RESTORE Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-3479
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2023-05-18
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Family services

Food assistance and relief

Poverty and welfare assistance
Latest action: action_date: 2023-06-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-05-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials Act of 2023 or the RESTORE Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill repeals a prohibition barring an individual with certain felony drug convictions from participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under current law, a state may opt out of enforcing the ban on participation.</p><p>The bill also allows an individual who is incarcerated to apply for SNAP benefits before their release date. Specifically, the bill amends the definition of household to include incarcerated individuals who are scheduled to be released from an institution within 30 days. Currently, a state agency may apply to the Food and Nutrition Service for an administrative waiver in order to allow individuals to apply for SNAP benefits up to 30 days prior to release.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3479 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 18, 2023 Mr. Cohen (for himself and Mr. Rutherford ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to allow individuals with drug offenses to receive benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials Act of 2023 or the RESTORE Act of 2023 . 2. Assistance and benefits for certain drug-related convictions (a) In general Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 ( 21 U.S.C. 862a ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking for— and all that follows through the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting for assistance under any State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq. ). ; (2) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking paragraph (2); (B) by striking the subsection designation and heading and all that follows through The amount of in paragraph (1) and inserting the following: (b) Program of temporary assistance for needy families The amount of ; and (C) by inserting ( 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq. ) after Social Security Act ; and (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: (e) Definition of State In this section, the term State has the meaning given the term in section 419 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 619 ), when referring to assistance provided under a State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq. ). . (b) Effect on State policies Any State law, policy, or regulation that imposes conditions on eligibility for the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq. ) based on an individual having a conviction for an offense related to a controlled substance shall have no force or effect. (c) Modification of definition of household under SNAP 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: (F) Incarcerated individuals who are scheduled to be released from an institution within 30 days. .