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A law passed in the Mississippi Senate which will require some welfare recipients to undergo drug tests. The law, which has the support of Gov. Phil Bryant, will go into effect July 1.
The new law will require applicants to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to fill out a questionnaire which will ostensibly evaluate their likelihood of drug abuse. If applicants are deemed at risk, they will be required to take a drug test. A positive result will require them them to undergo substance abuse treatment. A second positive result will cut their benefits for 90 days, while a third will deny benefits for up to a year.
Critics of the tests, which are estimated to cost TANF about $36,000 per year, argue that the money could go towards benefits such as cash assistance, child care assistance, job training programs, and others.
Source: thinkprogress.org
