Summary
# SNAP Back Act of 2023 — Plain English Summary
## WHAT THIS BILL DOES
This bill removes a federal rule that prevents people with certain drug-related criminal convictions from receiving SNAP benefits (also called food stamps). The bill changes the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to stop denying SNAP benefits based on drug convictions.
## WHO IT AFFECTS
People with certain drug-related criminal convictions who want to receive SNAP benefits.
## KEY PROVISIONS
* The bill removes language from federal law that denies SNAP benefits to people with drug convictions (Sec. 1(a))
* The bill updates the official title and description of the law to remove references to benefits being denied (Sec. 1(b))
## WHAT CHANGES
If this becomes law, the current federal ban on SNAP benefits for people with drug-related convictions will no longer apply. People who were previously disqualified from receiving SNAP benefits because of drug convictions may become eligible.
## IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
None defined in bill text.
## EFFECTIVE DATE
Not specified in bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1489
To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act of 1996 to repeal the drug felon ban for participation in the supple-
mental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act
of 2008.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2023
Mr. CRAWFORD 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 repeal the drug felon ban
for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance
program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘SNAP Back Act of
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2023’’.
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•HR 1489 IH
SEC. 1. REPEAL OF DENIAL OF SNAP BENEFITS FOR CER-
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TAIN DRUG-RELATED CONVICTIONS.
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(a) REPEALERS.—Section 115 of the Personal Re-
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sponsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
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1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a) is amended—
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(1) in the heading by striking ‘‘AND BENE-
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FITS’’,
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(2) in subsection (a)—
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(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘, or’’ at
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the end and inserting a period,
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(B) by striking ‘‘for—’’ and all that fol-
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lows through ‘‘(1)’’, and inserting ‘‘for’’, and
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(C) by striking paragraph (2),
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(3) in subsection (b)—
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(A) in the heading by striking ‘‘AND BEN-
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EFITS
FOR
OTHERS’’ and all that follows
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through ‘‘FAMILIES’’, and
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(B) by striking paragraph (2),
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(4) in subsection (c) by striking ‘‘or benefits’’,
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and
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(5) in subsection (e)—
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(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘, and’’
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at the end and inserting a period,
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(B) by striking ‘‘it—’’ and all that follows
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through ‘‘(1)’’, and inserting ‘‘it’’, and
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(C) by striking paragraph (2).
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•HR 1489 IH
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—The Personal Re-
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sponsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
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1996 is amended in the table of contents by striking the
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item relating to section 115 and inserting the following:
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‘‘Sec. 115. Denial of assistance for certain drug-related convictions.’’.
Æ
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