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Five States Considering Mandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients

Posted by Hunter Strickler on Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 11:11 AM
 

Should welfare recipients be asked to undergo drug testing as a requirement for receiving benefits?  If so, how will the testing be monitored and how will it be funded? 

After years of political debate, five states (MO, WV, KS, KY, and IL) have started the legislative process for introducing (and in some cases passing) bills that would mandate drug testing for welfare beneficiaries.  Below is a breakdown from Yahoo! News contributing writer Tara Dodrill of where each state stands on the proposed legislation. Full article can be found at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110216/us_ac/7874532_states_
pass_bills_mandating_drug_testing_for_welfare_recipients

State Drug Testing LawsMissouri

The Missouri legislature introduced a bill that requires welfare recipients take a drug test before being handed a government check. The proposed law has passed the state House of Representatives but has yet to be addressed in the state senate. Supporters and opponents of the law fall pretty squarely along party lines. While Republicans want to review the projected costs associated with mandating drug tests for welfare recipients, most favor the measure.


West Virginia

West Virginia lawmakers are also considering a similar measure to require recipients of government assistance be drug-free. If the bill becomes law, you will have to pass a drug test to be handed food stamps, unemployment benefits or a welfare check in the state. "Nobody's being forced into these assistance programs. If so many jobs require drug tests these days, why not these benefits," Republican Congressman Craig Blair told Fox News.

Kansas

The Kansas House of Representatives approved a bill making rug tests mandatory for the 14,000 people receiving government assistance in the state. The measure will face Senate scrutiny before it can be enacted. During the 1990s, the U.S. Congress overhauled the welfare system and permitted individual states to mandate drug testing before handing over taxpayer dollars to recipients of government assistance. Although there is no coordinated alliance between states to suddenly begin pushing for drug testing laws, the list of states with pending bills grows each week.

Kentucky

Republican Kentucky State Representative Lonnie Napier proposed a bill that would require recipients of government assistance checks and food stamps to pass a drug test. Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo is supporting the initiative, even though critics say it would stigmatize welfare recipients.

Illinois

Republican Representative Jim Sacia from Illinois introduced a bill which called for a pilot drug testing program for recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) under the supervision of the Department of Human Services. If the bill passes a program will be enacted in three counties and will grow to statewide usage if successful. New York, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Idaho also have similar pending legislation.

 

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Comments

Drug testing for welfare should be made into law. No where in the Constitution, neither state nor country, does it say anything about public assistance being a right. I'm not about to support the drug addicts.
Posted @ Monday, April 25, 2011 7:36 PM by Josh Weitzel
Currently doing an english assignment on this topic, and although I agree tax payers who are themselves subjected to drug testing, should not have to expect paying tax dollars to welfare, which is also a type of employment, especially for those families that have taken it for many generations. One mistake the taxpayers made, was back in the 60's there should have been a limit on how many children a family could claim on assistance programs. For example 2 or 3 children limit, which would prevent these people from bearing children for tax dollars, preventing so many children from living in poverty and in some cases not being loved, therefore turning out with alot of issues, which taxpayers also pay for in ways of mental rehab etc.. Another mistake made was to allow soda pop, precooked foods frozen or fresh, candy bars, and limitation's on chips of any kind. Oh and Star Bucks coffees. Amazing what you see in a cart the first of the month at Walmart. So why can't they revamp the food stamp cards to limit junk foods and unnecessary foods, for, in most cases people who don't work and should be able to cook a full meal, rather then subject their families to high sodium precooked meals. But you don't see that in most of the carts going through a check out line at a grocery store. Feel they should start with the food stamp problems before the drug testing, as it would be much less complicated and wouldn't cost near as much to implement. 
Posted @ Tuesday, May 31, 2011 11:01 AM by Deborah Haga
I believe that if you have to be drug tested to get a job, then you should have to be drug tested to receive assistance. Look at the useless money spend for someone to receive assistance,sitting at home, doing drugs.... When you get a job, you do a drug test to recieve your paycheck. To get assistance, one should have to do the same thing. I live in TEXAS and I think that they should be doing the same thing...
Posted @ Saturday, August 20, 2011 5:40 AM by Anita
I use to live in Texas also Anita. Can understand your frustration, just as I have had frustration in how the government has let this assistance program get way out of hand. Actually knew a guy in Texas that made over 60,000 a year back in the 90's, spent about every weekend at the casino's in Shreveport, yet still just claimed 15,000 a year, and received over 4000 back in taxes yearly, plus Medicaid on 3 children. So when you look at all the ways the system is being abused, just where does one start to make it all better? As I mentioned before the Food Stamp program could be revised with very little expense compared to other problems that need corrected, but easy is not our government these days, so I don't see them taking such an easy step to save billions of dollars and even help our children prevent obesity. But I can go on and on. You have a wonderful day Anita.
Posted @ Saturday, August 20, 2011 8:52 AM by Deborah
I live in NC and I am totally for background checks, credit checks and random drug testing for welfare recipiants. I work a a doctors office and I see them come in with their nails done, hair done, glasses to match the outfit but no copay. My husband is a cop also has to deal with welfare issues tooo...90% of all the calls he gos to recieve welfare. Not to mention why do we see the latest sports car in the projects??? if they can pay for a sports car and the insurance they can pay for rent out of the projects. 
 
As far as credit checks...if they can afford to buy rims, tires, fashion they can afford to pay for their own insurance, glasses, rent, child care ect. 
 
 
 
What did people do before welfare? We need to go back, back to no welfare. back to working hard or you have nothing.  
 
I will admit, I had medicaid the 1st year my daughter was born. However she is 15 now and my husband and I have worked our butts off. Welfare should be temporary not a lifestyle!!
Posted @ Sunday, November 06, 2011 12:04 AM by Winnie White
I support drug testing for welfare. I am subjected to drug testing to keep my job due to my profession, why not the same for individuals who receive welfare benefits. I work with a population of people who i know for a fact use their welfare benefits to purchase drugs and alcohol, and leave their children without food and or other basic needs. This has paralyzed their community and has entrapped their children to grow up and follow the same life style, this need to end.
Posted @ Saturday, December 17, 2011 12:29 PM by George
I agree that welfare recipients should be drug tested, and then randomly tested after receiving benefits. I also believe there should be a food stamp store with basic things in it, where they can use the stamps. Anything besides basic, you should have the incentive to work for. 
 
Posted @ Friday, January 27, 2012 5:52 AM by Paula Kearney
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