The Iowa House passed House File 2676, titled the “Make America Healthy Again” bill, by a 65–30 vote this past week, and has passed on to the Senate. According to the Iowa House Republicans Capitol Report, all Democrats voted against the measure.
The bill includes several provisions related to nutrition, school policy, and health care. One section would prohibit soda and candy from being purchased through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Another would restrict certain food additives in school breakfasts and lunches, including several artificial dyes, potassium bromate, and propylparaben.
The legislation also limits digital instruction in kindergarten through fifth grade to 60 minutes per school day and prohibits cellphone use during recess. It would require additional physical education time in schools, reinstate the presidential fitness test, and require high school students to participate in at least one extracurricular or cocurricular activity before graduation.
The measure also requires Iowa medical schools to include at least 40 hours of nutrition and metabolic health education and allows pharmacies to offer ivermectin over the counter.
Full bill description below
This week, the Iowa House passed legislation titled the Make America Healthy Again bill. House File 2676 passed 65-30, with all Democrats voting no. This comprehensive bill works to ensure that taxpayer funds are not making Iowa’s children obese and creating poor health outcomes for life, while also focusing on the reality that physical movement helps not just physical health, but mental health.
Iowa currently ranks 11th in the nation for adult obesity. One in six children in Iowa are considered obese. Obesity leads to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and, as many of the members of this legislature are concerned, several types of cancers. These obesity related diseases often disproportionately affect lower-income individuals at a higher rate. The leading cause of death in Iowa is heart disease.
SNAP Healthy Standards – This bill prohibits soda and candy from being purchased under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The legislature would like to emphasize the nutrition aspect of this taxpayer funded program to assist low-income individuals. According to a 2016 USDA study of foods purchased with SNAPs funds, 20 cents of every dollar was spent on sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar. This bill ensures that taxpayer funds are not going to fund poor health outcomes that do not alleviate hunger.
School Nutrition – This bill prohibits schools and vendors from serving breakfast and lunch that contain blue dye 1 and 2, green dye 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye 40, yellow dye 5 and 6. This bill also requires education standards to include instruction on nutrition and to emphasize the importance of animal-based protein, dairy, vegetables, and fruit. This section is the first step to ensuring that taxpayer funds are not harming Iowa’s children and setting them up for a future healthy lifestyle.
Technology in Schools – This bill recognizes the harm constant use of technology has on children’s learning, attention span, and mental health. The bill reasonably limits K-5 digital instruction to 60 minutes per school day while also allowing parents to opt out of all digital instruction. This bill prohibits the use of cell phones during recess, when children should be playing rather than sitting behind another device. This bill also requires school districts to go through their device policy and see if one-to-one devices are really necessary for education.
Physical Activity and Participation in Activities – This bill requires additional PE throughout the school week and requires the presidential fitness test. Importantly, this bill also requires high school students to participate in at least one cocurricular or extracurricular activity prior to graduation. Children need physical activity to create healthy habits as they grow, and participation in activities provide a sense of belonging and community that is necessary to leading a successful life.
Physician Nutrition Education – This bill requires medical schools in Iowa to require at least 40 hours of coursework on nutrition and metabolic health to graduate. This bill also requires nutrition continuing education for certain doctors and physician assistants. These initiatives aim to ensure that our medical community is focusing on their patients leading a healthy lifestyle.
This bill additionally allows pharmacies to offer ivermectin over-the-counter and for the state to participate in the psychology compact to attract more psychologists to Iowa.
