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House Bill 5915
116th Congress(2019-2020)
Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in House on Feb 14, 2020
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Introduced in House 
Feb 14, 2020
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Introduced in House(Feb 14, 2020)
Feb 14, 2020
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Multiple bills can contain the same text. This could be an identical bill in the opposite chamber or a smaller bill with a section embedded in a larger bill.
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H. R. 5915 (Introduced-in-House)


116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5915


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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 14, 2020

Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Rush, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Adams, and Ms. Barragán) 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.

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 2020”.

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.—A 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) (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act), and any State law or regulation enacted to carry out the requirements of such section (as then in effect), that imposes conditions on eligibility for TANF assistance or SNAP benefits 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 are who scheduled to be released from an institution within 30 days.”.