CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill to drug test welfare recipients in West Virginia needs to be authorized by the federal government before it can become a law.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed SB 6 into law which calls for a three-year pilot program to screen applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits if there is a “reasonable suspicion” they may be using drugs.
The bill is referred to as the Welfare Drug Testing Act. It passed the state Senate and House of Delegates this past Regular Legislative Session.
According to the legislation, an applicant who fails a drug test on the first offense will maintain their benefits, but will be required to enroll in a drug treatment program or job training program. On the second offense, the applicant has the potential to lose their benefits for up to 12 months while completing the same programs. The third offense calls for a loss of benefits for life.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources would handle drug treatment programs for those that would fail the test.
State Senator Craig Blair (R-Berkeley, 15), who was a guest on Friday’s MetroNews “Talkline,” has been working to get the bill passed for about eight years. He said the testing will not only help applicants applying for the program, but will also set a good example for their children.
“We’ve got to stop the cycle of drug addiction and the abuses that go along with it,” he said.
The testing is only a small piece of what it will take to alleviate the drug problem in West Virginia, Blair said.
“Is it the end all solution? Absolutely not, but it is another tool,” he said.
There is no time frame of when the federal government will rule on the legislation. The law could take effect later this year.