May 22, 2025
Governor of Iowa
Office of the Governor/State Capitol
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
Division Director
Community Access and Eligibility
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
312 East 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
Dear Governor Reynolds:
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is pleased to approve the request dated April 1, 2025, from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to allow the state to operate a novel demonstration project to amend the statutory definition of food for purchase by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from "any food or food product for home consumption" to "all nontaxable food items as defined by the Iowa Department of Revenue." This approval, subject to the enclosed terms and conditions, is for 2 years, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Due to the novel design of the project, FNS is committed to carefully and comprehensively evaluating how waiving the state's definition of food in this way impacts SNAP participants and retailers. FNS will carefully review the results of the project, based on the evaluation data provided by the state and other available information.
FNS will continue to collaborate with the state, to finalize data collection points, define key metrics, and outline any necessary data analysis for the quarterly evaluation reports, as well as finalize key implementation parameters such as a threshold standard for retailers.
Please submit written acceptance of this approval and the terms and conditions signed by the appropriate state official. Attach this acceptance letter to a chatter post in WIMS case # 00011993. Please tag the relevant regional and national staff listed in the WIMS case team using the @ sign when uploading this document.
FNS appreciates the state's willingness to test innovative approaches to support healthy choices, and healthy outcomes to best serve SNAP participants. FNS is committed to working with the state to obtain robust data to inform ways to improve nutrition assistance programs.
Sincerely,
Brooke L. Rollins
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture