Drug Testing Story Archives - Page 2 of 2 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Push to Drug Test Welfare Recipients Dead

A push to drug test some welfare recipients is dead in the West Virginia Legislature.

On Wednesday, Republican bill sponsor Del. Patrick Lane confirmed the bill was done for the session.

The Republican-led House voted to table the bill Tuesday.

Wednesday is the final day to pass bills out of at least one chamber. The Senate version of the welfare drug testing bill hasn’t passed, either.

In the West Virginia bills, drug testing would have been based on reasonable suspicion.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says at least 12 states have passed laws requiring drug testing for public assistance.

In December, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Florida’s law was unconstitutional. Florida’s testing covered all state program applicants.

West Virginia’s 60-day legislative session concludes March 14.

Senate Approves Non-Partisan Election of Judges

At the legislature today, with three weeks left in this session, the Senate suspended the constitutional rule that bills be read on three separate days to quickly move legislation to the house. In the House, the Government Organization committee has rejected a bill that would give County Commissions the authority to pass smoking regulations. These stories and more legislative news coming up on The Legislature Today.

Bill Advances Closing Loopholes in Coal Miner Drug Testing

In the Energy, Industry and Mining Committee Tuesday, Senators took up a bill meant to close loopholes in the drug testing system for mine workers in safety positions.

There is already a notification system in place for any worker who fails, refuses to submit to or attempts to falsify a drug test.

Notification is sent to the state Office of Miner’s Health Safety and Training which keeps a record and may block that person’s next attempt to obtain a mining job.

“There’s a couple of loopholes in the way the existing statute,” committee counsel Dorian Burrell explained. “Basically, if they were to test positive and then resign or if they were never actually hired after testing positive, that could escape the notice.”

Burrell added that could mean people with drug or alcohol abuse problems could move from mine to mine without being detected.

The bill, supported by the Office of Miner’s Health Safety and Training, the industry and the unions, passed through the committee and now heads to Senate Judiciary.