North Carolina News -- September 14, 2026: The debate over food assistance for individuals with past criminal records has returned to the spotlight, driven by an investigation from North Carolina Health News highlighting how an old law leaves thousands of residents permanently barred from grocery help.
The history, the state's rules, and the national legislative showdown explain why this issue has reached a boiling point today:
The 1996 Federal Law and the Automatic Default: In August 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). Tucked inside was Section 115—an amendment introduced by Texas Senator Phil Gramm that established an immediate, automatic, lifetime ban nationwide on food stamps (now SNAP) and cash assistance for anyone convicted of a state or federal drug felony. To pass the bill, Congress gave individual states the right to opt out or modify the ban through state legislation.
North Carolina’s Choice in 1997: Rather than opting out completely, the North Carolina General Assembly passed N.C.G.S. § 108A-25.2 in 1997. The statute created a modified structure that remains active today:
Classes A through G Felonies: Anyone convicted under NC law of a Class A, B, C, D, E, F, or G drug offense (manufacturing, trafficking, and higher-level possession) faces a permanent, lifetime disqualification.
Out-of-State Convictions: Anyone with a felony drug conviction from outside North Carolina is permanently barred for life.
Classes H and I Felonies: People convicted of the lowest two offense tiers can regain eligibility only after serving a 6-month post-release waiting period, remaining felony-free, and providing certified completion of substance abuse treatment.
Why North Carolina Is an Outlier: Over the past two decades, red and blue states alike—passed legislation opting out of the federal ban completely. Today, North Carolina and South Carolina stand as two of the only states in the nation that continue enforcing a permanent lifetime ban on food assistance for higher-tier drug convictions.
The "Double Penalty" on Families: The law does not just impact the individual. When an excluded person lives with a spouse or partner and children, county Department of Social Services (DSS) offices exclude them from the household headcount while still counting 100% of their gross income against the family. This calculation frequently reduces the remaining family members' food assistance allotments to a fraction of normal benefits or eliminates eligibility entirely.
What the Federal "Farm Bill" Is: The Farm Bill is a massive, multi-year omnibus federal package that Congress typically passes every five years to govern agricultural subsidies, conservation, crop insurance, and rural development. However, roughly 80% of all Farm Bill funding goes directly to nutrition programs—primarily SNAP. Because the Farm Bill sets the overarching federal rules for SNAP across the entire country, it serves as the ultimate battleground for food policy.
Why It Is in the News Now:
The RESTORE Act Coalition: Congressional leaders have pushed the bipartisan RESTORE Act (co-sponsored by both Democrats and conservative Republicans focused on reentry) as an amendment to the federal Farm Bill. If adopted, it would permanently repeal Section 115 from federal law, invalidating North Carolina's state statute and erasing lifetime bans nationwide.
Stalled Action in Raleigh: At the state level, bipartisan bills (HB 682 / SB 564) introduced to repeal the ban have repeatedly stalled in the Rules Committee under Republican legislative leadership, leaving advocates and community coalitions to push for federal intervention.
A Squeezed Safety Net: Amid broader federal reductions in SNAP benefits and expanding work mandates, community food pantries and charitable soup kitchens across North Carolina report record strain, unable to fill the long-term food deficit for residents locked out of state assistance.