Drug testing to determine welfare, unemployment eligibility in Georgia

http://lagrangenews.com/news/news/4621344/Drug-testing-to-determine-welfare-unemployment-eligibility

Steena Hymes
May 1, 2014

Recipients of welfare benefits and food stamps may now have to undergo a drug test to determine their eligibility due to a new bill signed this week.

Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 772 Tuesday, which allows those suspected of drug use to be tested. Suspected use may be determined through previous records, work history or suspect behavior according to the bill.

The bill states a positive testing would result in the loss of eligibility for food stamps. Upon the first positive, food stamps will be suspended for a month. On the second positive, food stamps will be suspended for three months and on the third positive testing, food stamps will be suspended for a year. According to the bill, the recipient would also have to pay for each drug test.

Children and people living in nursing homes will be exempt from the drug test. Based on the bill, if a parent fails a drug test, it is their responsibility to designate another individual to receive food stamps on behalf of the child.

In another proposal made by Gov. Deal, a bill is in the works that would drug test recipients of unemployment benefits.

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Butler said the idea is to enhance unemployment programs by following a drug court model. Those who fail the drug test would have to option to be admitted into a state-funded treatment program if they want to keep unemployment benefits.

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Not all recipients would have to adhere to a drug test. Butler said the U.S. Department of Labor would have to create and approve a list of professions that are eligible to be drug tested. Butler said those professions are undetermined as of right now.

The list should be completed sometime in the fall according to Butler.

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