By Dominique O’Neal

On March 20, Michigan Senate passed a bill to implement Suspicion-Based Drug Tests For Welfare Recipients. The bill instructs the Department of Human Services to conduct drug testing for individuals seeking eligibility for Family Independence Program. Existing welfare recipients would be required to undergo testing once a year.

The bill passed in a vote, Republicans supporting the testing and Democrats opposing. The Senate approved bill would require the Department of Human Services to set up a pilot drug testing program in three counties, which has not been selected. It is unknown when the bill will go into effect.

The bill included $500,000 to pay for the drug testing, which would be given by the DHS if a welfare recipient is suspected of using illegal drugs. The first time a recipient is tested positive for drugs, DHS would refer the person to a drug treatment program and the individual would continue to receive benefits. If the recipient fails the test a second time then he/she would be disqualified for assistance. The bill would also allow guardians to receive benefits for children if their parents were disqualified for welfare.

If a recipient refuses the test their benefits would be denied or disqualified. People with medical marijuana cards or valid prescriptions for drugs will not be affected by the bill. There is a estimate of 44,000 people who receive $394 in Family Independence Programs benefits once a month. This number also includes 13,000 children who receive benefits, but would not be drug tested, so around 31,000 people could possibly be affected by the new bill.

Senators Comments “When it comes to drug testing, individuals using taxpayer money for assistance need to be held accountable for abusing it”, bill sponsor Senator Joe Hune, R-Whitmore lake, said in a statement. Senator Vincent Gregory, D-Southfield, said “it was wrong to single out poor people for testing. The companies we give tax breaks to are not required to be drug tested. We give out tax credits to schools, students and police and fire, and the now the only ones subject to drug screening are the poorest of the poor”.

According to an analysis of the bill, Michigan would save $4,700 a year for every person removed or disqualified from welfare. There are currently nine states who test welfare recipients for drugs, but data suggests that the cost of the programs cost more than they actually save, since only a small percentage of people on welfare test positive.

Florida

Sources /Michigan-senate-welfare-drug-testing /Michigan-senate-welfare-drug-testing passes-bill-to-implement-suspicion-based-drug-tests- for-welfare-recipients-details/ passes-bill-to-implement-suspicion-based-drug-tests- for-welfare-recipients-details/ test-welfare-recipients test-welfare-recipients approves-drug-testing-welfare-recipients approves-drug-testing-welfare-recipients