HOUSE BILL No. 6161

 

September 9, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Farhat, Shackleton, Amos, Casperson, Milosch, Stakoe, Nofs, Huizenga, Koetje, Wenke, Hoogendyk, Ward, Hune, Emmons, Voorhees, Brandenburg, LaJoy, Palsrok, Walker, Robertson, Pastor, Acciavatti, Stahl, Shaffer and Hummel and referred to the Committee on Family and Children Services.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The social welfare act,"                                                   

                                                                                

    by amending section 57l (MCL 400.57l), as added by 1999 PA 17.               

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 57l.  (1)  Subject to subsection (2), the  The family                  

                                                                                

2   independence agency may require a recipient to submit to                    

                                                                                

3   substance abuse testing as a condition for family independence              

                                                                                

4   assistance eligibility under this act if a department employee              

                                                                                

5   has probable cause to suspect that recipient of substance abuse.            

                                                                                

6       (2) The family independence agency shall implement a pilot                  

                                                                                

7   program of substance abuse testing as a condition for family                

                                                                                

8   independence assistance eligibility in at least 3 counties,                 

                                                                                

9   including random substance abuse testing.  It is the intent of              

                                                                                

10  the legislature that a statewide program of substance abuse                 

                                                                                

11  testing of family independence assistance recipients, including             

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   random substance abuse testing, be implemented before April 1,              

                                                                                

2   2003.  However, statewide implementation of the substance abuse             

                                                                                

3   testing program shall not begin until all of the following have             

                                                                                

4   been completed:                                                             

                                                                                

5       (a) The pilot programs have first been evaluated by the                     

                                                                                

6   department and the evaluation has been submitted to the                     

                                                                                

7   legislature.                                                                

                                                                                

8       (b) The evaluation under subdivision (a) includes at least                  

                                                                                

9   the factors enumerated in subsection (5)(a) through (d) as well             

                                                                                

10  as an analysis of the pilot program.                                        

                                                                                

11      (c) Six months have passed since the evaluation required in                 

                                                                                

12  subdivision (a) has been submitted to the legislature.                      

                                                                                

13      (2)  (3)  An individual described in section 57b shall not be               

                                                                                

14  considered to have tested positive for substance abuse until the            

                                                                                

15  sample has been retested to rule out a false positive by gas                

                                                                                

16  chromatography with mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, high             

                                                                                

17  performance liquid chromatography, or an equally, or more,                  

                                                                                

18  specific test using the same sample obtained for the original               

                                                                                

19  test.  An individual described in section 57b who tests positive            

                                                                                

20  for substance abuse under this section shall agree to and                   

                                                                                

21  participate in substance abuse assessment and comply with a                 

                                                                                

22  required substance abuse treatment plan.  Failure to comply with            

                                                                                

23  a substance abuse assessment or treatment plan shall be penalized           

                                                                                

24  in the same manner as a work first program violation imposed                

                                                                                

25  under section 57d or 57g.  An individual is exempt from substance           

                                                                                

26  abuse testing authorized by this section if the individual is               

                                                                                

27  participating in a substance abuse rehabilitation program that              


                                                                                

1   the individual was ordered to participate in by a circuit court             

                                                                                

2   that has established procedures to expedite the closing of                  

                                                                                

3   criminal cases involving a crime established under part 74 of the           

                                                                                

4   public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7401 to 333.7461.                  

                                                                                

5       (3)  (4)  Before implementing substance abuse testing under                 

                                                                                

6   this section, the family independence agency shall notify the               

                                                                                

7   senate and house of representatives standing committees having              

                                                                                

8   jurisdiction over this act and the senate and house of                      

                                                                                

9   representatives appropriations subcommittees having jurisdiction            

                                                                                

10  over the family independence agency budget of the planned                   

                                                                                

11  implementation.                                                             

                                                                                

12      (4)  (5)  If the family independence agency implements                      

                                                                                

13  substance abuse testing as authorized and required by this                  

                                                                                

14  section, the family independence agency shall submit an annual              

                                                                                

15  report on the testing program to the senate and house of                    

                                                                                

16  representatives standing committees having jurisdiction over this           

                                                                                

17  act and the senate and house of representatives appropriations              

                                                                                

18  subcommittees having jurisdiction over the family independence              

                                                                                

19  agency budget.  The annual report shall include at least all of             

                                                                                

20  the following information for the preceding year:                           

                                                                                

21      (a) The number of individuals tested, the substances tested                 

                                                                                

22  for, the results of the testing, and the number of referrals for            

                                                                                

23  treatment.                                                                  

                                                                                

24      (b) The costs of the testing and the resulting treatment.                   

                                                                                

25      (c) Sanctions, if any, that have been imposed on recipients                 

                                                                                

26  as a result of the testing program.                                         

                                                                                

27      (d) The percentage and number of households receiving family                


                                                                                

1   independence assistance that include an individual who has tested           

                                                                                

2   positive for substance abuse under the program and that also                

                                                                                

3   include an individual who has been named as a perpetrator in a              

                                                                                

4   case classified as a central registry case under the child                  

                                                                                

5   protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.621 to 722.638.                        

                                                                                

6       (5)  (6)  The substance abuse testing authorized and required               

                                                                                

7   by this section does not apply to an individual 65 years old or             

                                                                                

8   older.