Brighter Futures Begin with HOPE.

Drug Testing of Workforce Supports Costly, Inefficient and Threatens Children

July 21st, 2011

Misguided calls for policies to require drug testing for workforce supports, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) could cost the state money, add another layer of expensive bureaucracy and strip vulnerable children of access to basic needs such as food and shelter.

Drug testing of workforce supports is bad policy for Mississippi for three reasons:

1. Drug Testing is Expensive and will not Result in Savings

Analysis conducted by numerous states from as far away as Idaho to as nearby as Louisiana have found that the costs to test TANF recipients and treat those who test positive exceed any savings that may be found by terminating benefits. In fact, in Louisiana, the annual fiscal cost of implementing the policy would cost more than half a million dollars.¹

Additionally, a policy that pursues mandatory drug testing is subject to legal challenge. In Michigan, the state implemented a mandatory drug testing requirement as a condition of eligibility for welfare benefits. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a lower court finding that this requirement violated the 4th Amendment’s protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Legal action would add additional costs on top of those required for testing and treatment.

Note: Federal laws prohibit using a drug test as a requirement for eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), Unemployment Insurance and Medicaid.

2. Drug Testing is Inefficient

Requiring drug testing for workforce supports would add another layer of bureaucracy onto an already stretched and underfunded social service system. Some drugs are only detectable for up to 48 hours. Furthermore, urine tests can turn up false positives, putting the state in a situation where it will need to pay for a more expensive follow-up test.²

3. Sanctioning Parents for Drug Abuse Threatens the Welfare of Children

Young children are exceptionally vulnerable to the effects of deep poverty. In addition to costing the state more than it saves and adding another layer of bureaucracy to the welfare system, sanctioning parents would harm already at-risk children.³ Removing assistance leaves families who are already far below the poverty line with even fewer resources for food, shelter and other needs for a safe and secure environment that are imperative to a child’s development.

For Mississippi’s young children living in an environment of economic deprivation and vulnerability, even small additions to family income lead to markedly better academic and workforce outcomes. During these difficult economic times, policies should seek efficiencies while not compromising essential programs and services that support children and their families.*

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