Suspicion-Based Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Clears House

Public assistance recipients suspected of using drugs would be required to take a drug test under a pilot project approved Wednesday by the Michigan House of Representatives. (Photo via Flickr Creative Commons)

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Welfare recipients suspected of substance abuse could be required to take a drug test to continue benefits under a pilot program approved by the Michigan House Wednesday.

A pair of bills giving the Department of Human Services the authority to establish the program in three as-yet unidentified counties were approved on a 74-35 vote, WDIV-TV reports.

The proposals previously cleared the Senate, and will return there for final concurrence before they’re presented to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature, the Detroit Free Press reports. Snyder hasn’t committed to signing the bills.

The proposal is different than a Florida drug-testing law struck down as unconstitutional by a federal appeals court. In Florida, drug testing is mandatory for all public assistance recipients and is not based on suspicion, as the proposal in Michigan is.

Republicans who backed the bills say they want to help the state’s poor, but not if they’re using drugs. Democrats who oppose suspicion-based testing say the program would unfairly target innocent children.

“It’s not their fault that their parent has a substance abuse problem,” said state Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon. “Children will be put at risk with this.”

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The plan would allow recipients who initially fail drug tests to continue receiving benefits if they enroll in treatment programs. If they failed subsequent tests, they would be kicked off the program. Recipients who refused to take drug tests would be denied benefits for six months.

The proposed legislation includes a $500,000 appropriation for the testing.

Another Democrat who opposed the legislation said what’s good for welfare recipients is good for lawmakers whose salaries are publicly funded and corporate executives who get taxpayer-funded grants and incentives.

“Of course, we don’t want people with substance abuse problems misusing the services they’re getting from the state,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit. “However, this doesn’t get to the core problem, which is we’re not funding substance abuse programs. We’re kicking them off without offering programs to help them.”