,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ejgj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ac1       
#bjai,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez 7for herself1 
,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1    
,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois1 and ,ms4 ,lee 
of ,california7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,oversight and ,reform  ,a
 ,,bill  ,to provide access to ,federal 
public benefits for individuals with    
criminal convictions1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,a ,just ,society3  
,the ,mercy ,in ,re-entry ,act4  #b4    
,federal public benefit accessibility   
for individuals with criminal           
convictions  7a7 ,in general            
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 an individual may not be denied any
 ,federal public benefit solely on the  
basis that the individual was convicted 
of a criminal offense 7whether under    
,federal1 ,state1 tribal1 or foreign    
law74  7b7 ,definition ,for purposes of 

this section1 the term ,federal public  
benefit means-- 7#a7 any grant1         
contract1 loan1 professional license1 or
 commercial license provided by an      
agency of the ,united ,states or by     
appropriated funds of the ,united       
,states2 and  7#b7 any retirement1      
welfare1 health1 disability1 public or  
assisted housing1 postsecondary         
education1 food assistance1 unemployment
 benefit1 or any other similar benefit  
for which payments or assistance are    
provided to an individual1 household1 or
 family eligibility unit by an agency of
 the ,united ,states or by appropriated 
funds of the ,united ,states4