By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The House of Delegates Wednesday approved the bill extending the pilot program to drug test applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families through 2026.
The bill is SB 387. The pilot program was set to expire this year but the Department of Health and Human Resources suspended it in March 2020 through December because of the pandemic, so DHHR asked for a one-year extension. A House Health Committee amendment changed it to run through 2026.
The three-year pilot began in 2017; the Senate version of the bill would extend it through Dec. 31, 2022. There have been 131 positive tests since 2017. Some of those refused treatment; some started but dropped out. One person completed treatment, but 95 of the 131 sought treatment independently through Medicaid.
The program has 6,059 people enrolled, with 4,534 of those being children. The program has cost $33,054 to run, so far. Of the 131 positive tests, 61 were positive for marijuana only…
To read more: https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/04/07/house-approves-bill-extending-pilot-program-to-drug-test-tanf-applicants/