Whether or not the Iowa Legislature will be able to close the 2021 session this week is largely dependent on budget progress. In a weekly update, 6th District Senator Craig Williams, says last week they passed 18 bills with unanimous support. These include raising the penalty for abuse of a human corpse, establishing rules for home deliveries by robotics, adding new drugs to the schedule I list, allowing abused children to be interviewed without the alleged abuser in the room and access for adopted individuals to some details from their non-certified birth certificates. Williams notes there was only one bill that was divided along party lines. Senate File 581 relates to deer population management and adds an additional January anterless deer hunting season. Perhaps one of the most controversial bills this year relates to a measure aimed at ensuring that public assistance is actually going to those in need. Williams says the State of Iowa was fined nearly $2 million in 2019 for distribution of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to ineligible individuals. “Whether it is SNAP or some other program, giving benefits to people who are ineligible reduces the amount available for those truly in need and is an inappropriate use of tax-payer money,” Williams writes. The bill will have a third-party entity working to verify applicants’ income, assets, residency, citizenship and other pertinent information required for welfare benefits. If there are any issues uncovered during that process the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) will investigate and make the final decision. Williams adds, “Applicants meeting eligibility requirements for welfare will have no issues receiving public assistance. No private company is removing anyone in Iowa from public assistance.”