Drug testing for welfare benefits closer to Florida law
Passed the Senate on a 26 to 11 vote
Posted: 05/05/2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill that would require Floridians applying for welfare benefits to first pass – and pay for – a drug test is on its way to Governor Rick Scott’s desk.
The Florida Senate passed House Bill 353 today on a 26 to 11 vote. The House passed it, largely along party lines, in late April.
Republican supporters say it is necessary to ensure that Temporary Assistance to Needy Families money is used properly to care for Florida’s poor children, not to pay for illegal drug habits.
Scott, who campaigned on the issue, is expected to sign the bill.
“This is an effort to stop this cycle of drug abuse,” said Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, the Senate sponsor.
However, some Democratic opponents said it singles out a specific group of people.
“This whole bill discriminates,” said Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale. “It’s only testing people on TANF. There are a lot of other people that get money from the state.”
Anyone who tests positive for a controlled substance would be disqualified from receiving cash benefits for a year. However, they would have a one-time option to reapply within six months if they seek substance abuse treatment, according to the bill.
To prevent children from losing out on benefits, if a parent tests positive for a controlled substance, the DCF would be able to designate a “protective payee” to receive cash assistance benefits on the child’s behalf, according to the bill. The designate would also have to pass a drug test.
Oelrich compared the testing to boarding an airplane. Everyone gets screened, he said, not just people who are convicted smugglers or known terrorists.
Southwest Florida senators Garrett Richter, R-Naples, and Lizbeth Benaquisto, R-Wellington, who represents a portion of Lee County, both voted in favor of the bill.
Statewide, more than 100,000 residents receive more than $13 million in TANF benefits every month, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
In March, 755 Collier residents received $107,462 in temporary assistance benefits, up from 693 residents who received $97,328 a year earlier.
In Lee County, 2,090 residents took home $290,357 in temporary assistance benefits in March, up from 1,972 residents who received $278,887 a year earlier, according to the DCF.
Read more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/political/drug-testing-for-welfare-benefits-closer-to-florida-law#ixzz1bAVzLeZY
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