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Senate
File
326
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
326
BY
TRONE
GARRIOTT
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
federal
summer
electronic
benefits
1
transfer
for
children
program
(SUN
bucks),
making
an
2
appropriation,
and
including
effective
date
and
retroactive
3
applicability
provisions.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
FINDINGS.
The
general
assembly
finds
all
of
the
1
following:
2
1.
The
Iowa
general
assembly,
in
conjunction
with
state
3
agencies,
has
a
duty
to
ensure
Iowa
children
have
access
to
4
food
and
essential
nutrition
regardless
of
income
level.
5
2.
Summer
can
be
a
time
of
increased
hunger
for
children
who
6
no
longer
have
access
to
regular
school
lunches.
7
3.
Iowa
is
currently
experiencing
a
food
insecurity
crisis
8
as
food
banks
and
other
charitable
organizations
continue
to
9
report
record
high
demand
from
Iowans
in
need.
10
4.
There
are
an
estimated
two
hundred
forty
thousand
11
children
in
Iowa
who
would
be
eligible
to
receive
benefits
12
under
the
summer
electronic
benefits
transfer
(EBT)
for
13
children
program
(SUN
bucks
program),
as
established
as
a
14
permanent
program
under
the
federal
Consolidated
Appropriations
15
Act,
2023,
42
U.S.C.
§1762.
16
5.
When
Iowans
are
struggling
financially,
they
are
more
17
likely
to
buy
less
expensive
foods,
which
are
high
in
calories
18
and
low
in
nutritional
value.
19
6.
Summer
congregate
and
noncongregate
meals
are
not
always
20
easily
accessible
to
families
in
need,
particularly
in
rural
21
Iowa.
22
7.
The
SUN
bucks
program
offered
by
the
federal
government
23
would
provide
an
estimated
twenty-nine
million
dollars
to
24
address
the
food
insecurity
crisis,
which
not
only
feeds
25
children
but
stimulates
local
economic
activity.
26
8.
Iowa
ended
fiscal
year
2023-2024
with
a
general
fund
27
balance
of
two
billion
fifty-three
million
dollars.
Iowa
28
can
afford
to
feed
hungry
children
and
cover
the
costs
of
29
administering
the
SUN
bucks
program.
30
Sec.
2.
PARTICIPATION
IN
SUN
BUCKS
PROGRAM
——
31
APPROPRIATION.
32
1.
The
department
of
health
and
human
services,
in
33
coordination
with
the
department
of
education,
shall
do
all
of
34
the
following:
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a.
Immediately
upon
the
effective
date
of
this
Act,
submit
a
1
letter
of
intent
to
the
United
States
secretary
of
agriculture
2
to
apply
for
and
participate
in
the
SUN
bucks
program
offered
3
by
the
United
States
department
of
agriculture
food
and
4
nutrition
service
to
provide
eligible
families
with
EBT
benefit
5
cards
to
purchase
food
from
participating
stores
during
summer
6
2025.
7
b.
Coordinate
with
the
United
States
department
of
8
agriculture
food
and
nutrition
service
to
develop
a
successful
9
management
and
administration
plan
for
the
SUN
bucks
program,
10
and
submit
the
plan
to
the
United
States
secretary
of
11
agriculture
by
April
1,
2025.
12
2.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
13
to
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
for
the
fiscal
14
year
beginning
July
1,
2024,
a
sufficient
amount
to
cover
the
15
costs
of
administering
the
SUN
bucks
program
during
summer
16
2025.
Moneys
appropriated
under
this
section
that
remain
17
unexpended
or
unencumbered
at
the
close
of
the
fiscal
year
18
shall
not
revert
but
shall
remain
available
for
expenditure
in
19
the
succeeding
fiscal
year.
20
Sec.
3.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
21
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
22
Sec.
4.
RETROACTIVE
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
23
retroactively
to
July
1,
2024.
24
EXPLANATION
25
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
26
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
27
This
bill
relates
to
the
summer
electronic
benefits
transfer
28
(EBT)
for
children
program,
also
known
as
the
SUN
bucks
29
program,
made
permanent
by
federal
law
under
the
Consolidated
30
Appropriations
Act,
2023,
administered
by
the
United
States
31
department
of
agriculture
(USDA)
food
and
nutrition
service.
32
The
bill
includes
findings
relating
to
food
insecurity
in
33
the
state
including
that
it
is
estimated
that
approximately
34
240,000
children
would
be
eligible
to
receive
benefits
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under
the
SUN
bucks
program;
that
when
Iowans
are
struggling
1
financially,
they
are
more
likely
to
buy
less
expensive
foods,
2
high
in
calories
and
low
in
nutritional
value;
and
that
the
SUN
3
bucks
program
would
provide
an
estimated
$29
million
to
address
4
the
food
insecurity
crisis
which
not
only
feeds
children
but
5
stimulates
local
economic
activity.
6
Upon
the
effective
date
of
the
bill,
the
department
of
7
health
and
human
services
(HHS),
in
coordination
with
the
8
department
of
education,
shall
immediately
submit
a
letter
of
9
intent
to
apply
for
and
participate
in
the
SUN
bucks
program
10
during
summer
2025,
to
coordinate
with
the
USDA
to
develop
a
11
successful
management
and
administration
plan
for
the
SUN
bucks
12
program,
and
to
submit
the
plan
to
the
USDA
by
April
1,
2025.
13
The
bill
appropriates
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
14
to
HHS
for
fiscal
year
2024-2025
a
sufficient
amount
to
cover
15
the
costs
of
administering
the
SUN
bucks
program
during
summer
16
2025.
17
The
bill
takes
effect
upon
enactment
and
is
retroactively
18
applicable
to
July
1,
2024.
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