The total cost of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposed alternative to the federal Summer EBT program may not be announced until mid-February, when the federal deadline expires.

Reynolds decided this year against including Iowa in the federal government’s Summer EBT program, which provides low-income families with an extra $40 per month for food. The program is designed to ensure that children who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year also have access to food during the summer.

In his decision, Reynolds rejected $29 million in federal funds for low-income Iowa families that would have cost the state $2.2 million annually to administer.

Instead, Reynolds used $900,000 in federal pandemic relief to create new sites for Iowa’s current summer feeding program. She said the state distributed more than 1.3 million healthy meals and snacks to Iowa children in May and June.

For 2025, Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health are proposing a much larger program: The state would use federal funds to offer healthy food at distribution sites across the state in June, July and August of next year. The proposed program would increase eligibility from 185 percent of the federal poverty level to 200 percent, making about 300,000 Iowans eligible.

Such a program requires approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which operates the Summer EBT program, now called SUN Bucks.

According to documents the state submitted to the USDA and provided by the governor’s office at the request of The Gazette, Reynolds’ new proposal would cost $3.86 million to administer in the first year, with the state paying half of that, or $1.93 million.

States have until February 15 to submit a complete budget for their requests, including food and distribution costs.

Reynolds’ summer 2024 food assistance program was funded with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed in 2021 as a pandemic relief package.

Aside from administrative costs, Reynolds’ 2025 proposal would be funded by federal funds available to states for the SUN Bucks program. Further use of ARPA funds would not be required, the governor’s aides said.

Reynolds defended her proposal during a news conference on Thursday. She said her proposal builds on existing state infrastructure by working with food banks, food banks, schools and other entities involved in summer food assistance programs. And Reynolds said her proposal allows the state to buy food in bulk and therefore at a lower cost, which she said provides a better alternative for low-income families to grocery shopping during high inflation.

“I saw this as an opportunity to help more kids, serve them more food and do it in a nutritious way,” Reynolds said during the press conference. “So we’re actually providing healthier food by buying wholesale instead of retail. …

“Instead of developing a new program and bringing in new people, we are leveraging an existing program and an existing network. We are providing more food, feeding more children and providing better nutrition.”

When Reynolds first announced the proposed program and the state’s request for a waiver, a Department of Agriculture spokesman said the agency would review the request just like any other. But he defended the federal SUN Bucks program, which sends relief funds directly to families, and criticized Reynolds for suggesting an alternative that would involve handing out meals.

“USDA’s Summer EBT program has one goal: to feed children at a time when hunger is on the rise. It is backed by a decade of demonstration projects and rigorous evaluations that show it reduces child hunger and promotes healthier diets,” USDA spokesman Allan Rodriguez said in a statement. “With this waiver request, the governor is making clear that the state (of Iowa) knows their needs better than its own families.”

Reynolds responded to the USDA’s comments with a statement the next day. She said Iowa’s proposal would achieve the SUN Bucks goal of ensuring every child has access to food outside of school hours.

“We have demonstrated that we have a robust infrastructure in our state that enables Iowa families,” Reynolds’ response statement said. “If the goal is truly to ensure children do not go hungry in the summer, USDA will work with Iowa in good faith on this demonstration project. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and partner with them to feed Iowa’s children.”