Lawmakers in Alabama are considering a proposal to require some food stamp recipients to take drug tests.
Under the bill, a person applying for or receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, would have to take a drug test if there's "reasonable suspicion" that the person uses drugs.
Alabama is the latest state to consider drug testing for food stamp recipients following an order by the Trump administration to give states more flexibility in how they administer the programs.
House Bill 3, filed by Alabama state Representative Tommy Hanes, describes reasonable suspicion as including someone who has had a drug conviction within the past five years or previously failed a SNAP drug test.
A person would also be screened if "a reasonable person would conclude the applicant uses or is under the influence of drugs without a prescription," the bill states.
If approved, applicants would receive a warning for their first failed test then be ineligible for food stamps for a year if they fail a second time. There is a provision that would allow a parent to designate a third party to receive SNAP benefits for a dependent child.
A third failed test would make a person permanently ineligible for SNAP benefits. The bill notes that if an applicant refuses or delays the test they'd be ineligible as well.
If approved, the plan would go into effect on the first day of the third month, following its passage and approval by the governor.
