From the office of state Sen. J.B. Jennings:
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Senator J.B. Jennings of Legislative District 7 is introducing Senate Bill 287, which would require recipients of Temporary Cash Assistance to consent to random drug testing as a requisite for receiving assistance. If you need to pass the test but you have been consuming drugs, check this synthetic urine you can buy online.
This legislation will reduce the state’s net TCA expenditures as well as ensure that payments are used for legitimate and legal purposes. The proposed program would help reduce the $13.5 million shortfall in the Temporary Cash Assistance budget that the Maryland Department of Legislative Services has estimated for fiscal year 2012 and beyond. It will do so primarily by reducing the total caseload.
In addition to reducing costs for the state overall, this bill will also provide incentive for those with substance abuse problems to seek treatment, ensure that children of recipients receive the benefits afforded to them, and reduce instances of cash benefit abuse.
According to reports by the Department of Human Resources, over $12 million was spent on Temporary Cash Assistance in Fiscal Year 2011. Further analyses suggest that reducing the current number of TCA caseloads by as little as 3% could save the state roughly $600,000 each year. The amount saved by this program would more than pay for the cost of initiating the drug testing.
Senate Bill 287 is based on similar legislation introduced in Florida in 2011. Reports from that state indicate that there was a 48 % drop in monthly cash assistance approvals in the first quarter after the bill was enacted.
“I firmly believe that welfare benefits are a privilege, not a right,” Senator Jennings has said of the motivation behind his bill. “I participate in random drug testing for my service in the military and thousands of Marylanders do the same when applying for employment in the private sector. I believe comparable care and attention should be paid to the distribution of temporary cash assistance funds.”
Senator Jennings..you do not participate “freely” in drug test for the military. It is a command directed program. How would this reduce a 13.5 percent shortfall in the program. I agree with the concept of making adults get tested, but what about the children that are hurt.
Everyone in the US Armed Forces is a volunteer. You are told going in that you will be tested. If you don’t want to be tested don’t go in.
Maybe the children would be helped and possibly saved from living in a drug-riddled environment. Maybe the kid’s mom and/or dad will get the help they need in order to provide a stable, nurturing home environment. If someone is receiving free money courtesy of hard-working taxpayers, where are they getting the money to purchase drugs? I imagine those folks aren’t too worried about the well-being of their own progeny.
I would like a urine sample from Sen. Jennings.
Generally the state assistance programs are for the benifitt of children. They are children and don’t the authority or power to controll their parents. Lets not punish children by this testing. Offer drug treatement with regular testing and mabey training programs. poverty is the real problem that drive parents into the use and sales of drugs.
I know many a single adults that don’t raise there children the children are being raised and supported by too many grand parents and great grandparents while their children recieve public assistance and food assistance just to be used totally on drug abuse.
Testing will identify those with problems but a one size fits all is not an solution. It is time to come up with solutions and not take all hope from all. Some need to loose all help if they are not willing to help themselves. It is tough out there only one in five born into poverty will leave poverty behind.
If someone is judged too drugged up to receive assistance, will their children immediately be placed in foster care?? If not, what is the plan for the children of those who can no longer receive assistance?
I agree 100% with Sen. Jennings. The kids should be taken away if the parents are dopers. They would be better off in foster care. I think EVERYONE on welfare or any other gov. handout should be drug tested. Most private companys drug test and u r fired if you fail.Why should welfare recipents be any different? If they can go out & find drugs they can certainly go out anf find work. Picking up trash would be a good start.
Knowing a new family, on state support for food, power and medical care, with a father convicted of passing forged prescriptions for controlled substances and his wife who no longer works as a medical assistant – I can certainly say their four children from a total of three different fathers – none of which pay child support – would all be better off with a caring devoted and functional foster family. By the way… this condition does not speak well of the parents that spawned this new generation of welfare recipients; I would hope the state gives that some consideration when finding a home for the kids.
you challenge me to a drug test fine I have nothing to hide. I also am retired a disabled vet and recieve nothing from the goverment. I live within my means and not one of the five children I have raised to adulthood has ever had to depend on public assistance or any goverment hand out. I did raise my children to be grateful for their life style and not cast a blanket over an entire group of people due to their finiancial situation. There are those who abuse the system but for every parent with drug problems their children are the ones who will share in any actions taken to punish the parent. Removing children from parents and putting them in the system is a more expensive and radical solution. Counseling and parenting classes may be a cheaper and productive solution thyan blameing drug abuse and poverty as the reason for local,county, state, or federal fiscal problems.
She was required to attend parenting classes with her first father. The third father, of course, has not been required to attend parenting classes. Of course his habitual encounters with law enforcement should have been an indicator to improve his behaviors and be a better citizen. So far that has not happened and he now has another warrant for his arrest for probation violation and is facing a court date in Towson for driving on a revoked license. You can’t help people who refuse the help they are offered, no matter how much the rest of us think it is needed.
