ATLANTA — State Representative Greg Morris (R-Vidalia) today announced the introduction of House Bill 772, legislation which would require applicants to pass a drug test before receiving assistance from the Georgia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps.
“Hard working Georgians expect their tax dollars to be used responsibly and efficiently,” said Rep. Morris. “Under no circumstance should the government fund someone’s drug habit. HB 772 is common sense legislation.”
Under HB 772, the Georgia Department of Human Services would be required to conduct drug tests on adult applicants for food stamps. Applicants who also receive Medicaid benefits would be responsible for paying a $17 fee to cover the expense of the drug test. Applicants who do not receive Medicaid benefits would pay the full cost of the drug test, but would receive food stamp reimbursement in the event that they test negative for controlled substances.
House Bill 772 also states that any food stamp applicant who fails the drug test would be ineligible for food stamps until a subsequent test is passed. If an applicant fails the drug test for a second time, that person would be ineligible for food stamps for three months. Any person failing the test three times would become ineligible for one year.
HB 772 specifies that dependent children under the age of 18 are exempt from the drug testing requirement. Further, the eligibility of these children will not be affected if their parent fails the drug test. However, if this happens, the ineligible parent would be required to designate an individual, who must also pass a drug test, to receive the food stamps on behalf of the affected children.
The Georgia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded program that provides monthly benefits to low-income households to help pay for the cost of food.
For more information on HB 772, click here.
Representative Greg Morris represents the citizens of District 156, which includes portions of Appling, Jeff Davis, Montgomery, and Toombs counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 1998, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Banks & Banking Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Code Revision, Natural Resources & Environment, and Rules committees.
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