By Chelyen Davis
The Free Lance-Star
RICHMOND — A House committee today approved legislation that would require people who receive welfare benefits from the state undergo a drug test.
But the bill heads next to the House Appropriations committee, where the $1 million-a-year price tag may stop it in its tracks.
The House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee rolled six such bills together into one sponsored by Del. Dickie Bell, R-Staunton. The bill requires local social services departments to drug-screen each applicant for the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) program. If the applicant fails the drug screen, a more extensive drug assessment would be performed, and if the person fails that, they would have to enter and successfully complete a treatment program to receive public benefits.
Del. Chris Head, R-Botetourt, a freshman delegate, had one of the bills that was combined with Bell’s. He told reporters that his business drug-tests employees and he thinks people who receive public money should be tested as well.
“A lot of people have brought to me concerns that there is a high incidence of drug use in this population,” Head said.
Democrats on the committee protested the bills, saying they target poor people. They asked whether those who receive economic development grants — public money — should be tested, or legislators themselves, who are paid with public money.
“This legislation is flawed in so many different ways,” said Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond.
He said legal procedures require that police see someone doing something that indicates illegal activity before they can check someone for drug activity, and that drug-testing someone simply for receiving public benefits is “not the way our country operates.”
Del. Lionel Spruill, D-Chesapeake, said the bill is “picking on people who are poor.”
“We’re talking about just because people are on welfare, we’re going to test everybody,” Spruill said. “I can certainly understand if you have a reason to test a person, if something is wrong. But what about those where there’s no implication whatsoever? What about people who have been on welfare for years?”
Bell said in committee that benefits recipients “who aren’t using illegal drugs don’t have anything to worry about.”
The state Department of Planning and Budget estimated the drug screening would cost the Department of Social Services an additional $1.1 million a year, in addition to local match costs.
The cost is due in part to an estimate of a cost of $345 per drug test; Head disputed that, saying his company’s urine tests are far cheaper.
The HWI committee passed the bill 14-8, with Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline, and Del. Margaret Ransone, R-Westmoreland, voting for it.
But the fiscal impact means the bill now goes to the House Appropriations Committee, which handles budget matters and scrutinizes bills that would cost the state money.
