Story by By SCOTT McFETRIDGE, Associated Press • Yesterday 6:53 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of Iowa residents would be expected to lose Medicaid and food stamp benefits under a bill given final legislative approval Thursday and sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds.

FILE – Rep. Joel Fry, R-Osceola, center, carries a box from his desk following adjournment of the legislative session on June 5, 2015, at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. Thousands of Iowa residents would be expected to lose Medicaid and food stamp benefits under a bill given final legislative approval Thursday, April 13, 2023, and sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds. Fry said the bill takes nothing away from people who are eligible for benefits. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)© Provided by The Associated Press

The state House approved the bill, which would change eligibility requirements and require more checks that people qualify for benefits, ultimately resulting in the removal of an estimated 1% of recipients and saving the state roughly $8 million annually beginning in 2027. A legislative analysis found that 1% would translate to the removal of about 8,000 Medicaid recipients and 2,800 recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps.

FILE – State Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Story, speaks during debate on a bill on Jan. 23, 2023, at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa House on Thursday, April 13, gave final legislative approval to a bill that would change eligibility requirements and require more background checks for people who seek benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps. Wessel-Kroeschell opposed the bill, arguing people would lose benefits because they make mistakes in filling forms. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)© Provided by The Associated Press

The Senate previously approved the measure, which passed both chambers with only Republican support. The bill now goes to Reynolds, a Republican who is expected to sign it into law.

Republican Rep. Joel Fry said the bill takes nothing away from people who are eligible for benefits.

“If you’re eligible for the benefit, you will receive the benefit,” Fry said. “It protects the program for those who need it most, and I would suggest to you that we are creating a safety net today that is sustainable for the long term.”