| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to drug screening of potential and |
| 3 | existing beneficiaries of Temporary Assistance for Needy |
| 4 | Families; creating s. 414.0652, F.S.; requiring the |
| 5 | Department of Children and Family Services to perform a |
| 6 | drug test on an applicant for Temporary Assistance for |
| 7 | Needy Families benefits; requiring such individual to bear |
| 8 | the cost of the drug test; requiring the department to |
| 9 | provide, and the applicant to acknowledge receipt of, |
| 10 | notice of the drug-screening policy; requiring the |
| 11 | department to increase the amount of the initial TANF |
| 12 | benefit by the amount paid by the individual for the drug |
| 13 | testing; providing procedures for testing and retesting; |
| 14 | requiring the department to provide information concerning |
| 15 | local substance abuse treatment programs to an individual |
| 16 | who tests positive; providing conditions for an individual |
| 17 | to reapply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families |
| 18 | benefits; providing that, if a parent is ineligible as a |
| 19 | result of failing a drug test, the eligibility of the |
| 20 | children is not affected; providing conditions for |
| 21 | designating another protective payee; providing rulemaking |
| 22 | authority to the department; providing an effective date. |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Section 1. Section 414.0652, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 27 | to read: |
| 28 | 414.0652 Drug screening for applicants for Temporary |
| 29 | Assistance for Needy Families.- |
| 30 | (1) The department shall require a drug test consistent |
| 31 | with s. 112.0455 to screen each individual who applies for |
| 32 | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The cost of drug |
| 33 | testing is the responsibility of the individual tested. |
| 34 | (a) An individual subject to the requirements of this |
| 35 | section includes any parent or caretaker relative who is |
| 36 | included in the cash assistance group, including an individual |
| 37 | who may be exempt from work activity requirements due to the age |
| 38 | of the youngest child or who may be exempt from work activity |
| 39 | requirements under s. 414.065(4). |
| 40 | (b) An individual who tests positive for controlled |
| 41 | substances as a result of a drug test required under this |
| 42 | section is ineligible to receive TANF benefits for 1 year after |
| 43 | the date of the positive drug test unless the individual meets |
| 44 | the requirements of paragraph (2)(j). |
| 45 | (2) The department shall: |
| 46 | (a) Provide notice of drug testing to each individual at |
| 47 | the time of application. The notice must advise the individual |
| 48 | that drug testing will be conducted as a condition for receiving |
| 49 | TANF benefits and that the individual must bear the cost of |
| 50 | testing. If the individual tests negative for controlled |
| 51 | substances, the department shall increase the amount of the |
| 52 | initial TANF benefit by the amount paid by the individual for |
| 53 | the drug testing. The individual shall be advised that the |
| 54 | required drug testing may be avoided if the individual does not |
| 55 | apply for TANF benefits. Dependent children under the age of 18 |
| 56 | are exempt from the drug-testing requirement. |
| 57 | (b) Require that for two-parent families, both parents |
| 58 | must comply with the drug-testing requirement. |
| 59 | (c) Require that any teen parent who is not required to |
| 60 | live with a parent, legal guardian, or other adult caretaker |
| 61 | relative in accordance with s. 414.095(14)(c) must comply with |
| 62 | the drug-testing requirement. |
| 63 | (d) Advise each individual to be tested, before the test |
| 64 | is conducted, that he or she may, but is not required to, advise |
| 65 | the agent administering the test of any prescription or over- |
| 66 | the-counter medication he or she is taking. |
| 67 | (e) Require each individual to be tested to sign a written |
| 68 | acknowledgment that he or she has received and understood the |
| 69 | notice and advice provided under paragraphs (a) and (d). |
| 70 | (f) Assure each individual being tested a reasonable |
| 71 | degree of dignity while producing and submitting a sample for |
| 72 | drug testing, consistent with the state's need to ensure the |
| 73 | reliability of the sample. |
| 74 | (g) Specify circumstances under which an individual who |
| 75 | fails a drug test has the right to take one or more additional |
| 76 | tests. |
| 77 | (h) Inform an individual who tests positive for a |
| 78 | controlled substance and is deemed ineligible for TANF benefits |
| 79 | that the individual may reapply for those benefits 1 year after |
| 80 | the date of the positive drug test unless the individual meets |
| 81 | the requirements of paragraph (j). If the individual tests |
| 82 | positive again, he or she is ineligible to receive TANF benefits |
| 83 | for 3 years after the date of the second positive drug test |
| 84 | unless the individual meets the requirements of paragraph (j). |
| 85 | (i) Provide any individual who tests positive with a list |
| 86 | of licensed substance abuse treatment providers available in the |
| 87 | area in which he or she resides that meet the requirements of s. |
| 88 | 397.401 and are licensed by the department. Neither the |
| 89 | department nor the state is responsible for providing or paying |
| 90 | for substance abuse treatment as part of the screening conducted |
| 91 | under this section. |
| 92 | (j) An individual who tests positive under this section |
| 93 | and is denied TANF benefits as a result may reapply for those |
| 94 | benefits after 6 months if the individual can document the |
| 95 | successful completion of a substance abuse treatment program |
| 96 | offered by a provider that meets the requirements of s. 397.401 |
| 97 | and is licensed by the department. An individual who has met the |
| 98 | requirements of this paragraph and reapplies for TANF benefits |
| 99 | must also pass an initial drug test and meet the requirements of |
| 100 | subsection (1). Any drug test conducted while the individual is |
| 101 | undergoing substance abuse treatment must meet the requirements |
| 102 | of subsection (1). The cost of any drug testing and substance |
| 103 | abuse treatment provided under this section shall be the |
| 104 | responsibility of the individual being tested and receiving |
| 105 | treatment. An individual who fails the drug test required under |
| 106 | subsection (1) may reapply for benefits under this paragraph |
| 107 | only once. |
| 108 | (3) If a parent is deemed ineligible for TANF benefits as |
| 109 | a result of failing a drug test conducted under this section: |
| 110 | (a) The dependent child's eligibility for TANF benefits is |
| 111 | not affected. |
| 112 | (b) An appropriate protective payee shall be designated to |
| 113 | receive benefits on behalf of the child. |
| 114 | (c) The parent may choose to designate another individual |
| 115 | to receive benefits for the parent's minor child. The designated |
| 116 | individual must be an immediate family member or, if an |
| 117 | immediate family member is not available or the family member |
| 118 | declines the option, another individual, approved by the |
| 119 | department, may be designated. The designated individual must |
| 120 | also undergo drug testing before being approved to receive |
| 121 | benefits on behalf of the child. If the designated individual |
| 122 | tests positive for controlled substances, he or she is |
| 123 | ineligible to receive benefits on behalf of the child. |
| 124 | (4) The department shall adopt rules to implement this |
| 125 | section. |
| 126 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |