Relating to public assistance program integrity, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions

The computerized identity authentication process and questionnaire may be submitted online, in person, or via telephone by the applicant or a person authorized by the applicant. The bill also requires HHS to conduct an asset test on all members of the household of an applicant for SNAP benefits. The bill specifies the minimum information, federal, state, and other data sources, and public records that HHS must access prior to determining eligibility for an applicant’s SNAP benefits. The bill requires HHS to enter into a memorandum of understanding with any department or subunit of a department to obtain the information specified. The bill’s provisions do not apply if every member of the applicant’s household receives supplemental security income. The bill provides that no later than July 1, 2025, HHS shall redesign an existing system, establish a new identity eligibility verification system, or contract with a third-party vendor to provide verification, authentication, and dual enrollment prevention systems for public assistance programs. The department may also contract with a third-party vendor to develop or provide a real-time eligibility system. All contracts are subject to minimum requirements specified in the bill. The bill authorizes HHS to adopt administrative rules to administer the bill and requires HHS to submit an annual report to the governor and the general assembly to assess the impact of the bill. DIVISION II. This division relates to SNAP and Medicaid program integrity by requiring HHS to, within specified time frames, receive and review state and federal information from various entities concerning individuals or individuals in households enrolled in SNAP or the Medicaid program that indicates a change in circumstances that may affect eligibility. The information relates to death, employment, residency, incarceration, and unemployment information. Additionally, the bill requires HHS to cross-check information relating to individuals in households enrolled in SNAP or the Medicaid program, as applicable, with specified federal databases. With regard to the Medicaid program only, the bill also requires that prior to determining eligibility for the Medicaid program, HHS shall access information for every member of an applicant’s household from the data sources outlined in the bill and conduct a review of nationwide public records data sources of physical asset ownership. The bill also requires an applicant for Medicaid benefits to cooperate with child support services as a condition of eligibility as specified under federal law. The bill requires HHS to use a reasonable compatibility standard threshold of percent rather than percent in determining eligibility for Medicaid. DIVISION III. This division requires HHS to seek federal approval of an amendment to the section 1115 demonstration waiver for the Iowa health and wellness plan to provide both of the following: (1) that an Iowa health and wellness plan member who is not otherwise exempt from payment of a monthly contribution, who is subject to payment of a monthly contribution as the result of failure to complete required healthy behaviors, and whose eligibility for the program is terminated due to nonpayment of monthly contributions, shall be allowed to subsequently reenroll in the program without first paying any outstanding monthly contributions, if the member has not been terminated from the program previously for nonpayment of monthly contributions, and (2) following an initial termination from the Iowa health and wellness plan, if an Iowa health and wellness plan member is subsequently terminated from the program for nonpayment of monthly contributions, the member shall be subject to payment of any outstanding monthly contributions accrued since the subsequent termination not to exceed program limits prior to reenrollment in the program. The bill does not apply to an Iowa health and wellness plan member who is deemed to be in substantial compliance with the requirement to complete a wellness examination by providing proof of a scheduled examination appointment if the appointment is scheduled no later than days beyond the end of the applicable enrollment period. DIVISION IV. This division requires HHS to submit a request for federal approval by July 1, 2023, and annually by July thereafter until federal approval is received, for a waiver to require that as a condition of eligibility, Iowa health and wellness plan members participate in community engagement activities. The bill specifies the types of community engagement activities to be required under the waiver submitted and provides exceptions to required participation in community engagement activities. The bill directs HHS to implement the waiver upon receipt of federal approval and to adopt administrative rules to administer the waiver provisions. DIVISION V. This division requires HHS to request a waiver from the United States department of agriculture, food and nutrition service, to provide that eligible foods under the state administration of SNAP do not include candy and non-sugar-free soda. The department is directed to implement the waiver upon receipt of approval of the waiver. The division also relates to the double up food bucks program by making a supplemental appropriation from the general fund of the state to HHS for fiscal year 2023-2024, in addition to any other funding appropriated for such purpose for the same fiscal year, to provide grants to support the double up food bucks program administered by the Iowa healthiest state initiative to make fresh fruits and vegetables sold at farmers markets, grocery stores, and other participating locations accessible to individuals and families who reside in this state and receive assistance through SNAP. The division requires a double up food bucks program grant recipient to provide at least a dollar-for-dollar match of the grant assistance. Moneys appropriated under the division do not revert at the close of the fiscal year but remain available for the purposes of the double up food bucks program. The supplemental appropriation for the double up food bucks program takes effect on the date HHS receives federal approval of the SNAP waiver, if the waiver is approved. DIVISION VI. This division provides implementation provisions for the bill. The bill requires HHS to request federal approval including for any state plan amendment or waiver necessary to administer the bill. If HHS determines that any provision of the bill would result in the denial of funds or services from the federal government that would otherwise be available or would be inconsistent with the requirements of federal law or regulation, such provision shall be suspended, but only to the extent necessary to eliminate the inconsistency with federal requirements. Unless otherwise provided in the bill, HHS shall implement the provisions of the bill in an incremental fashion, beginning July 1, 2023, with a goal of full implementation no later than June 30, 2025, to minimize duplication of efforts and to maximize coordination with the implementation time frames of other departmental resource enhancements. The provisions of the bill requiring federal approval shall be implemented upon receipt of federal approval. The provisions of the bill not requiring federal approval shall be implemented as specified in the bill, and if it not specified in the bill, then not later than June 30, 2025.