Senate File 556 - Introduced SENATE FILE 556 BY TRONE GARRIOTT , DONAHUE , PETERSEN , ZIMMER , and WAHLS A BILL FOR An Act relating to eligibility requirements for pregnant women, 1 postpartum women, and infants under the special supplemental 2 nutrition program for women, infants, and children. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1714XS (4) 91 lh/ko

S.F. 556 Section 1. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR 1 WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN ELIGIBILITY —— PREGNANCY, 2 POSTPARTUM, AND INFANTS. 3 1. On or before August 1, 2025, the department of health and 4 human services shall submit a request to the food and nutrition 5 service of the United States department of agriculture for 6 approval of a waiver for purposes of the state administration 7 of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, 8 infants, and children, to provide the following: 9 a. Continuous eligibility during a woman’s pregnancy for a 10 pregnant woman whose family income is at or below three hundred 11 seventy-five percent of the federal poverty level for the 12 household size. 13 b. Twelve months of continuous postpartum eligibility for 14 a postpartum woman whose family income is at or below three 15 hundred seventy-five percent of the federal poverty level for 16 the household size. 17 c. Twelve months of continuous eligibility from the date of 18 an infant’s birth for an infant whose family income is at or 19 below three hundred seventy-five percent of the federal poverty 20 level for the household size. 21 2. The department of health and human services shall 22 implement the waiver no fewer than thirty calendar days from 23 the date of receipt of federal approval. 24 3. If the food and nutrition service of the United States 25 department of agriculture fails to approve the waiver, the 26 department of health and human services shall submit a report 27 to the general assembly on or before December 31, 2025, 28 containing the cost of the department providing the following: 29 a. Continuous eligibility during a woman’s pregnancy under 30 the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, 31 and children for a pregnant woman whose family income is at or 32 below three hundred seventy-five percent of the federal poverty 33 level for the household size. 34 b. Twelve months of continuous postpartum eligibility under 35 -1- LSB 1714XS (4) 91 lh/ko 1/ 4

S.F. 556 the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, 1 and children for a postpartum woman whose family income is at 2 or below three hundred seventy-five percent of the federal 3 poverty level for the household size. 4 c. Twelve months of continuous eligibility from the date 5 of an infant’s birth under the special supplemental nutrition 6 program for women, infants, and children for an infant whose 7 family income is at or below three hundred seventy-five percent 8 of the federal poverty level for the household size. 9 Sec. 2. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, 10 INFANTS, AND CHILDREN —— STATE-FUNDED ELIGIBILITY. The 11 department of health and human services shall expand 12 eligibility under the special supplemental nutrition program 13 for women by providing the following: 14 1. Continuous eligibility during a woman’s pregnancy for a 15 pregnant woman whose family income is at or below three hundred 16 seventy-five percent of the federal poverty level for the 17 household size. 18 2. Twelve months of continuous postpartum eligibility for 19 a postpartum woman whose family income is at or below three 20 hundred seventy-five percent of the federal poverty level for 21 the household size. 22 3. Twelve months of continuous eligibility from the date of 23 an infant’s birth for an infant whose family income is at or 24 below three hundred seventy-five percent of the federal poverty 25 level for the household size. 26 Sec. 3. CONTINGENT EFFECTIVE DATE. If the food and 27 nutrition service of the United States department of 28 agriculture fails to approve the waiver to expand eligibility 29 for pregnant women, postpartum women, and infants under the 30 special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and 31 children, and the general assembly appropriates moneys to the 32 department of health and human services for the purpose of 33 expanding eligibility for pregnant women, postpartum women, and 34 infants under the special supplemental nutrition program for 35 -2- LSB 1714XS (4) 91 lh/ko 2/ 4

S.F. 556 women, infants, and children, the following takes effect on 1 July 1, 2026: 2 The section of this Act requiring the department of 3 health and human services to provide expanded eligibility 4 for pregnant women, postpartum women, and infants under the 5 special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and 6 children. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill relates to eligibility requirements for pregnant 11 women, postpartum women, and infants under the special 12 supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children 13 (WIC). 14 The bill requires the department of health and human 15 services (HHS) to submit a request to the food and nutrition 16 service of the United States department of agriculture (USDA) 17 for approval of a waiver to provide, for purposes of WIC, 18 continuous eligibility during a woman’s pregnancy for a 19 pregnant woman whose family income does not exceed 375 percent 20 of the federal poverty level (FPL), 12 months of continuous 21 postpartum eligibility for a postpartum woman whose family 22 income does not exceed 375 percent of the FPL, and 12 months 23 from the date of an infant’s birth of continuous eligibility 24 for an infant whose family income does not exceed 375 percent 25 of the FPL. 26 The bill requires HHS to implement the waiver not fewer than 27 30 calendar days from the receipt of approval from the USDA 28 food and nutrition service. 29 If the USDA food and nutrition service does not approve the 30 waiver, HHS shall submit a report to the general assembly on or 31 before December 31, 2025, containing the cost of HHS providing 32 the expanded eligibility under WIC without the assistance of 33 additional federal moneys. 34 On July 1, 2026, if the USDA fails to approve the waiver 35 -3- LSB 1714XS (4) 91 lh/ko 3/ 4

S.F. 556 to expand eligibility for pregnant women, postpartum women, 1 and infants under WIC, and the general assembly appropriates 2 moneys for the purpose of expanding eligibility for pregnant 3 women, postpartum women, and infants under WIC, HHS shall 4 provide continuous eligibility during a woman’s pregnancy for 5 a pregnant woman whose family income that does not exceed 6 375 percent of the FPL, 12 months of continuous postpartum 7 eligibility for a postpartum woman whose family income does not 8 exceed 375 percent of the FPL, and 12 months from the date of an 9 infant’s birth of continuous eligibility for an infant whose 10 family income does not exceed 375 percent of the FPL. 11 -4- LSB 1714XS (4) 91 lh/ko 4/ 4