Epoch Times: A bill that would require drug tests for some Alabama food stamp recipients was introduced to the state House of Representatives on March 5.
Under existing law, no food stamp applicants are required to be tested for illegal substances, nor are current recipients required to be tested to stay on the program, known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
“This bill would require an applicant for SNAP benefits to be tested for substance abuse if there is reasonable suspicion that the person who uses or is under the influence of a drug,” according to a synopsis of the bill, HB 3.
That includes the person having a conviction for the use or distribution of a drug without a prescription within five years of applying for SNAP benefits and testing positive for drugs in a prior test.
If the applicant or recipient fails a drug test twice without a valid prescription, that person would be ineligible for food stamps.
If the person failing testing twice was a parent of a dependent child, that parent could designate a third party to receive the benefits for the dependent child.
The Department of Human Resources would pay for the initial drug test but any subsequent drug screening would be paid for by the person being screened. If they test negative, the department would reimburse them.
Anyone who refused to undergo a drug screening or delayed it beyond a time set by the department would not be eligible for SNAP. read more
If it passes, some judge is probably going to find a reason to kick it out.
It’s a federal program. USDA Yea, each state has different rules for eligibility.
At this juncture, with food stamp usage going down, why introduce something that will not stand, and that is going rile up national calls of HATE, RACISM, MYSOGINY, CHILD ABUSE.
Alabama State House R Hillbilly spinning his wheels, why bother?
SNAP is a constitutional right, not to be abridged…. just like 2A….
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
NO WELFARE unless; 1.Sterilized 2.Conform to Body Mass Index standards, and 3.Must be drug, alcohol, and nicotine free. First state to come up with those mandates would lose all their welfare rats in the first month. Democrats would never win another election.
For 12 yrs… I worked in the nuclear services industry. To get an ‘unescorted access’ badge I had pass an urinalysis at each utility upon arrival… the only exception was if it was 30 days or less between access.
That…along with frequent ‘random’ tests.
For those that fail just once… your career over. My company and the utilites didn’t want you… no matter your skill set.
Why can’t people that get free food from our tax dollars do this?
At the same time our republican congress passed this, they passed a gas tax to raise our gas tax by 6 cents this year and a 2 cent increase until it is 10 cents. No big deal right? Except they then put in a clause that it will go up a penny every other year for perpetuity. We, the citizens, get no vote on this. When you have a republican controlled congress without any checks, they become demonrats and I don’t believe the gas tax will go to roads and infrastructure.
About damn time.
Not to worry, any bill that makes sense will never see the light of day.
Add politicians and bureaucrats to that and you’ve got my vote.