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Legislative Update: Where Things Stand After First Funnel

The Iowa legislature has reached its first self-imposed deadline, known as the “first funnel,” wherein most legislation has to have passed out of Committee in their chamber of origin, in order to continue through the legislative process. It’s a way of winnowing down the number of bills that are still under consideration. Ways & Means (taxing) and Appropriations (spending) bills are exempt from this deadline, and are considered “funnel-proof.”

So, what’s still alive, and what’s effectively dead for the 2025 session? Read along to get updates on bills we’re monitoring and actions you can take for each.

Double Up Food Bucks

  • SF 232 (formerly SSB 1012) would direct $1 million to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which incentives the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables for SNAP participants. The bill passed subcommittee and the Senate Health & Human Services Committee with bipartisan unanimous votes. It has now been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee and assigned a new subcommittee. This bill is now considered “funnel-proof.”

  • HF 796 (formerly HSB 216) directs $1 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program, but make that appropriation contingent on the USDA granting Iowa a waiver to restrict food items eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. The amended language only seems to make the guidelines of what foods would be banned more confusing:

This vague definition appears to give the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services sole discretion to decide what is and what is not considered “healthy food based on necessary nutrition for good health.” Iowans should be trusted to make the best food choices for their families.

This bill has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee, but has not yet been assigned a subcommittee.

  • ACTION ITEM: Contact your Representative and ask them to oppose HF 796, and instead support a clean $1 million appropriation for Double Up Food Bucks.

SNAP Work Reporting Requirements

  • HSB 248 directs the state to impose work reporting requirements for people enrolled in the Iowa Health & Wellness Plan (Medicaid expansion population). People would have to report at least 20 hours per week of work, training, or volunteering in order to maintain their Medicaid coverage.

    Division II of the bill also directs the state to coordinate with USDA and HHS at the federal level to “align the requirements and rules for participants of public assistance programs related to working, including but not limited to rules and requirements related to employment and training for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”

    What exactly would this do? It’s a bit unclear. One interpretation is that this would expand work reporting requirements for SNAP based on the proposed requirements for Medicaid in Division I of the bill. SNAP work reporting requirements already exist for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) ages 18-54. This could potentially expand the 20 hour per week requirement to:

    • Older adults ages 55-64
    • Caretakers of children ages 6 and up
    • Veterans
    • People experiencing homelessness
    • Young adults aging out of foster care

It’s also possible that this bill could make participation in the SNAP Employment & Training program mandatory as a condition of receiving SNAP, rather than a voluntary opportunity for SNAP participants in Iowa – and could potentially make participation in an employment and training program also mandatory for Medicaid and TANF. Either way, these policies have not been shown to move people to employment, but simply remove people from public assistance programs who cannot comply with the onerous reporting requirements or struggle to find employment.

This bill passed subcommittee on a 2-1 vote and passed the House Health & Human Services Committee with a vote of 12-8-1. It will be renumbered and will be eligible for floor debate in the House.

  • SF 363 started off as a Medicaid work reporting requirements bill, but in subcommittee there was a “strike and replace” amendment to align the language with HSB 248.

    This bill passed out of subcommittee and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on party-line votes. The bill will now be renumbered and eligible for floor debate in the Senate.

Updates on Other Legislation

  • The grocer reinvestment program and local produce processing grant program (HF 550) has passed out of subcommittee and committee with unanimous bipartisan votes. It is now in the House Appropriations Committee and is considered “funnel-proof.”

  • Legislation that would direct the state to waive federal nutrition requirements for school meals, and instead establish Iowa’s own nutrition requirements for school meals with a preference for pork, corn, and dairy (SSB 1158 / HSB 173) have advanced out of Committee in both chambers. These bills will now be renumbered (SF 525 / House bill number forthcoming) and are eligible for floor debate in both the House and Senate.

    • Rep. Sami Scheetz introduced an amendment to HSB 173 in Committee that would have delayed implementation until Iowa provided Healthy School Meals for All. Unfortunately, the amendment was voted down on party lines.

  • A bill that would create additional liability protections for food donations from trucking companies to the Iowa Food Bank Association (SF 359) has advanced out of subcommittee and the Senate State Government Committee. Iowa and the federal government already have liability protections for food donated in good faith, so it’s unclear what this bill would change from current law.

  • Efforts to criminalize homelessness in Iowa (SSB 1195 / HSB 286) have successfully been stopped, and these bills are dead for the session. Something to celebrate!

Questions about any of this? Feel free to contact us at iowahungercoalition@gmail.com. Thank you for your ongoing advocacy!

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