Newly Proposed Alabama Law to Require People Pass Drug Tests for Food Stamps

Should Drug Users Be Eligible for Food Stamps?

A recently proposed bill in Alabama is stirring up controversey. The bill would require some people to pass a drug test before they could become eligible to receive food stamps. People caught with drugs in their system potentially would be ineligible to receive assitance. 

Currently there are no laws on the books requiring residents to pass a drug test before being eligible for food stamps or government assistance known as SNAP benefits. 

On March 5, 2019, Tommy Hanes introduced a House Bill #3 which would require anyone applying for SNAP benefits to be drug tested if there was a reasonable suspicion that the person uses drugs or is under the influence of drugs. 

Now you can decide for yourself if this should happen or not. What should be clarified however is this isn't an across the board, you have to take a drug test to get on public assistance. The law only gives the government the ability to request a test should they expect you of using drugs, or I'd imagine if your arrested for drugs. 

Anyone who tests positive for a drug they are not prescribed would be ineligible for SNAP benefits upon a second failed drug test. Anyone who refuses or delays the test would also be ineligible.