HR 2837 United States House · 117th Congress

Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2021

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.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2021

Committee Review

Floor Vote

President

Introduced Apr 26, 2021 Last action Jul 1, 2021

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jul 1, 2021

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.

lower

Apr 26, 2021

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support.

lower

Apr 26, 2021

Committee

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.

lower

Apr 26, 2021

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 41 co-sponsors