WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 21, Food and Drugs › Chapter 13

21 U.S.C. 862a: Denial of assistance and benefits for certain drug-related convictions

Created in 1996 by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193). Changed by 4 later laws. 1 bill in this Congress would change it.

1 other section of the Code cite this one, including 25 U.S.C. 2803.

This Congress

  • H.R. 9877 Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 · introduced · would change (a), (b), (c), (e)

How it got here

2014

  • Pub. L. 113–79, §4030(n)(1), substituted "supplemental nutrition assistance program (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)) or any State program carried out under that Act" for "food stamp program (as defined in section 3(l) of the Food Stamp … (Agricultural Act of 2014) Law text · (a)
  • Pub. L. 113–79, §4030(n)(2), substituted "supplemental nutrition assistance program (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)), or any State program carried out under that Act" for "food stamp program (as defined in section 3(l) of the Food Stamp… (Agricultural Act of 2014) Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 113–79, §4030(n)(3), substituted "section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), when referring to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (as defined in that section) or any State program carried out under that Act" for "section 3(s) of the Food Stam… (Agricultural Act of 2014) Law text · (e)

2008

  • Pub. L. 110–246, §4115(c)(2)(C)(i), substituted "section 3(l)" for "section 3(h)". (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008) Law text · (a), (b)
  • Pub. L. 110–246, §4115(c)(2)(C), substituted "section 3(s)" for "section 3(m)" and "section 3(l)" for "section 3(h)". (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008) Law text · (e)

1997

  • Pub. L. 105–33 substituted "a conviction if the conviction is for conduct" for "convictions". (Balanced Budget Act of 1997) Law text · (d)

Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.