Senate File 76 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  SINCLAIR

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring the department of human services to request
  2    permission from the United States department of agriculture
  3    to restrict the use of food assistance benefits for certain
  4    items.
  5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM == AUTHORITY TO RESTRICT
  1  2 USE OF BENEFITS.  The department of human services shall submit
  1  3 a request to the United States department of agriculture for
  1  4 authorization for a waiver, pilot project, or other approach
  1  5 for restricting the use of food assistance benefits, as
  1  6 administered by the state under the federal supplemental
  1  7 nutrition assistance program, for food items that are beverages
  1  8 requiring payment of a refund value or deposit.  The request
  1  9 shall be submitted within sixty days of the effective date of
  1 10 this Act.  The department shall regularly report on the status
  1 11 of the request to the members of the joint appropriations
  1 12 subcommittee on health and human services and the legislative
  1 13 services agency.
  1 14                           EXPLANATION
  1 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 16 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 17    This bill requires the department of human services to
  1 18 submit a request to the federal government for permission to
  1 19 stray from the federal guidelines so as to restrict the use of
  1 20 food assistance benefits, previously known as food stamps, for
  1 21 food items that are beverages requiring payment of a refund
  1 22 value or deposit.  The department is to submit the request
  1 23 within 60 days of the effective date of the bill.  The bill
  1 24 directs the department to submit regular reports on the status
  1 25 of the request.
       LSB 1399XS (2) 87
       hb/nh/rh