H 3829 General Bill, By Rice, Simrill, A.D. Young, Hiott, Duncan, Cato, 
Limehouse, Littlejohn, Owens, Sottile, Ballentine, Millwood, Haley, Hamilton, 
Stringer, Bedingfield, Viers, Toole, Nanney and E.H. Pitts
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 27
 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 1 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PUBLIC ASSISTANCE"; TO
 PROVIDE, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, A PERSON SEEKING PUBLIC
 ASSISTANCE MUST SUBMIT TO CERTAIN RANDOM DRUG TESTS; TO PROVIDE A PERSON WHO
 TWICE FAILS THIS RANDOM DRUG TEST MAY NOT RECEIVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC
 ASSISTANCE; AND TO PROVIDE AN AGENCY THAT ADMINISTERS THIS TEST TO A PERSON
 WHO TWICE FAILS THE TEST IMMEDIATELY SHALL TERMINATE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
 BENEFITS IT PAYS HIM.

   03/31/09  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-67
   03/31/09  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-67
   04/02/09  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor:
                     Ballentine, Millwood, Haley, Hamilton, Stringer,
                     Bedingfield, Viers, Toole, Nanney, E.H.Pitts

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 27 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 1 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PUBLIC ASSISTANCE"; TO PROVIDE, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, A PERSON SEEKING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE MUST SUBMIT TO CERTAIN RANDOM DRUG TESTS; TO PROVIDE A PERSON WHO TWICE FAILS THIS RANDOM DRUG TEST MAY NOT RECEIVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; AND TO PROVIDE AN AGENCY THAT ADMINISTERS THIS TEST TO A PERSON WHO TWICE FAILS THE TEST IMMEDIATELY SHALL TERMINATE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFITS IT PAYS HIM.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 1, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 27

"Section 1-1-1710.    For purposes of this article, 'public assistance' means cash or in-kind income received from a public source and for which the recipient is eligible on the basis of financial need."

Section 1-1-1720.    Except as otherwise prohibited by law, a person:

(1)    seeking or receiving public assistance shall submit to random drug testing administered by the agency from which the person is seeking or receiving public assistance; and

(2)    who twice fails a drug test required under this section may not receive additional public assistance benefits, and the agency that administered the drug test immediately shall terminate public assistance benefits it provides to him."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.