A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow the state to fully opt out of the prohibition on food and nutrition services and temporary assistance for needy families (tanf) benefits for individuals convicted of felonies ANd to lengthen the period for recertification for food and NUTRITION benefits to one year.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 108A‑25.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 108A‑25.2.  Exemption from limitations for individuals convicted of drug‑related felonies.
An individual who is otherwise eligible to participate in the Work First Program or the food and nutrition services program shall be exempt from the application of section 115(a) of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, P.L. 104‑193, and shall not be denied assistance from either program solely because the individual has been convicted of a drug‑related felony or felonies.

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SECTION 2.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall direct county departments of social services to require recertification of eligibility for Food and Nutrition Services be made every 12 months, unless otherwise required by federal law.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2026.