Should Kansas residents receiving cash assistance from the state or those accepting unemployment benefits have to undergo drug testing?

Legislation in the Kansas Senate is now under consideration and would require drug testing for adults who are applicants or are participating in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF) The program provided $42 million in cash benefits to 32,000 Kansans last year.

In addition, with this legislation (Senate Bill 149), your former boss would be forced to tell the Kansas Department of Labor if you are receiving jobless benefits and refused a drug test or failed the test.  Either would force you to be cut off from assistance and be required to complete a substance abuse treatment and job skills training program.

Members of the Kansas House have discussed similar legislation in the past but it did not receive enough support. It might be different this session.