Gov. Scott Walker signed a letter to Congress Monday, pressing for legislation that allows states to require drug testing for food stamp recipients.
Ten other Republican governors from Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah also signed the letter.
The letter addresses U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., who in February proposed federal bill H.R. 4540 to allow for drug testing in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Aderholt is the chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee, the administering force behind SNAP.
As a federal program, a special waiver is currently required for drug testing on SNAP recipients. If passed, H.R. 4540 would authorize states to require food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing. The bill would apply savings from fraud to drug treatment programs, according to a press release.
By shifting power to mandate drug testing from the national to state level, the statute would enable Walker to implement his policies for food stamp restrictions in Wisconsin. The proposal includes distributing questionnaires that monitor for drug abuse and requiring drug screenings based on results.
In July, the Joint Finance Committee approved Walker’s drug testing policy in the state budget, leaving federal waiver requirements as the only current obstacle to its implementation.
