On March 12, Governor Kim Reynolds passed House file 970, a waiver requesting restrictions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Iowa. The bill aims to enforce healthier eating habits and decrease obesity levels in Iowa.
The bill would let SNAP benefits go only towards foods such as healthy grains, dairy, meat, eggs, peanut butter and nuts, pasta, rice, legumes, fruits and vegetables. There would be one million dollars going towards Double Up Food Bucks Iowa, a nonprofit organization that doubles allocated SNAP benefits, and works to expand access to produce, while encouraging healthy eating habits.
However, this bill makes it harder for Iowans to potentially get these benefits, as part of the bill requires stricter eligibility and asset checks. There are also concerns about the bill’s feasibility when implemented.
Currently, SNAP recipients receive a limited $5.59 per day to cover the costs of food, but with the new bill, spending amounts would increase to $15 for fresh produce. Even with more money, SNAP recipients may not be able to have healthy diets. “Grocery prices are expensive right now, and it seems unrealistic to only spend fifteen dollars per person, especially for good quality produce,” senior Nadia Meeks said.
This bill would also make it harder for grocery stores to participate; Stores would rather have uniform regulations instead of restrictions, leading them to likely be unaccepting of SNAP benefits with new regulations in place.
Double Up Food Bucks Iowa, while beneficial for helping allocate money towards healthier food choices, has only 96 locations in 44 counties, making it inaccessible to some Iowans. Requiring candidates to only get certain foods in certain places while also maintaining their lifestyle, is something that’s not possible. “Some people live in food deserts,” senior Priya Suresh said. “They don’t have access to healthy food around them, so it wouldn’t be possible for them to drastically change their food habits and start to only eat healthy food.”
Another thing that sounds good in theory is that families are restricted to buying healthy foods alone, which requires time and effort to prepare and eat. It is not always possible to cook something at home after a busy day, and families with picky kids may also not be able to feed their children the food that they want, so children may end up not eating at all.
Finally, putting restrictions on food via this bill, stigmatizes the choices of SNAP recipients: who only try to make the best choices they can with resources available to them. “Putting further restrictions in place undermines that these Iowans are making the most educated choices in their situation,” Suresh added.
The bill passed the House 56-40 on March 26, 2025. However, it was rejected by the senate, still attempting to gain approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). While this bill is a good idea in essence, there are changes that can be made to it, so that the bill may help solve some of its problems and help it get approved.
