Currently, per the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, individuals who are convicted of an offense that occurred on or after 8-22-96, and had an element of possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance, are ineligible for SNAP.
Indiana passed legislation (IC 12-14-30-3) effective January 1, 2020, that will allow for SNAP applicants and recipients who have a drug related felony conviction to be considered for eligibility for SNAP if at least one of several conditions exist:
- The individual has successfully completed probation, parole, community corrections, a reentry court program, or any other postconviction monitoring program ordered by a court.
- The individual is successfully complying with the individual’s conditions of probation, parole, or community corrections, the terms of participation in a reentry court program, or the requirements of any other postconviction monitoring program ordered by a court.
Applications for SNAP are processed by the Division of Family Resources, a part of FSSA. We hope that communicating this change in advance will increase the awareness of this change and allow for communication between the Division of Family Resources and supervisory agencies.
It is hoped that this opportunity to receive SNAP benefits may contribute to lowering the instances of recidivism and increasing the instances of successful transition back to the community.
Questions regarding this change can be routed to Suzanne Tryan at Suzanne.Tryan@fssa.in.gov or 317-234-8708.