Gov. Kim Reynolds has requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to limit what foods are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Iowa. If approved, SNAP participants would not be able to buy food products subject to state sales tax.
This includes soft drinks, artificially or naturally sweetened water and other drinks, and punches that are 50% or less juice by volume. Also on the list is candy, breath mints, dried fruit leathers, kettle corn, granola bars without flour and food-producing plants and seeds.
The waiver letter, dated March 12, was not shared publicly at that time, but was obtained by IPR through a records request. The proposal states that "Iowa wishes to refocus the SNAP program on its designed intent” and "encourage SNAP participants to purchase healthier food items.”
“We can and must do better for Americans and Iowans by encouraging healthy choices that will help people thrive, not simply providing cash benefits with no focus on holistic well-being,” Reynolds said in her letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in support of the waiver request. “Iowa has proven our commitment to innovation and change – all with a focus on improved health and well-being for our families, communities, and farmers.”
The anticipated implementation date would be Jan. 1, 2026. The modifications would extend five years from the date of federal approval.
To evaluate the modifications, the state proposed a random sample study that would track SNAP participants’ health behaviors and outcomes before, during and after the demonstration period. The study would also compare SNAP participants who receive nutrition education with those who do not.
Governors from other states, including Arkansas, Indiana and Nebraska, have also sent in waiver requests for SNAP.
The requests were in response to a letter Rollins sent on Feb.13, sharing her guiding principles for nutrition programs. Rollins encouraged governors to “pilot creative solutions that could become the model for other states, and indeed for the nation.”
“I think what this [waiver request] gets at is this idea that our state government has that low-income Iowans cannot be trusted to make the best food choices for their family, and we just fundamentally disagree with that."Luke Elzinga, chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition board
Luke Elzinga, board chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition, said restricting sugary foods and beverages under SNAP has been talked about for decades. What’s new is the federal government’s encouragement of states to make these changes.
“Prior to this Trump administration, USDA has never granted a state a waiver to do this,” Elzinga said.
He gave the example of Maine, which tried to prohibit SNAP participants from using their benefits to purchase candy and sugar-sweetened beverages. The waiver requests were rejected by President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump in his first term.
“I think what this [waiver request] gets at is this idea that our state government has that low-income Iowans cannot be trusted to make the best food choices for their family, and we just fundamentally disagree with that,” Elzinga said.
He is also worried that Iowa’s waiver could contribute to stigma already surrounding SNAP participation. He pointed to the latest state data that indicates over 40% of Iowans are eligible for the program but not enrolled. Participation rates fluctuate throughout the year and vary by county.
Elzinga said changes to SNAP in Iowa would require significant public education and outreach to make sure participants understand what is no longer included before they're in the check-out lines at grocery stores. He also found it surprising that food producing plants and seeds would be excluded from SNAP in Iowa.
“If the idea is that we want folks to be eating more healthy food and moving towards self-sufficiency, we should absolutely not be banning seeds and plants from SNAP because that seems like the best way to get people to grow their own nutritious food,” Elzinga said.
Other food program changes in Iowa
The USDA recently approved Reynolds' alternative program to the federal Summer EBT program, also known as SUN Bucks.
According to the release from Reynolds’ office, families will be able to select $40 worth of "nutritionally balanced foods each month at their local participating pantry” for each eligible child per month in June, July and August. Iowa households making 185% of the federal poverty level or below, and that have kids ages 4 to 18, can qualify for Healthy Kids Iowa.
Summer EBT provides $40 per month in the summer to low-income kids to help replace school meals that they would get for free or at a reduced price during the school year.
Iowa was one of 13 states that did not participate in Summer EBT in 2024.
“We made this decision based on its operational redundancy with existing programs, high administrative costs, and lack of nutritional focus. Instead, my administration invested $900,000 to expand the Summer Food Service and Seamless Summer Option feeding programs operating across the state,” Reynolds said in the March 12 letter to Rollins.
The letter also mentioned Double Up Food Bucks, which doubles the value of SNAP dollars when spent on fresh fruits and vegetables at participating locations.
Elzinga said the Iowa Hunger Coalition views Double Up Food Bucks and other incentive programs as the best way state investments can “help make the healthy choice the easy choice.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Double Up Food Bucks was not included in either the House or the Senate versions of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services budget.
