House Study Bill 676 



                                       SENATE/HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF
                                            HUMAN SERVICES BILL)


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act limiting the scope of the electronic benefits transfer
  2    program maintained by the department of human services.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 5361DP 82
  5 jp/nh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 234.1, Code 2007, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  3A.  "Food assistance program" means the
  1  4 benefits provided through the United States department of
  1  5 agriculture program administered by the department of human
  1  6 services in accordance with 7 C.F.R. pts. 270=283.
  1  7    Sec. 2.  Section 234.12A, subsection 1, unnumbered
  1  8 paragraph 1, Code 2007, is amended to read as follows:
  1  9    The department of human services shall maintain an
  1 10 electronic benefits transfer program utilizing electronic
  1 11 funds transfer systems for the food assistance program.  The
  1 12 electronic benefits transfer program implemented under this
  1 13 section shall at a minimum provide for all of the following:
  1 14    Sec. 3.  Section 234.12A, subsection 3, Code 2007, is
  1 15 amended to read as follows:
  1 16    3.  For the purposes of this section, "retailer" means a
  1 17 business authorized by the United States department of
  1 18 agriculture to accept food stamp assistance program benefits.
  1 19                           EXPLANATION
  1 20    This bill limits the scope of the electronic benefits
  1 21 transfer program maintained by the department of human
  1 22 services.  The name of the federal food stamp program is in
  1 23 transition because these benefits are no longer distributed in
  1 24 paper form.  The term "food assistance program" is defined to
  1 25 mean the benefits provided through the United States
  1 26 department of agriculture program administered by the
  1 27 department of human services in accordance with the code of
  1 28 federal regulations for the food stamp program.  A reference
  1 29 to the food stamp program in Code section 234.12A is amended
  1 30 to change to the new defined term.
  1 31    The bill also amends Code section 234.12A, requiring the
  1 32 department to maintain an electronic benefits transfer
  1 33 program, to provide that the requirement only applies to
  1 34 benefits provided through the food assistance program.
  1 35 LSB 5361DP 82
  2  1 jp/nh/8.1