An effort to drug-screen Virginians receiving certain public assistance could get pushed off a year.
A House Appropriations subcommittee on Monday recommended carrying it over to the 2013 General Assembly session to allow more time to study the potential costs — pegged at $1.3 million in the first year and about $1 million annually after that. The recommendation goes to the full House Appropriations Committee.
The development could signal trouble for similar legislation that narrowly cleared a Senate panel but faces questions from Democrats about fairness and from Republicans about costs.
The House bill, sponsored by Del. Richard P. "Dickie" Bell, R-Staunton, would require local social services departments to screen people participating in the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare to determine if there's reason to believe the person is using illegal substances.
If so, a formal assessment would be done, which could include a drug test. Anyone who tests positive or refuses to participate "without good cause" would not be able to receive payments unless the person enters into a drug-treatment program. The person would have an opportunity to reapply.
Opponents of the measure have said it singles out the poor and raises constitutional questions.
On Monday, Bell questioned the fiscal impact calculated by the Department of Planning and Budget, which estimates about $345 per drug test — or more if there is a dispute.
Del. John M. O'Bannon III, R-Henrico, requested that it be carried over a year so lawmakers can get a better idea of the costs.
"It's just that the money situation's kind of tight," said Del. Riley E. Ingram, R-Hopewell, chairman of the subcommittee.
On the Senate side, a bill that would subject certain welfare recipients to drug testing as a condition of receiving benefits narrowly cleared a committee last week. It was referred to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration and is slated to come up this week.
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