# 116-hr-5915: Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020

116-hr-5915, Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5915
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-5915
- Congress: 116
- Title: Making Essentials Available and Lawful (MEAL) Act of 2020
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
- Introduced: 2020-02-14
- Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN)
- Cosponsors: 13
- Policy area: Social Welfare
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

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.

## Cosponsors (13)

- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2020-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2020-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2020-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2020-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (D-NC), 2020-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2020-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (D-CA), 2020-02-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2020-02-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2020-02-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL), 2020-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL), 2020-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10] (D-CA), 2020-02-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (D-MA), 2020-03-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act
- 116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020
- 116-hr-4104: Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
- 116-hr-2474: Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019
- 116-hr-2420: National Museum of the American Latino Act
- 116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-5915 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5915)

## Related
- [116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8015)
- [116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7120)
- [116-hr-4104: Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-4104)
- [116-hr-2474: Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2474)
- [116-hr-2420: National Museum of the American Latino Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2420)
- [116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2382)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5915 (as of 2025-11-18).