Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2837 | Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve (D-TN)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021
This bill repeals a lifetime ban that prohibits individuals convicted of certain offenses related to the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or assistance under programs funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants. Any state law that imposes conditions on eligibility for SNAP benefits or TANF assistance based on an individual's conviction of such an offense shall have no force or effect.
In addition, individuals who are incarcerated and scheduled to be released within 30 days shall qualify as individual households for purposes of SNAP eligibility. Under current law, unless specifically excepted, individuals residing in institutions do not constitute a household.

To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
  Reconciliation Act of 1996 to repeal a certain disqualification to 
receive benefits under title IV of the Social Security Act and benefits 
  under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008; and to amend the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide that incarcerated individuals who are 
 scheduled to be released from an institution within 30 days shall be 
         considered to be a household for purposes of such Act.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Making Essentials Available and 
Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. TANF ASSISTANCE AND SNAP BENEFITS.

    (a) Repeal of Ban on Assistance.--Section 115 of the Personal 
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (21 
U.S.C. 862a) is repealed.
    (b) Effect on State Elections To Opt Out or Limit Period of 
Prohibition.--
            (1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    (A) the term ``State'' has the meaning given the 
                term in section 115(e) of the Personal Responsibility 
                and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (21 
                U.S.C. 862a(e)) (as in effect on the day before the 
                date of enactment of this Act); and
                    (B) the term ``TANF assistance or SNAP benefits'' 
                means assistance or benefits referred to in section 
                115(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
                Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (as in effect on 
                the day before the date of enactment of this Act).
            (2) Effect on state policies.--Any law enacted by a State 
        under the authority under subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection 
        (d)(1) of section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
        Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a), and 
        any State law, policy, or regulation that imposes conditions on 
        eligibility for the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
        and temporary assistance for needy families program based on an 
        individual's conviction of an offense related to a controlled 
        substance, shall have no force or effect.

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF HOUSEHOLD FOR THE PURPOSE OF 
              DETERMINING SNAP BENEFITS.

    Section 3(m)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2012(m)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) Incarcerated individuals who are scheduled to 
                be released from an institution within 30 days.''.
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