STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Assemblywoman GAIL PHOEBUS
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Provides for drug testing of adult recipients of Work First New Jersey program benefits.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the Work First New Jersey program and supplementing P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-44 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The use of random drug testing for adult recipients of benefits under the Work First New Jersey program, and the enrollment of those individuals who have a substance abuse problem in an approved treatment program, will enhance the efforts of this State to assist families in need of both economic and social supports to improve their condition and remove barriers to employment and the achievement of economic self-sufficiency;
b. These measures will conduce to the safety of children of drug-addicted parents who are at risk for suffering child abuse and neglect and are more likely to abuse drugs than children in other households; and
c. This bill will fulfill the State's responsibility to assist those persons who are facing drug-related barriers to employment as part of its effort to strengthen families and help everyone who is able to work to find a job and develop the economic and social skills to be a productive member of society.
2. a. An adult recipient of benefits under the Work First New Jersey program, on or after the effective date of this act, shall be subject to random drug testing in a manner to be prescribed by regulation of the Commissioner of Human Services.
b. The program shall assume the cost of such testing.
c. A person's eligibility for benefits under the Work First New Jersey program or any other program of public assistance shall not be dependent upon the results of such testing; however, based upon those results, the commissioner may condition eligibility for benefits under the Work First New Jersey program upon the person's completion of a drug treatment program approved by the commissioner.
3. The Commissioner of Human Services, as soon as is practicable after the date of enactment of this act, shall apply for any federal waivers that the commissioner determines are required to implement the provisions of this act.
4. The Commissioner of
Human Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act,"
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations to
effectuate the purposes of this act.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, except that section 3 of this act shall take effect immediately; but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill provides for random drug testing of adult recipients of Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) program benefits.
The bill provides specifically as follows:
· An adult recipient of WFNJ benefits, on or after the effective date of the bill, will be subject to random drug testing in a manner to be prescribed by regulation of the Commissioner of Human Services.
· The WFNJ program is to assume the cost of such testing.
· A person's eligibility for benefits under the WFNJ program or any other program of public assistance will not be dependent upon the results of such testing; however, based upon those results, the commissioner may condition eligibility for WFNJ benefits upon the person's completion of a drug treatment program approved by the commissioner.
· The commissioner, as soon as is practicable after the date of enactment of this act, is to apply for any federal waivers that the commissioner determines are required to implement the provisions of the bill.
· The bill takes effect on the first day of the seventh month following the date of enactment, except for the provision that requires the commissioner to seek any necessary federal waivers; but the commissioner is authorized to take administrative action in advance as necessary to implement the bill.