Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 239.1 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IA-LEGlegis.iowa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. “Applicant” means an individual who is applying for public assistance benefits in the state.

2. “Asset” for the purposes of the asset test for the supplemental nutrition assistance program under section 239.4 means all of the following resources countable toward the maximum allowed household asset limit of fifteen thousand dollars:

a. All liquid resources.

b. All other personal property excluding one vehicle and the fair market value in excess of ten thousand dollars of an additional vehicle.

3. “Asset test” for the purposes of the asset test for the supplemental nutrition assistance program under section 239.4 means the comparison of the collective value of all countable assets of the members of the applicant’s household to the maximum allowed household asset limit of fifteen thousand dollars.

4. “Department” means the department of health and human services.

5. “Public assistance” means the supplemental nutrition assistance program or SNAP, the Medicaid program or Medicaid as defined in section 249A.2, the family investment program or FIP as defined in section 239B.1, and the children’s health insurance program or CHIP.

6. “Real-time eligibility system” means real-time electronic access to a system that allows verification of all applicable public assistance program eligibility information based on the most recent information available to the department through nonmodeled earned and unearned income, such as commercially available wage data.

7. “Recipient” means an individual who is receiving public assistance benefits in the state.

8. “Supplemental nutrition assistance program” or “SNAP” means benefits provided by the federal program administered through 7 C.F.R. pts. 270 – 283, as amended. 2023 Acts, ch 104, §1; 2023 Acts, ch 112, §57 \n

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases, 1957–1990 · leading case: Collins v. State Bd. of Soc. Welfare, 81 N.W.2d 4 (Iowa 1957).
Collins v. State Bd. of Soc. Welfare, 81 N.W.2d 4 (Iowa 1957). · cites it 24× “Section 239.1 defines various terms used therein.”
Kelley v. Iowa Dep't of Soc. Servs., 197 N.W.2d 192 (Iowa 1972). · cites it 14× “The Iowa statute follows the federal counterpart, in Code, 1971, § 239.1(3): A "dependent child" means a needy child [within a certain age] who has been deprived of parental support and care by reason of death, continued absence from home, or physical or mental incapacity or…”
Phipps v. Iowa Dep't of Human Servs., 409 N.W.2d 174 (Iowa 1987). · cites it 4× “-90(a)(l)(C)(l); see also Iowa Code § 239.1 (2) (1985) (A dependent child is a “needy child under .”
Dimery ex rel. Dimery v. Dep't of Soc. Servs., 320 F. Supp. 1125 (S.D. Iowa 1969). · cites it 10× “Plaintiffs seek a declaration that portions of Sections 239.1 and 241A.2, Code of Iowa (1966), and certain regulations promulgated by the Department pursuant to Section 249A.”
Alcala v. Burns, 410 F. Supp. 1024 (S.D. Iowa 1976). · cites it 4× “§ 606 (a) (1970); Iowa Code § 239.1 (3) (1975). On July 31, 1973, the Court held that the term “dependent child” included an unborn child for purposes of determining A.”
State Ex Rel. Cairy v. Iowa Co-Operative Ass'n, 95 N.W.2d 441 (Iowa 1959). · cites it 2× “Therein we said, in view of the announced purpose of the Act, the discrimination was without any justification or reason.”
Alcala v. Burns, 545 F.2d 1101 (8th Cir. 1976). · cites it 2× “§ 606 (a) (1970) and Iowa Code § 239.1 (3) (1975). She sought declaratory and injunctive relief on statutory and constitutional grounds against defendants’ policy of excluding needy pregnant women from eligibility for A.”
Moten v. Iowa Dep't of Soc. Servs., 274 N.W.2d 280 (Iowa 1979). · cites it 5× “§ 606 (a); § 239.1(3), The Code. 2 This language requires two elements: (1) need; and (2) deprivation of parental support or care.”
Dimery v. Dep't of Soc. Serv. of State of Iowa, 344 F. Supp. 1181 (S.D. Iowa 1972). “§ 239.1(3), those of the needy and otherwise eligible who have not been “deprived of parental support and care by reason of death, continued absence from home, or physical or mental incapacity or unfitness of either parent” are excluded from AFDC benefits.”
Hall v. Iowa Dep't of Human Servs., 455 N.W.2d 278 (Iowa Ct. App. 1990). · cites it 2× “” Iowa Code § 239.1 (2). This definition of “dependent child” is almost identical to that adopted by the Congress at 42 U.”
— Iowa Code § 239.1(2) — 1 case
Phipps v. Iowa Dep't of Human Servs., 409 N.W.2d 174 (Iowa 1987). “-90(a)(l)(C)(l); see also Iowa Code § 239.1 (2) (1985) (A dependent child is a “needy child under .”
— Iowa Code § 239.1(3) — 3 cases
Kelley v. Iowa Dep't of Soc. Servs., 197 N.W.2d 192 (Iowa 1972). “The Iowa statute follows the federal counterpart, in Code, 1971, § 239.1(3): A "dependent child" means a needy child [within a certain age] who has been deprived of parental support and care by reason of death, continued absence from home, or physical or mental incapacity or…”
Moten v. Iowa Dep't of Soc. Servs., 274 N.W.2d 280 (Iowa 1979). “§ 606 (a); § 239.1(3), The Code. 2 This language requires two elements: (1) need; and (2) deprivation of parental support or care.”
Dimery v. Dep't of Soc. Serv. of State of Iowa, 344 F. Supp. 1181 (S.D. Iowa 1972). “§ 239.1(3), those of the needy and otherwise eligible who have not been “deprived of parental support and care by reason of death, continued absence from home, or physical or mental incapacity or unfitness of either parent” are excluded from AFDC benefits.”
— Iowa Code § 239.1(4) — 3 cases
Collins v. State Bd. of Soc. Welfare, 81 N.W.2d 4 (Iowa 1957). “Section 239.1 defines various terms used therein.”
Kelley v. Iowa Dep't of Soc. Servs., 197 N.W.2d 192 (Iowa 1972). “The Iowa statute follows the federal counterpart, in Code, 1971, § 239.1(3): A "dependent child" means a needy child [within a certain age] who has been deprived of parental support and care by reason of death, continued absence from home, or physical or mental incapacity or…”
State Ex Rel. Cairy v. Iowa Co-Operative Ass'n, 95 N.W.2d 441 (Iowa 1959). “Therein we said, in view of the announced purpose of the Act, the discrimination was without any justification or reason.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.