Georgia’s leaders are considering a broader expansion of drug testing for people who receive social benefits.
Gov. Nathan Deal said Monday he was exploring a plan that would require drug tests those who apply for unemployment benefits, and would set aside funding for treatment programs if they fail. The move would require legislative approval in 2015 as well as sign-off by the U.S. Department of Labor.
He also hinted he would sign House Bill 772, which would require drug testing for some recipients of food stamps. He said he believes it strikes a "delicate balance" between helping the neediest and protecting taxpayer dollars, though he would not say definitively whether he would sign the measure into law. He has until Tuesday to decide.
At a Gwinnett County event, Deal said he was working with Labor Commissioner Mark Butler to explore unemployment benefits changes. He said the state wouldn’t simply withhold compensation for those who fail drug tests, but require them to participate in state-funded treatment programs so “they can get a job and stay off drugs.”
“I believe if we put our minds to it, we can devise a very intensified drug treatment program to try to break the cycle of addiction,” Deal said after the event. “Because if we don’t, we’re going to continue to see people who get turned away at the office where they are applying for jobs simply because they can’t pass a drug test.”
The move would likely involve a pilot program that would need to be approved by the Labor Department.
“We can fool ourselves, but drug use is the thing that causes people to lose their jobs many times, it causes people not to be able to get a job because they can’t pass the initial screening,” Deal said. “Until we confront that and require them to confront that, we will continue to cycle people through the system – whether it be food stamps, whether it be unemployment benefits. You name it.”
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