Mississippi House Bill 604 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: Failed on January 31 2017 - 100% progression
Action: 2017-01-31 - Died In Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

An Act To Provide That Recipients Of Public Assistance Benefits Who Are 13 Years Of Age Or Older Shall Be Subject To Taking A Drug Test On A Random Basis To Determine Their Eligibility To Continue Receiving The Benefits; To Provide That If A Recipient Is Given A Drug Test And He Or She Tests Positive For Any Prohibited Drug, The Recipient Must Receive Treatment For Substance Abuse Through A Community Mental Health Center Or A Local Medical Provider; To Provide That The Recipient Will Remain Eligible To Continue Receiving The Benefits While Receiving The Substance Abuse Treatment; To Require The Recipient To Present Documented Proof From A Community Mental Health Center Or A Local Medical Provider, Not Later Than 90 Days After Testing Positive For A Drug, That He Or She Is Free From Substance Abuse In Order To Continue Receiving The Benefits; To Provide That If The Recipient Does Not Present Documented Proof That He Or She Is Free From Substance Within The Prescribed Time, The Recipient Shall Not Be Eligible To Receive The Benefits For A Period Of Not Less Than 90 Days; To Provide That After That Period, A Person May Reapply To Receive Public Assistance Benefits, And Will Be Eligible To Receive The Benefits Again If The Person Passes Another Drug Test; To Direct The Mississippi Department Of Human Services, In Conjunction With The Bureau Of Narcotics And The State Department Of Health, To Establish And Administer A Testing Program With Such Standards And Procedures Deemed Necessary To Accomplish The Requirements Of This Act; To Provide That All Testing Required Under This Act Shall Be Performed At The Mississippi Forensics Laboratory Or At A Laboratory Approved By The Director Of The Mississippi Forensics Laboratory; To Amend Sections 43-13-115 And 43-17-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Provisions Of This Act; To Repeal Section 43-17-6, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Provide For A Written Screening Questionnaire, Drug Testing And A Substance Use Disorder Treatment Plan For Certain Adult Applicants For Tanf Benefits; And For Related Purposes.

Drug testing; authorize for persons receiving public assistance benefits.

Rep. Deborah Butler Dixon [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2017-01-31	House	Died In Committee
2017-01-13	House	Referred To Public Health and Human Services

Type	Source
Summary	https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2017/pdf/history/HB/HB0604.xml
Text	https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2017/html/HB/0600-0699/HB0604IN.htm