Florida Gov. Rick Scott, saying residents shouldn’t subsidize substance abusers, signed a bill that will require welfare recipients to submit to drug tests.
Under the law, applicants for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program who test positive for illegal substances won’t be eligible to receive benefits for one year or until they successfully complete a substance-abuse treatment program. More than 113,000 Floridians received TANF benefits in the last fiscal year.
“While there certainly are legitimate needs for public assistance, it is unfair for Florida’s taxpayers to subsidize drug addiction,” Scott, a 58-year-old Republican, said in remarks prepared for a ceremony in Panama City on the Panhandle.
The House passed the bill in April by a 78-to-38 margin, and the Senate approved it this month in a 26-to-11 vote. Republicans have a veto-proof majority in both chambers.
At least 10 states have introduced legislation to increase drug-screening requirements for welfare recipients. Lawmakers in a least two, Arizona and Missouri, passed the bills.
Florida’s law differs because it appears to be the only one mandating drug tests for all TANF recipients, said Liz Schott, a policy analyst at the Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which focuses on public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families. Others limit testing to cases where there is reasonable suspicion that a recipient is using illicit substances, she said.
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This is a great move! I hope that all states catch on to this and it becomes mandatory for all who get welfare.
ReplyDeleteAs all States should adopt this. Think of the money each State will save.
ReplyDeleteGo for it! Far too many people with illicit drug problems have been on the public teat for far too long.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm not a fan of Scott, I applaud this move, and believe(like many others) it should be adopted as policy nationwide.
ReplyDeleteDITTOS TO ALL
ReplyDeleteUnless the drug tests are done at random, it may not work.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many ways to "clean" the body from some drugs when they know there's an upcoming test.
Once again, a halfassed move by government to make people believe they're doing something.
make it a hair test
ReplyDeleteboy that will be the day when it passes in the Peoples' Republic of Maryland!
ReplyDeleteThis is a red herring created to act as red meat for the conservative base. This has already been tried and has been shown to be unaffective decreasing welfare roles. Don't be fooled by the hype.
ReplyDeleteShould be a Federal Law with random testing or testing quarterly on a spur of the moment.
ReplyDelete1:55
ReplyDeleteWhen and where was this tried?
155-So why are you against drug testing for welfare recipients? I'm also for random tests of federal employees, if it's good enough for our military, it should be good enough for anyone who gets a check from the taxpayers.
ReplyDelete