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HR 5915 116th Congress House Social Welfare Drug trafficking and controlled substances Food assistance and relief Poverty and welfare assistance State and local government operations

Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020

Introduced: March 5, 2020 Introduced by: Cohen, Steve Democratic · Tennessee See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 5, 2020
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
Feb 14, 2020
Referred to the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support.
Feb 14, 2020
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.
Feb 14, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020

This bill repeals a lifetime ban that prohibits individuals convicted of certain offenses related to the possession, use, or distribution of controlled substances from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or assistance under programs funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants. 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.

Existing state laws that removed or modified the federal ban at the state level shall have no force or effect.

What's happening now March 5, 2020

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

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 11
All 11 Democratic 10
Kennedy, Joseph
· Mar 5, 2020
 D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · Mar 3, 2020
 D
DeSaulnier, Mark
California · Feb 27, 2020
 D
Foster, Bill
Illinois · Feb 26, 2020
 D
García, Jesús G. "Chuy"
Illinois · Feb 26, 2020
 D
Thompson, Mike
California · Feb 25, 2020
 D
Tlaib, Rashida
Michigan · Feb 25, 2020
 D
Adams, Alma S.
North Carolina · Feb 14, 2020
 D
Barragán, Nanette Diaz
California · Feb 14, 2020
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · Feb 14, 2020
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Feb 14, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5915: Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5915/
MLA
"H.R. 5915: Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5915/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5915, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5915/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5915: Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5915/)
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