An Alabama lawmaker introduced a bill this month that would make it legal to require some food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing.
House Bill 3, introduced by Alabama state Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant), would require those receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to undergo drug testing if there is a “reasonable suspicion” they are using drugs.
Under the bill, a food stamp recipient would be asked to take a drug test if “a reasonable person would conclude the applicant uses or is under the influence of drugs without a prescription.”
Hanes said people who previously failed a SNAP drug test or had been convicted of a drug-related offense within the past five years would fall under this category.
“If it comes back positive then this person can designate a responsible party to take over the benefit to make sure that the children get the nourishment that they need, that they’ll actually receive the benefit,” Hanes told WSFA. – READ MORE