Bill Text: IA SF218 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to modernization of nutrition programs in the state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-05 - Introduced, referred to Health and Human Services. S.J. 202. [SF218 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-SF218-Introduced.html
Senate
File
218
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
218
BY
TRONE
GARRIOTT
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
modernization
of
nutrition
programs
in
the
1
state.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
MODERNIZATION
OF
NUTRITION
PROGRAMS
——
1
INITIATIVES
——
REPORT.
2
1.
For
the
purposes
of
this
section:
3
a.
“Department”
means
the
department
of
health
and
human
4
services.
5
b.
“SNAP”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
239.1.
6
c.
“WIC”
means
the
special
supplemental
nutrition
program
7
for
women,
infants,
and
children
as
provided
in
42
U.S.C.
§1786
8
et
seq.
9
2.
The
department
shall
do
all
of
the
following
to
modernize
10
nutrition
programs
in
the
state:
11
a.
Create
an
integrated
eligibility
determination
12
application
to
be
used
for
both
WIC
and
SNAP.
13
b.
Incorporate
all
available
federal
waivers
to
modernize
14
WIC
by
building
or
enhancing
remote
service,
including
through
15
a
waiver
permitting
the
use
of
telephone
and
video
calls,
16
rather
than
requiring
physical
presence
to
complete
WIC
17
certification
and
recertification.
18
c.
Implement
a
pilot
initiative
that
creates
opportunities
19
and
modifies
the
department’s
internet
site
for
WIC
to
simplify
20
the
application
process
and
WIC
benefit
distribution
by
doing
21
all
of
the
following:
22
(1)
Implement
streamlined
eligibility
for
WIC
applicants
23
who
demonstrate
proof
of
enrollment
in
SNAP
or
Medicaid
by
24
using
state-level
referrals
and
data
and
information
sharing
25
and
matching.
26
(2)
Enable
automatic
online
loading
of
benefits
to
WIC
27
nutrition
cards.
28
(3)
Offer
online
shopping
with
WIC
nutrition
cards.
29
(4)
Explore
other
opportunities
to
improve
access
to
WIC
30
benefits
and
to
remove
administrative
burdens
as
allowed
by
31
federal
law.
32
3.
The
department
shall
request
federal
approval
of
33
any
waiver
or
state
plan
as
necessary
to
implement
the
34
modernization
initiatives
described
in
subsection
2
and
shall
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implement
the
initiatives
upon
receipt
of
federal
approval.
1
4.
Within
thirty
days
following
completion
of
the
first
six
2
months
of
the
implementation
of
this
section,
the
department
3
shall
submit
a
report
to
the
general
assembly
regarding
4
the
outcomes
resulting
from
this
section,
an
evaluation
of
5
the
feasibility
of
expanding
the
modernization
initiatives
6
statewide,
and
the
projected
impact
of
statewide
expansion.
7
EXPLANATION
8
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
9
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
10
This
bill
directs
the
department
of
health
and
human
11
services
(HHS)
to
modernize
the
special
supplemental
nutrition
12
program
for
women,
infants,
and
children
(WIC)
and
the
13
supplemental
nutrition
assistance
program
(SNAP)
in
the
state.
14
The
bill
directs
HHS
to
create
an
integrated
eligibility
15
determination
application
to
be
used
for
both
WIC
and
SNAP.
16
HHS
shall
incorporate
all
available
federal
waivers
to
17
modernize
WIC
by
building
or
enhancing
remote
service.
HHS
18
shall
implement
a
pilot
initiative
that
creates
opportunities
19
and
modifies
HHS’s
internet
site
for
WIC
to
simplify
20
the
application
process
and
WIC
benefit
distribution
by
21
streamlining
eligibility
for
WIC
applicants
who
demonstrate
22
proof
of
enrollment
in
SNAP
or
Medicaid,
enabling
automatic
23
online
loading
of
benefits
to
WIC
nutrition
cards,
offering
24
online
shopping
with
WIC
nutrition
cards,
and
exploring
other
25
opportunities
to
improve
access
to
WIC
benefits
and
to
remove
26
administrative
burdens
as
allowed
by
federal
law.
27
The
bill
requires
HHS
to
request
federal
approval
of
any
28
waiver
or
state
plan
as
necessary
to
implement
the
bill
and
to
29
implement
the
bill
upon
receipt
of
federal
approval.
30
HHS
shall
submit
a
report
to
the
general
assembly
within
30
31
days
following
the
first
six
months
of
the
implementation
of
32
the
bill
that
includes
the
outcomes
resulting
from
the
bill,
33
an
evaluation
of
the
feasibility
of
expanding
the
provisions
34
of
the
bill
statewide,
and
the
projected
impact
of
statewide
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