I never said one size fits all or there will not be failures . Just remember that for every jerk out there that won’t comply or care are victims who also be hurt by their inappropiate behavior. For every crime there are innocent victims. I totally agree that people on drugs or drunks should not be subsidised by the tax payer. Unless an adult who has children a mental defect a disability or are on fixed income should be given public assistance. Single adults that don’t meet these requirements should not be rewarded for being on drugs or drunks. Not a one size fits all.
Good Hydesmann, what is a hand out? The free money first time home buyers get? Social Sec, Ssi, or VA disability payments? Oh right they earned those. Nevermind how many poeple use those to buy alcohol and drugs. Nevermind how many of the vets on disability where substance abuse IS the disability. What about an earned income tax credit? Child care credit? How is the line drawn?
Does Senator Jennings ( or other Senators pushing this bill in Maryland or other states) have a Financial or otherwise interest in the drug company that may provide these drug tests??
Would Jennings, or his collegues, who are on public payroll, voluntarily subject themselves to drug testing, having their position as Senator being terminated IMMEDIATELY if/when found to have failed the test?
I’m sure we can get him to pee in a cup. How about you?
Not buying it,
Didn’t you read the article. If not, go read the last paragraph. He stated that he gives drug testing samples.
take an example from Florida…
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/08/98_of_florida_welfare_applicants_pass_newly_implemented_drug_tests_discrediting_governor.html
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Florida’s new drug-tests-for-welfare-applicants program just yielded its first batch of results: 98 percent passed
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The Tampa Tribune did some simple math and found out how much the governor’s assumptions about poor people going to cost the state:
Cost of the tests averages about $30. Assuming that 1,000 to 1,500 applicants take the test every month, the state will owe about $28,800-$43,200 monthly in reimbursements to those who test drug-free.
That compares with roughly $32,200-$48,200 the state may save on one month’s worth of rejected applicants.
Net savings to the state: $3,400 to $5,000 annually on one month’s worth of rejected applicants. Over 12 months, the money saved on all rejected applicants would add up to $40,800 to $60,000 for a program that state analysts have predicted will cost $178 million this fiscal year.
The first month that drug testing was implemented in Florida, the number of applicants fell by 1,604.
The program pays $180.00 for one person, and up to $364.00 for a family of four, with the average monthly recipient receiving $253.00.
$253.00 X 1604 = $405,812 saved per month.
$30.00 X 2000 = $60,000 cost to Florida to pay for monthly drug testing.
$405,812. – $60,000 = $345,812 saved each month for the Florida taxpayers.
The drug testing has been halted by Court Order. The court ruled that testing was an unreasonable search. The courts ruling is currently being appealed by the state.
Why the number of applicants fell so dramatically is a hotly debated question. Some contend that almost all of the 1,604 had reached the 48 month maximum that benefits were allowed. Most however believe testing was the reason. Whatever the reason, the savings were real!!
The taxpayer should not be funding drug abuse. For those who comment about children keepmin mind that with many users they take care of their habit before they take care of anyone else.
So now Senators can take money from businesses and only get censured. START TAKING THE MONEY INSTEAD OF INTRODUCING PEE BILLS. I wanna get elected to the Maryland Senate or House of Delegates and take as much money and still keep my job and GET MY RETIREMENT!
The drug testing has been halted by Court Order. The court ruled that testing was an unreasonable search. The courts ruling is currently being appealed by the state.
Well then my job should not be testing me? I get tested to earn the money to give to them, then they should be tested to spend it!
I think that drug testing is a good idea it weeds out all the people who just want to stay at home and use the money for drugs. There is no doubt that it will save the state money no matter how you look at it or what kind of numbers that you through out there. People who are addicted to drugs are not going to want to consent to random drug testing. If someone does test positive on a drug test there should be programs such as “mommy and me” to help those families who have parents addicted to drugs to get on the right path. I don’t believe however that the children should immediately be placed in foster programs the parents need to be monitored and a safety plan needs to be set in place. If the parents aren’t complying and all efforts to help get the parents get off of drugs are exhausted, only then should more drastic actions should be taken. Please remember not all people who need a little help are on drugs. I have been working since I was 15 and when I started going to college I was working full time while going to school fulltime and never needed any government assistance. Currently I am going through a divorce and I am not receiving any child support for my two boys( 2yrs and 10months) and while I finish up my degree I do need a little help until I get on my feet. I have had to start all over but I am working towards making our lives better. Along with drug testing there needs to be more programs enforced to help people become independent so they can stop relying on the state. I have paid my taxes and have paid into these programs so I have no guilt in using them for a limited time while I finish my degree but that’s the key word “LIMITED TIME”!! If someone isn’t making an steps to improve their life they should not be able to receive benefits. Becoming INDEPENDENT is the goal here!!!