The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a state administered federal program that provides monthly food benefits to many low-income people (including children and seniors) and families to help supplement their grocery budgets. A 1996 federal law banned many people with drug-related felony convictions from receiving SNAP benefits for their lifetimes (see 21. U.S.C. § 862a) but allowed states to opt out of or modify the ban. Just over half the states have opted out but many still have partial bans. These bans affect the ability of otherwise eligible people—and in some cases, their families—to receive food assistance through SNAP. These bans contribute to hunger and poor nutrition for millions of people. Fillable Resource

See where your state stands on this issue with this interactive map. This resource was created with support from Voices for Healthy Kids, which is a program of the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

To review the SNAP Ban legislation in any given state, select a state on the map below.

Green = SNAP Ban: Opt-Out States
Blue    = SNAP Ban: Modified Ban States
Red     = SNAP Ban: Full Ban State