Gov. Nathan Deal is expected to sign a bill Wednesday lifting the state’s lifetime ban on food stamps for convicted drug offenders after they are released.

The state would opt out of a federal lifetime ban on food stamps for those convicted of a drug-related felony.

The assistance is aimed at keeping felons from returning to prison.

Georgia is among a few states that still have the ban.

The bill is part of broader legislation to reform the state’s criminal justice system. The other measures would allow first-time offenders a chance to seal their court records and overhaul the state’s troubled probation system.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com