PRINTER'S NO.  973

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

860

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY EVERETT, ARGALL, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BOBACK, BOYD, CAUSER, CLYMER, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALLY, DENLINGER, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, GEIST, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HALUSKA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MELIO, METZGAR, MILLARD, MILLER, MILNE, MOUL, MURT, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE, PEIFER, PERZEL, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, RAPP, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROHRER, SCAVELLO, K. SMITH, SONNEY, STERN, SWANGER, TRUE, TURZAI AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 11, 2009

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 11, 2009  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An

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act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public

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welfare laws of the Commonwealth," providing, in public

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assistance, for screening for illegal drug use.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known

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as the Public Welfare Code, is amended by adding a section to

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read:

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Section 432.23.  Screening for Illegal Drug Use.--(a)  The

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department shall develop and implement a drug test and drug

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retest program approved by the Department of Health to screen

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applicants for and recipients of cash assistance benefits. Each

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applicant or recipient eighteen years of age or older but under

 


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sixty-five years of age must meet the requirements of this

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section as a condition for receiving cash assistance benefits.

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(b)  Under the screening for the drug test and retest

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program, the following apply:

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(1)  The department shall:

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(i)  Require that recipients already receiving cash

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assistance benefits as of the effective date of this section be

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scheduled to be tested at the time their request for assistance

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is reviewed.

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(ii)  Develop and implement a system for randomly testing no

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less than 20% of the individuals receiving cash assistance

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benefits during each six-month period who are subject to testing

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for the presence of illegal drugs under this section.

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(iii)  Compile a list of drug treatment programs throughout

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this Commonwealth that are acceptable to the department in which

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applicants and recipients who fail the drug test or drug retest

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may participate without paying a fee or charge as a condition

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for participation and take steps to develop and to encourage the

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development of additional programs in areas where there are

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limited drug treatment programs.

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(iv)  Notify each individual who fails a drug test for the

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presence of illegal drugs of the availability of substance abuse

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assistance programs in the geographical area where the

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individual resides.

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(v)  Provide advance notice or a reasonable opportunity for

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advance notice to each applicant for or recipient of cash

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assistance benefits of screening under this section advising

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that:

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(A)  a drug testing requirement is a condition for the

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receipt of cash assistance benefits;

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(B)  the applicant or recipient may, but is not required to,

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advise the administrator of the test of any prescription or

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other over-the-counter medication that the applicant or

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recipient takes; and

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(C)  the required testing may be avoided by not applying for

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or receiving cash assistance benefits.

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(vi)  Provide a procedure to assure each individual being

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tested a reasonable degree of dignity consistent with the

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department's need to ensure the reliability of the urine sample.

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(vii)  Deny cash assistance benefits to any individual who

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refuses to take the drug test or drug retest required by this

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section and terminate the cash assistance benefits of any

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recipient who refuses to submit to the random drug test required

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by this section.

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(viii)  Not charge applicants or recipients a fee for any

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drug test or drug retest conducted pursuant to this section.

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(2)  The department may require each applicant and recipient

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to sign a written acknowledgment that the applicant or recipient

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has received and understands the notice and advice.

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(c)  Any individual who is denied cash assistance benefits or

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whose cash assistance benefits are terminated because the

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individual failed to pass a drug retest after failing to pass a

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drug test shall be ineligible for cash assistance benefits for a

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12-month period beginning with the date of the denial or

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termination, unless a lesser period is mandated under Federal

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law.

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(d)  The following apply:

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(1)  No applicant who fails the drug test may be entitled to

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cash assistance benefits until the applicant passes a drug

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retest, regardless of whether the applicant appeals the test

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results.

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(2)  A recipient of cash assistance benefits may continue to

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receive cash assistance benefits for a period of not more than

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sixty days after failing a drug test if the recipient files a

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departmental appeal of the results of the drug test within

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fifteen days following the administration of the test. The

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department shall decide the appeal within this sixty-day period.

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(3)  The drug test required by this subsection shall be

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administered by the department within sixty days after the final

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failure to pass the drug test required under this section.

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(4)  If a recipient fails a drug test, the recipient shall be

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deemed an applicant for purposes of any drug retest provided for

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under this section.

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(5)  Any applicant or recipient who fails a drug test shall

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not be eligible for cash assistance benefits until the applicant

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or recipient completes a drug treatment program approved by the

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department, unless participation in such a program is waived in

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accordance with subsection (e).

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(e)  The following apply:

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(1)  The department shall waive the drug treatment

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requirement as a condition for the receipt of cash assistance

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benefits if there is no program acceptable to the department

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within a reasonable geographic proximity to the residence of the

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recipient or applicant in which the applicant or recipient can

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participate without paying a fee or charge as a condition for

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participation.

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(2)  This subsection shall not be construed to waive any

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denial or termination of cash assistance benefits as a

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consequence of failing a drug test or drug retest mandated under

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this section.

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(f)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to render an

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applicant or recipient who fails a drug test or drug retest

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ineligible for a Commonwealth program that pays costs for

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participating in a drug treatment program, for a medical

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assistance program or for any other benefit that is not cash

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assistance benefits.

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(g)  Testing under this section shall be limited solely to

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the detection of the use of illegal drugs and shall not be

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conducted or used for any other purpose. The department shall

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not develop or implement any procedure designed to advise law

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enforcement authorities as to whether an applicant or recipient

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has failed a screening test under this section.

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(h)  The department shall submit an annual report on the

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screening testing program to the President pro tempore of the

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Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the

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House of Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of

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Representatives. The report shall include the number of

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individuals tested, the illegal drugs tested for, the number of

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individuals who failed drug tests and drug retests and the costs

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associated with the testing.

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(i)  The following words and phrases, when used in this

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section, shall have the meanings given to them in this

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subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

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"Cash assistance benefits" means cash benefits authorized

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under the Federal temporary assistance to needy families program

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or authorized as general assistance as provided for in section

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432(3).

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"Drug" means a controlled substance as defined in section 2

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of the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as "The

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Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act."

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"Drug retest" means a repeat of a drug test.

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"Drug test" means a test that involves the collection of a

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urine sample for the purpose of determining the presence of

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drugs.

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"Drug treatment program" means a public, nonprofit or other

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nonpublic program which is for the assessment, treatment and

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rehabilitation of persons who use illegal drugs which does not

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exceed thirty days.

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"Illegal drug" means a controlled substance as defined in

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section 2 of the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known

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as "The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act."

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"Illegal drug use" means the use of drugs in violation of the

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act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as "The Controlled

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Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act," or any other law.

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Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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