The Georgia House of Representatives has approved legislation that would require welfare applicants to pass a drug test before becoming eligible for the funds.
The drug tests would be funded by the automatic deduction of $3 from each client’s monthly check, according to a news release from the legislature. The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City.
The bill exempts drug testing for dependent children under the age of 18, and would not affect their eligibility for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. However, the parent who tests positive for drugs would be required to designate an individual, who must also pass a drug test, to receive the TANF benefits on behalf of the affected children, officials said.
Under the legislation, any applicant who fails a drug test will be ineligible for TANF benefits until a subsequent test is passed, but if a second drug test is failed, that person wil become ineligible for the benefit for two years.
Anyone who fails a third drug test would become permanently ineligible for TANF benefits under the legislation.
“This is an important measure that protects taxpayers of this state and ensures that benefits intended to provide for basic necessities are not being used to subsidize drug use,” Ramsey said.
The bill passed the legislature this week on a 114-59 vote. It now moves to the Georgia Senate for consideration and, if approved there, to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal for signature if he also approves of the measure.
TANF is a federal block grant program that allows states to provide cash assistance to qualifying low income families with children. The program was created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act in 1996 to provide temporary financial assistance and help recipients find employment.
Unlike other public assistance programs, the federal legislation creating TANF specifically allows states to require drug tests as a qualification for the program.
Both Florida and Missouri passed similar legislation requiring drug tests for TANF applicants earlier this year.
Although the Florida law has been temporarily suspended by a federal judge in response to an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claim that the drug test requirement violates the constitutional ban on unreasonable search and seizures, this legislation will include specific measures to address this concern and protect the privacy of all applicants, officials said.
