A subcommittee meeting for SSB 1125 is scheduled for Monday, February 15, 2021 at 11:30am.
SSB 1125 is a bill in the Iowa Senate’s Commerce Committee. This is a bad bill that would create barriers for people accessing public assistance programs. At a time when too many Iowans are struggling to make ends meet, this bill is the last thing we need.
How You Can Take Action:
- Attend the subcommittee meeting online Monday (February 15) at 11:30am and speak in opposition to SSB 1125.
- Submit a written comment opposing SSB 1125.
- Contact the Senators on the subcommittee at their email addresses below or call the Senate switchboard at (515) 281-3371 to leave a message.
Senator Jason Schultz
jason.schultz@legis.iowa.gov
Senator Liz Mathis
liz.mathis@legis.iowa.gov
Senator Zach Whiting
zach.whiting@legis.iowa.gov
More Information on SSB 1125
This bill would decrease access and kick people off the Food Assistance program by establishing an asset limit.
- It would establish an asset limit for Food Assistance (SNAP) of $2,250 per household or $3,250 for elderly or disabled households. Households with more than one vehicle would be at risk of losing eligibility to Food Assistance benefits.
- Having a vehicle can be the difference between finding employment or not, especially in rural areas of the state without public transit.
- Asset limits have been shown to discourage people who are eligible from applying for SNAP, increase administrative costs, and discourage people from saving for emergencies.
This bill would require both custodial and non-custodial parents to cooperate with the child support recovery unit to receive Food Assistance.
- There is no evidence this type of policy generates significantly more child support payments to custodial households.
- There is not a way to implement this provision that does not result in taking food away from children.
- Custodial parents may have an informal arrangement, be a victim of domestic violence, or have other reasons why they have chosen not to seek child support payments from a non-custodial parent.
- Taking away Food Assistance benefits from a non-custodial parent who cannot afford to pay child support does nothing to improve the financial situation of that parent and their child.
- The National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) opposed a measure in the 2018 Farm Bill that would require all states to implement cooperation requirements for SNAP.
This bill would create a computerized verification and authentication system for all public assistance programs to be administered by a third-party vendor.
- The state already has a system in place for income and identity verification. This bill would provide a contract to a private third-party vendor to administer this process instead.
- This is costly and unnecessary. Last year, LSA estimated that the bill would cost the state over $4.5 million per year to administer.
- A recent study on SNAP recipients in California found that for every one ineligible household screened out by verification checks, three eligible households also left the program.
This bill would require applicants to complete a computerized identity authentication process in order to access public assistance benefits.
- This presents a significant access barrier to many people, especially those without internet access, limited credit history, or limited English proficiency.
- This violates federal USDA FNS regulations concerning identity authentication for Food Assistance.
I oppose this bill for the reasons stated above. I hope it is defeated.
Thank you.
This is the cruelest, most unchristian piece of legislation I have ever seen .I am shocked beyond words. Is this a piece of ALEC legislation? Please vote it down.
I ask you to vote against SSB 1125. This bill is out of touch with the current reality, 1 in 7 children are food insecure. Callous and you know it will not save by cost the state and taxpayers more. The 45 million administration cost could be better spent on providing food assistance to needy families.
Do not take away from Iowans we are already suffering from the pandemic and you want to make it worse? Seriously no do not approve this bill.
How dare you let any child or anyone for that matter, go hungry! What in the world has become of the practice of caring for those who need help? Do not turn one more process over to third party private company when it is already covered by an existing agency!! Use that money to help those who need it most!! I expect better of all representatives!
Who can even think up such evilness? I am so sad to think our state is this unkind, vindictive and cruel to take away food stamps from elderly and children.
So much grief!
Children should never be punished for the actions of their parents. This program benefits the poor and is especially good for farmers – that’s why the food programs are in the Department of Agriculture. Everyone benefits; children can learn and families are healthier.
Why is it that you all oppose anything that can help your citizens. Instead you lobby for things that makes it harder fir to get ahead. You are a cruel government and should have never been voted in but money wins out again while your constituents suffer. Try helping us and not hurting us.
This bill is wrong on SO many levels. We need to care for instead of restrict those whose lives are less than what we are able to be.
In our community center we are seeing increasing need. It is imperative that we make access as easy as possible
People require food in order to sustain life. If women can’t feed themselves, how do you expect them to carry healthy babies to term? We’re in a Global deadly Pandemic. Can you pause your search and destroy poor people mission, until we get past the Pandemic? Try to see these people you’re planning on starving to death, as late term abortions. We’re at in a crisis, if your families arent struggling,, consider yourselves fortunate.
There are too many people who would be left out of benefits that they should be getting. During this time when many families are having difficulties feeding their families and other necessary expenses, they do not need more restrictions on assistance.
Please block this proposed legislation.
This is bad legislation for Iowa.
It violates Federal regulations.
We already have a system in place that works.
Please oppose this bill.
I urge you to oppose SSB 1125. It is unlikely to increase support for families, it restricts access to food and resources necessary for basic survival, and it puts barriers in place that limit families abilities to move themselves out of poverty. In addition, the costs to privatize and administer the program are unnecessary when we already have administrative structures in place. In these difficult times, I urge you to do all you can to make it easier, not harder, for folks to get the help they need.
During the pandemic and while our economy is so bad only Iowa would do something like this to their own.Children are hungry ppl are struggling and you want to make it worse.With that will come higher crime rates because people will need to survive. No to the bill