Individuals receiving temporary cash assistance from the state will have to pass a drug test to get their benefits under a measure signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott.
The controversial measure (HB 353) would require Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients to pay for drug tests beginning July 1.
Recipients who pass the test would be reimbursed the cost of which could run from $10 to $70, depending on whose is counting.
Lauded by backers who say the bill will help ensure that tax dollars aren’t spent buying illegal drugs, the measure passed the Republican-led Legislature over the objections of critics who say the incidence of drug use are not significantly higher among TANF recipients. The tests, they argue, are in essence suspicion-less searches and therefore illegal under state and federal constitutions.
Scott, who signed the bill in Panama City Tuesday morning, has said the new law protects taxpayers’ interests while providing temporary benefits to those in need.
“Requiring those who apply for public assistance to pass a drug test before receiving benefits will help prevent Florida’s tax dollars from subsidizing drug addiction,” Scott said in a statement.
