Bill Text: HI HCR246 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging the Department of Human Services to explore the possibility of allowing government agencies providing government assistance to conduct random drug testing of adult individuals receiving public assistance and suspending this assistance if the individual tests positive for substance abuse.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-28 - (H) The committee(s) recommends that the measure be deferred. [HCR246 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-HCR246-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	246
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the Department of human services to explore the possibility of allowing government agencies providing government assistance to conduct random drug testing of adult individuals receiving public assistance and suspending this assistance if the individual tests positive for substance abuse.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the recent economic crisis facing the nation has resulted in increasing numbers of individuals seeking government assistance; and

 

     WHEREAS, government assistance programs are funded through taxpayer dollars and state and local governments are currently facing economic crises of their own often struggling to find funding for even the most basic public services; and

 

     WHEREAS, although the statistics are not staggering, a recent report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services found that 9.6 percent of people living in households that receive government assistance used illicit drugs in the previous month; and

 

     WHEREAS, since individuals receiving public assistance are receiving this aid through the use of taxpayer dollars, it has been suggested that requiring adult individuals receiving public assistance to undergo random drug testing is the prudent thing to do to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being appropriately used for the provision of this assistance; and

 

     WHEREAS, while legal questions have been raised regarding random drug testing of individuals receiving government assistance, this issue should be explored further to determine its feasibility; now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Human Services is urged to explore the possibility of allowing government agencies providing government assistance to conduct random drug testing of adult individuals receiving public assistance and suspending this assistance if the individual tests positive for substance abuse; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in exploring the possibility of conducting random drug testing, the Department of Human Services shall consider legal questions raised regarding this issue and whether random drug testing of individuals receiving public assistance would be feasible; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human services shall report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Urging the Department of Human Services to explore the possibility of allowing government agencies providing government assistance to conduct random drug testing of adult individuals receiving public assistance and suspending this assistance if the individual tests positive for substance abuse.