HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2013-049 Resolution Opposing Potential Drug Testing for Public Assistance Recipients RES-2013-049
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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Resolution Opposing Potential Drug Testing for Public Assistance
Recipients
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 594 has been introduced in the 2013 North Carolina General Assembly
session, proposing drug testing requirements for recipients of public assistance and requiring
families who apply for Work First to be screened at their own expense; and
WHEREAS, the proposed drug testing requirements would create hardships for families with the
least resources and in many cases will discourage those families from applying for available
assistance even when no substance abuse is present; and
WHEREAS, if a family does pursue the screening and no issues are identified, it is proposed
that the local county social services department will reimburse the family for the costs although
no State funds have been appropriated for this expense, thereby establishing another State
unfunded mandate for county governments; and
WHEREAS, the imposition of a drug testing requirement appears discriminatory by requiring low
income families to be screened when many other individuals supported by other various
government subsidies and programs are not subject to these arbitrarily invasive requirements;
and
WHEREAS, provisions such as the one proposed have been successfully challenged on
constitutional grounds in other states and the same challenge would likely occur in North
Carolina, while in the interim local agencies will have already implemented procedures to adopt
the new rules, clients will have already been impacted and costs will already have been
incurred; and
WHEREAS, there are presently a significant number of requirements that limit the eligible
population for the Work First Program, including provisions that 1) the Program only serves
parents with children; 2) parents must comply with various regulations related to the education
and health of their children; and 3) parents must also participate in work related activities
(usually thirty hours per week);
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners,
support all families and children and believe that the changes being proposed to the Work First
Program through Senate Bill 594 will harm children and their parents, will be ineffective and
costly, will create another unfunded mandate for county governments, and will ultimately and
appropriately be reversed on constitutional grounds as has occurred in other states. The Board
encourages all members of the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor Pat McCrory to
oppose the changes detailed in Senate Bill 594 and any other bills requiring drug testing as a
condition of eligibility for public assistance programs.
This the 18th day of June 2013.
Barry Jaco , ai
Orange C unty Bo of C missioners