I 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. BARRAGA´N) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Com- mittee 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 disquali- fication 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 pur- poses of such Act. VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Feb 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H5915.IH H5915 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 5915 IH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Making Essentials 4 Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020’’. 5 SEC. 2. TANF ASSISTANCE AND SNAP BENEFITS. 6 (a) REPEAL OF BAN ON ASSISTANCE.—Section 115 7 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Rec- 8 onciliation Act of 1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a) is repealed. 9 (b) EFFECT ON STATE ELECTIONS TO OPT OUT OR 10 LIMIT PERIOD OF PROHIBITION.— 11 (1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 12 (A) the term ‘‘State’’ has the meaning 13 given the term in section 115(e) of the Personal 14 Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconcili- 15 ation Act of 1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a(e)) (as in 16 effect on the day before the date of enactment 17 of this Act); and 18 (B) the term ‘‘TANF assistance or SNAP 19 benefits’’ means assistance or benefits referred 20 to in section 115(a) of the Personal Responsi- 21 bility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act 22 of 1996 (as in effect on the day before the date 23 of enactment of this Act). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Feb 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5915.IH H5915 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 5915 IH (2) EFFECT.—A law enacted by a State under 1 the authority under subparagraph (A) or (B) of sub- 2 section (d)(1) of section 115 of the Personal Respon- 3 sibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 4 1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a) (as in effect on the day be- 5 fore the date of enactment of this Act), and any 6 State law or regulation enacted to carry out the re- 7 quirements of such section (as then in effect), that 8 imposes conditions on eligibility for TANF assist- 9 ance or SNAP benefits shall have no force or effect. 10 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF HOUSEHOLD 11 FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING SNAP 12 BENEFITS. 13 Section 3(m)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 14 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)(5)) is amended by adding at the 15 end the following: 16 ‘‘(H) Incarcerated individuals are who 17 scheduled to be released from an institution 18 within 30 days.’’. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Feb 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5915.IH H5915 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS