Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020
Summary
Official Summary
Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020
This bill repeals a lifetime ban that prohibits individuals convicted of certain offenses related to the possession, use, or distribution of controlled substances from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or assistance under programs funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants. 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.
Existing state laws that removed or modified the federal ban at the state level shall have no force or effect.
Bill texts
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support.
House of Representatives
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.
House of Representatives
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
House of Representatives
All available records shown.