A new bill, that could be becoming law this year, could change the eligibility of Americans with drug convictions in regard to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Reentry Support through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act, which was implemented in the year 2023, attempts to allow people who have drug-related crimes to be eligible to receive SNAP benefits, if promoted, the bill would nullify “any law, state policy or regulation imposing conditions on SNAP eligibility” for those with a “controlled substance-related offense.”
It will also allow incarcerated criminals to apply for SNAP benefits before being released: according to this Prison Policy Initiative (PPI) in March 2024, 360,000 people in the United States were deprived of liberty for drug-related crimes.
Commonly known as food stamps, SNAP benefits are given to individuals and families with limited or no income who would otherwise have difficulty paying for food and basic necessities.
Proposed Modifications to SNAP Benefits to Enable Wider Eligibility
In the month of August of the year 1996, the laws published by President Bill Clinton at that time mean that those with federal or state convictions for aggravated drug offenses are permanently prohibited from receiving SNAP benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), however, it has a provision that allows states to choose not to be a party or modify said prohibition.
According to the Network for Public Health Law, only in the state of Carolina in the Southern part has a total ban in force, and 22 states and Washington DC chose not to be participants completely, as regards the other 27 states have made modifications to the prohibition so that people who qualify with convictions for major crimes in the drug issue remain eligible to be participants of SNAP benefits.
The RESTORE Act has been added to the Farm Bill, which expires every five years and new legislation is introduced to replace it, the next Farm Bill, already popularly known as the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, is “on track to become law later this year,” according to a press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, which was published on Wednesday, May 1.
The bill that was introduced by the Democratic representative of Tennessee, Steve Cohen, in the month of May of the year 2023, and was co-sponsored by the Republican representative of Florida, John Rutherford, the Democratic representative of Maryland, David Trone, the Republican representative of Nebraska, Don Bacon, and the Democratic representative of Georgia, Sanford Bishop
“Thousands of people released from state and federal prisons each year re-enter society and encounter significant challenges, including lifetime bans from receiving food assistance,” Cohen said the previous year.
“RESTORE is going to allow them to apply for the program before they are released so that they can cover their basic needs from the first day, so it is planned to reduce the probability of committing a crime again and thus increase the quality of life of people waiting to reintegrate into society.”
Are Those With Drug-Related Crimes Excluded From Snap Benefits?
Currently, SNAP legislation states that people with convictions for certain drug-related crimes are not eligible to receive benefits. This includes federal and state crimes related to the possession, sale, or distribution of illicit drugs while serving time or on probation for such crimes.
However, there are some exceptions and rehabilitation programs that may allow certain people with a history of drug-related offenses to regain SNAP eligibility.
