The legislation I introduced will require recipients of public assistance to submit to at least one random drug screen every year. Upon the first positive the person will lose their benefits until a negative test is taken. Upon a second positive or failed screen, the person will lose their benefits for a period of two years.
This is the first bill of its kind that will not be a cost to the taxpayers, but a cost that the recipient pays for out of their benefits. The test will cost less than $25 and spread out over the year will result in $2 per month deduction from benefits. This will hardly cause some to "go hungry" as has been suggested by critics.
This legislation will not affect any children under the age of 18. We will not allow the children of this state to fall between the cracks because of mistakes of their parents. Our hope is that no one receiving tax payer dollars is spending them to subsidize illegal drug activity, but if they are they need to be identified so they can get treatment.
The taxpayer deserves to know that their hard earned tax dollars are not being used to subsidize illegal drug activity!
People across this state go to work every day to contribute the very tax dollars that are going to help those in need. Many of these people are subject to random drug screens in their workplace. It is only fair to ask those receiving taxpayer paid for services to live by the same standard of those paying for them.
Some have suggested that this legislation is unconstitutional, however a three judge federal panel said it best in that recipients have a "diminished expectation of privacy". We are not saying that anyone has to submit to drug test, only those wishing to receive our tax dollars through these services.
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