Drug screen for welfare benefits goes into effect in Florida

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
7/5/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Agency will be required to conduct drug tests on adults applying for Needy Families program

Declaring it "unfair for Florida taxpayers to subsidize drug addiction," Governor Rick Scott has signed legislation requiring adults applying for welfare assistance to undergo drug screening. The law has recently gone into effect.

Florida aid recipients are responsible for the cost of the screening, which they would recoup in their assistance if they qualify.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "It's the right thing for taxpayers," Scott said after signing the measure. "It's the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don't want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs."

Henceforth, the Florida Department of Children and Family Services will be required to conduct the drug tests on adults applying to the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

In addition -- the aid recipients are responsible for the cost of the screening, which they would recoup in their assistance if they qualify.

There is a loophole: Those who fail the required drug testing may designate another individual to receive the benefits on behalf of their children.

Five Democrats from Florida's congressional delegation issued a joint statement attacking the legislation, one calling it "downright unconstitutional."

In addition, the ACLU has filed suit against the state for requiring all state workers to take a drug test and is considering suing the state for drug-testing welfare applicants.

Florida is not the first state to pass such legislation. Michigan passed a similar law that the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals found unconstitutional in 2003 since it violated the U.S. Fourth Amendment, which protects citizens against unreasonable search.

The court said the law would set a dangerous precedent by allowing the government to conduct drug searches for the safety of the public without prior suspicion.

� 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: Drug test, Florida, welfare, constitutionality

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1 - 7 of 7 Comments

Serginho
1 year ago
"we want to give them an incentive to not use drugs"

So instead you give them an incentive to bypass welfare and deal drugs. Brilliant!
Jillian Galloway
1 year ago
They should be screened for illegal recreational drugs *if* they're currently being screened for alcohol, tobacco and any other legal recreational drugs.

On June 17, 1971, President Nixon told Congress that "if we cannot destroy the drug menace in America, then it will surely destroy us." After forty years of trying to destroy "the drug menace in America" we still *haven't* been able to destroy it and it still *hasn't* destroyed us. Four decades is long enough to realize that on this important issue, President Nixon was wrong! All actions taken as a result of his invalid and paranoid assumptions (e.g. the federal marijuana prohibition) should be ended immediately!

It makes no sense for taxpayers to fund the federal marijuana prohibition when it *doesn't* prevent people from using marijuana and it *does* make criminals incredibly wealthy and incite the Mexican drug cartels to murder thousands of people every year.

We need legal adult marijuana sales in supermarkets, gas stations and pharmacies for exactly the same reason that we need legal alcohol and tobacco sales - to keep unscrupulous black-market criminals out of our neighborhoods and away from our children. Marijuana must be made legal to sell to adults everywhere that alcohol and tobacco are sold.

"There's something extraordinarily perverse when we're so concerned about preventing addicts from having access to drugs that we destroy the lives of many times more people, either through untreated pain or other drug war damage".
Ken
1 year ago
I agree with the testing; however, if they fail the test then steps should be taken to also remove any minors that are under their control. Let's clean up America.
Chuck
1 year ago
I think its a great idea. I work for the Department of Defense. I had to take a drug test before hire and I'm subject to random drug tests whenever my number comes up. If found positive then i get fired. So why shouldnt people getting money for assitance be required to get a drug test. I wish more states would do it. also have random tests.
Bryan
1 year ago
Rob - great suggestion. I believe our legislators and public officials should be subject to all the "programs" they put in place. And Obamacare would be a good place to start.
Theresa
1 year ago
Drug use is up these days....I work for a drug and alcohol treatment provider. We are all required to take a drug test and be fingerprinted before hire. It makes good sense..... Drugs are destructive of the physical and mental health of the person and their use puts others at risk as well (accidents, child abuse/neglect, etc....)
Rob
1 year ago
Seems to me if you are worried about taxpayers subsidizing drug habits, shouldn't this law apply to any recepient of tax dollars. Shouldn't the governor, every state politician, contractors, state employees etc be under the same scurtiny? Why does this only apply to the poor?

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