Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-2837
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2021-04-26
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Food assistance and relief

Poverty and welfare assistance

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2021-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-04-26
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021</b></p> <p>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.<br /></p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2837 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 26, 2021 Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin , Mrs. Watson Coleman , Mrs. Hayes , Mr. Blumenauer , Ms. Bonamici , Mr. Cárdenas , Mr. Cleaver , Mr. Cooper , Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois , Mr. Deutch , Mr. Grijalva , Mr. Horsford , Ms. Kaptur , Ms. Lee of California , Ms. Norton , Mr. Rush , Ms. Tlaib , Mr. Trone , Ms. Scanlon , Ms. Schakowsky , Mr. Welch , and Ms. Dean ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture , and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021 . 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. 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. .