Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Monday the state will participate in the federal summer electronic benefit transfer program, or summer EBT, after opting out for two years. 

The announcement follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the state’s waiver to align the summer food program with Iowa’s Healthy SNAP program by implementing new guidelines that prevent food benefits from being used to purchase candy, soda, and some store prepared foods. 

The state’s new Healthy SNAP guidelines will go into effect on Jan. 1. 

Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks, provides eligible families with $40 per child per month over the summer months. The money can be used at participating locations to purchase “healthy foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables, meat, and dairy to supplement families’ nutritional needs,” the news release from Reynolds and Iowa Health and Human Services said. 

“Food assistance programs that are nutrition focused do more to help low-income Iowans by addressing both hunger and health,” Reynolds said in the Monday news release. 

Reynolds said the SUN Bucks programs lacked a focus on nutrition, which led to the launch of the Healthy Kids Iowa pilot program. Healthy Kids Iowa provided qualifying households with a box of $40 worth of food during the summer months. 

The pilot food program ran in summer 2025, and received backlash from anti-hunger advocates. Local food pantries and banks reported logistical challenges with packing and distributing the boxes. 

The Iowa Hunger Coalition put out a news release Monday saying the organization was “elated” to hear that Iowa will be participating in summer EBT again.

 “While the Iowa Hunger Coalition remains opposed to SNAP food and beverage restrictions, we are overjoyed that Governor Reynolds recognizes the importance of the SUN Bucks program and has chosen to participate in 2026,” Luke Elzinga, chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition and policy and advocacy manager for the DMARC Food Pantry Network, said in a Monday news release.