Senate
File
2069
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2069
BY
TRONE
GARRIOTT
,
DONAHUE
,
WAHLS
,
JOCHUM
,
and
PETERSEN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
modernization
of
nutrition
programs
in
the
1
state.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
MODERNIZATION
OF
NUTRITION
PROGRAMS
——
1
INITIATIVES
——
REPORT.
2
1.
For
the
purposes
of
this
section:
3
a.
“Department”
means
the
department
of
health
and
human
4
services.
5
b.
“SNAP”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
239.1.
6
c.
“WIC”
means
the
special
supplemental
nutrition
program
7
for
women,
infants,
and
children
as
provided
in
42
U.S.C.
§1786
8
et
seq.
9
2.
The
department
shall
do
all
of
the
following
to
modernize
10
nutrition
programs
in
the
state:
11
a.
Create
an
integrated
eligibility
determination
12
application
to
be
used
for
both
WIC
and
SNAP.
13
b.
Implement
all
of
the
following
strategies
as
pilot
14
initiatives:
15
(1)
Incorporate
all
available
federal
waivers
to
modernize
16
WIC
by
building
or
enhancing
remote
service,
including
through
17
a
waiver
permitting
the
use
of
telephone
and
video
calls,
18
rather
than
requiring
physical
presence
to
complete
WIC
19
certification
and
recertification.
20
(2)
Create
opportunities
and
modify
the
department’s
21
internet
site
for
WIC
to
simplify
the
application
process
and
22
WIC
benefit
distribution
by
doing
all
of
the
following:
23
(a)
Implement
streamlined
eligibility
for
WIC
applicants
24
who
demonstrate
proof
of
enrollment
in
SNAP
or
Medicaid
by
25
using
state-level
referrals
and
data
and
information
sharing
26
and
matching.
27
(b)
Enable
automatic
online
loading
of
benefits
to
WIC
28
nutrition
cards.
29
(c)
Offer
online
shopping
with
WIC
nutrition
cards.
30
(d)
Explore
other
opportunities
to
improve
access
to
WIC
31
benefits
and
to
remove
administrative
burdens
as
allowed
by
32
federal
law.
33
3.
The
department
shall
request
federal
approval
of
34
any
waiver
or
state
plan
as
necessary
to
implement
the
35
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2069
modernization
initiatives
described
in
subsection
2
and
shall
1
implement
the
initiatives
upon
receipt
of
federal
approval.
2
4.
Within
thirty
days
following
completion
of
the
first
six
3
months
of
implementation
of
this
section,
the
department
shall
4
submit
a
report
to
the
general
assembly
regarding
the
outcomes
5
resulting
from
this
section,
an
evaluation
of
the
feasibility
6
of
expanding
the
modernization
initiatives
statewide,
and
the
7
projected
impact
of
statewide
expansion.
8
EXPLANATION
9
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
10
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
11
This
bill
directs
the
department
of
health
and
human
12
services
(HHS)
to
modernize
the
special
supplemental
nutrition
13
program
for
women,
infants,
and
children
(WIC)
and
the
14
supplemental
nutrition
assistance
program
(SNAP)
in
the
state.
15
The
bill
directs
HHS
to
create
an
integrated
eligibility
16
determination
application
to
be
used
for
both
WIC
and
SNAP.
17
HHS
shall
also
implement
specified
strategies
as
pilot
18
initiatives
including:
incorporating
all
available
federal
19
waivers
to
modernize
WIC
by
building
or
enhancing
remote
20
service,
including
through
a
waiver
permitting
the
use
of
21
telephone
and
video
calls,
rather
than
requiring
physical
22
presence
to
complete
WIC
certification
and
recertification;
23
and
creating
opportunities
and
modifying
the
department’s
24
internet
site
for
WIC
to
simplify
the
application
process
and
25
WIC
benefit
distribution
by
streamlining
eligibility
for
WIC
26
applicants
who
demonstrate
proof
of
enrollment
in
SNAP
or
27
Medicaid,
enabling
automatic
online
loading
of
benefits
to
WIC
28
nutrition
cards,
offering
online
shopping
with
WIC
nutrition
29
cards,
and
exploring
other
opportunities
to
improve
access
to
30
WIC
benefits
and
to
remove
administrative
burdens
as
allowed
31
by
federal
law.
32
The
bill
requires
HHS
to
request
federal
approval
of
any
33
waiver
or
state
plan
as
necessary
to
implement
the
bill
and
to
34
implement
the
bill
upon
receipt
of
federal
approval.
35
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2069
HHS
shall
submit
a
report
to
the
general
assembly
within
1
30
days
following
completion
of
the
first
six
months
of
2
implementation
of
the
bill
that
includes
the
outcomes
resulting
3
from
the
bill,
an
evaluation
of
the
feasibility
of
expanding
4
the
provisions
of
the
bill
statewide,
and
the
projected
impact
5
of
statewide
expansion.
6
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