A proposal that would make it mandatory for some Hoosier welfare recipients to undergo drug testing to remain eligible for benefits was approved, early Monday morning, by the Indiana House.

In a landslide victory of 78-17, the House majority voted in favor of all applicants for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to first complete a written background test to determine if they have a history of drug abuse.

Under the new bill, anyone found to be at risk for drug abuse will have to submit to random drug screenings to maintain eligibility for welfare benefits. If a positive test is identified, the recipient will be forced to complete a drug treatment program in order keep their benefits.

According to Representative Jud McMillin, the bill is aimed at providing a better quality of family life for those with drug related problems; however, some of the bill’s opposition argued that there may not be enough affordable drug treatment available to meet the demands of the state.

Last week, Democrats suggested that legislators should have to face the same testing; yet, that motion was quickly denied by a Republican-dominated House.

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