House Republicans passed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ wide-ranging health bill Tuesday that would put food assistance restrictions into law, ban some food dyes from school meals and authorize over-the-counter ivermectin.
The House added several provisions to the bill (HF 2676), including physical education requirements, digital instruction limits for elementary school and proposed changes to federal school meal standards.
Rep. Austin Harris, R-Moulton, said the state has high rates of obesity and cancer, and the bill is meant to enhance Iowans’ health and well-being.
“This legislation guarantees that those on food assistance have access to healthy, nutritious options to improve our people’s wellbeing,” he said. "It cracks down on harmful chemicals poisoning our people and ensures our children get the exercise they need.”
Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, opposed the bill.
“I’m sorry to see that this legislation missed its mark at any meaningful policy that is going to make Iowans healthy — that is going to make children healthy,” he said. “This was not crafted with science. This was crafted with politics.”
The bill would require the state to continuously apply for federal permission to continue Iowa’s current restrictions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Summer EBT.
Since Jan. 1, those benefits cannot be used to purchase taxable food items, including candy and soda. Anti-hunger advocates have said the policy is confusing for Iowans and is not an effective way to promote health. Under the bill, state officials would be able to seek federal permission to exclude additional food from the programs.
Rep. Rob Johnson, D-Des Moines, said this will not help children eat healthier.
“SNAP benefits are not a luxury,” he said. “It’s a lifeline for families across our state. The question before us is not what is legal or efficient, but what is righteous.”
Harris said lawmakers can’t force people to eat healthy, but they can ensure taxpayer-funded programs promote healthy habits.
“Opponents claim we lack compassion for those in need. Let’s be clear,” he said. “There is nothing compassionate about encouraging unhealthy eating.”
The bill would also allow pharmacies and pharmacists to sell ivermectin over-the-counter, and it states they “shall not be subject to professional discipline or civil or criminal penalties for the distribution of ivermectin.”
Baeth, who is a physician, said this is dangerous because some people wrongly believe that ivermectin can treat COVID and cancer, and taking too much ivermectin can cause complications like seizures and liver failure.
“Perhaps that is why there is a clause in this bill that gives immunity to pharmacists who are handing this out now like candy, because people want to experiment on themselves from something they read on the internet,” he said.
Harris called Baeth’s comments a “scare tactic” and said five states have allowed selling ivermectin without a prescription.
Six food dyes and two food additives would be banned from food and drinks served and sold to students at K-12 public and charter schools, as well as private schools that receive state funding for breakfast or lunch programs.
The bill would require medical students to complete coursework related to nutrition and require physicians to complete continuing education on nutrition. It would also create a psychology interjurisdictional compact to allow psychologists from other states to practice telehealth with Iowa patients.
Legislation on school activities, screentime limits and school lunch added to bill
The bill would require Iowa schools to use the Presidential Fitness Test, and K-8 students would have to get at least 120 minutes of physical activity per week. All high school students would have to participate in at least one extracurricular or cocurricular activity in order to graduate.
Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, said these policies would help improve kids’ mental health.
“If you have a kid in high school who doesn’t do anything, just goes to school and goes home and plays Xbox all night, I can’t imagine how that kid is going to be a fully functioning adult for the rest of their life,” he said.
Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said she opposed the bill because some kids don’t have the time, money or transportation to join school activities.
“While I appreciate the idea, I feel that making it a requirement puts undue hardship on kids and doesn’t consider that not all kids are going home and playing Xbox,” she said. “Some are going to work to support their families.”
Bipartisan legislation was added to the bill that would limit digital instruction to no more than 60 minutes per day in elementary schools, with some exceptions. It would also require school districts to adopt digital device policies and publish information about digital device programs on their website.
Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, co-sponsored the proposal. She said one-on-one devices have expanded rapidly in elementary schools.
“While the goal was modernization, teachers and parents have raised consistent concerns about attention, focus and the depth of learning as screen exposure increased,” Fett said.
Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, wrote the legislation with Fett.
“This is not about being anti-tech, it’s pro-learning,” Matson said. “With this amendment, teachers and human connection are back at the center of the classroom.”
The bill would also direct the state to apply for federal permission to alter school lunch standards, including exempting the state from sodium limits and requirements related to whole grains and fruit and vegetable variety. If approved, the state would then have to issue school meal rules that reflect regional food sources and prioritize animal-based protein, dairy, vegetables and fruit.
The bill passed 65-30, with one Republican joining all Democrats to vote against the bill. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Reynolds’ proposed changes to the certificate of need process for health care facilities were taken out of the bill and passed as part of a different bill. Her proposal to raise taxes on tobacco products was also removed and may be considered in separate legislation.
A tobacco tax increase failed to pass a Senate committee last month.
Reynolds said she would continue talking to lawmakers about that proposal, but it’s hard to convince her fellow Republicans to raise taxes.
“I think with the cancer numbers that we have, and when you look at 70% of lung cancer rates are attributed to tobacco, I think it makes sense that we take a look at that,” she said.
