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Now we're talkin'! This should quickly gain approval and hopefully other states will take notice.
JEFFERSON CITY | The Missouri House has passed a bill allowing drug tests of welfare recipients and applicants if the state suspects they're using illegal drugs.
The House bill would deny Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits for one year to suspected drug users if they failed the test given by the Department of Social Services.
Missouri House backs drug tests for some on welfare - KansasCity.com (http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/31/2623296/missouri-house-backs-drug-tests.html - broken link)
I'm proud that it is my state that is coming up with this legislation.
One of the problems I see, however, is that many, many, MANY welfare types here in Missouri are on some kind of "disability", which usually includes medications which would, theoretically, show up on a drug test. Now you can test for THC and possibly METH, but if they test for Oxycontin and *those* kind of abused drugs, you are going to have people waving their prescriptions like flags.
HCS HB 73 & 47 -- RESTRICTIONS ON TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE BENEFITS
FOR NEEDY FAMILIES PROGRAM (Brandom)
COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Committee on General Laws
This substitute requires the Department of Social Services to
develop a program to screen and test each work-eligible applicant
for or work-eligible recipient of Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) Program benefits who the department has
reasonable suspicion to believe, based on the screening, engages
in the illegal use of controlled substances. The department
cannot discriminate against any applicant or recipient on the
basis of race or ethnicity. An applicant or recipient who tested
positive for the illegal use of a controlled substance which has
not been prescribed by a licensed health care provider must,
after an administrative hearing by the department, be declared
ineligible for TANF benefits for one year from the date of the
administrative hearing decision and must be referred to an
appropriate substance abuse treatment program approved by the
Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse within the Department of
Mental Health. Any member of a household which includes a person
who has been declared ineligible for TANF benefits, if otherwise
eligible, will continue to receive benefits as protective or
vendor payments to a third-party payee.
FISCAL NOTE: Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of Up to
$1,904,632 in FY 2012, Up to $2,204,202 in FY 2013, and Up to
$2,296,674 in FY 2014. No impact on state funds in FY 2012, FY
2013, and FY 2014.
One thing I don't understand is what is in bold. How does this read to everyone? Does it mean that the TANF funds will be held by a third party for the person put on suspension for a year?
One thing I don't understand is what is in bold. How does this read to everyone? Does it mean that the TANF funds will be held by a third party for the person put on suspension for a year?
Thats the way I'm reading it, kind of like an escrow account?
One thing I don't understand is what is in bold. How does this read to everyone? Does it mean that the TANF funds will be held by a third party for the person put on suspension for a year?
No, it means that if one person is disqualified from receiving TANF, the whole household is not punished. So the kids would still receive benefits, but they would not be paid to the person who tested positive.
No, it means that if one person is disqualified from receiving TANF, the whole household is not punished. So the kids would still receive benefits, but they would not be paid to the person who tested positive.
Like that's gonna work Soooooooooooo..if say the mom and/or dad test positive the kids can still get benefits but mom/dad can't touch the money? Yeah right, pull the other one, it's got bells on it.
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Soooooooooooo..if say the mom and/or dad test positive the kids can still get benefits but mom/dad can't touch the money? Yeah right, pull the other one, it's got bells on it.
