep. Helen Miller, who are both Democrats, are preparing several bills for consideration during the legislative session that will start Monday.
They are also getting ready to work on the state budget, which is expected to feature a surplus of up to $1 billion. Beall and Miller said they don't want the state to go on a spending spree.
''I definitely want us to be cautious and not rush out and start a bunch of programs,'' Miller said.
Beall said he doesn't want to see legislators ''splashing money all around the place.''
The senator said he will resume his efforts to provide insurance coverage for an autism treatment called applied behavioral analysis. Inspired by a grandson who has autism, Beall introduced and passed legislation in 2010 that secured such insurance coverage for children of state employees.
Last year, he introduced a bill that would mandate such insurance coverage for all Iowa children. The bill passed the Senate 43-7, but died in the House of Representatives.
Recently, he has been working with state Rep. Dave Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, on an autism insurance bill. Heaton is the chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee.
''I don't care who gets credit for it,'' Beall said. ''I'm working across the Capitol in a bicameral and bipartisan way.''
He and Heaton have had a few meetings with people interested in the issue. The result, according to the senator, will likely be a bill that will earmark $4 million to $5 million for insurance companies that provide the autism coverage.
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Miller, Beall to tackle issues