Drug Testing and Treatment for Welfare Recipients Act of 1999

Drug Testing and Treatment for Welfare Recipients Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to up to five States to establish and maintain pilot drug testing programs and drug treatment programs for welfare recipients. Authorizes appropriations.

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 906 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 906

To establish a grant program to enable States to establish and maintain 
 pilot drug testing and drug treatment programs for welfare recipients 
         engaging in illegal drug use, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 28, 1999

  Mr. Abraham introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a grant program to enable States to establish and maintain 
 pilot drug testing and drug treatment programs for welfare recipients 
         engaging in illegal drug use, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Drug Testing and Treatment for 
Welfare Recipients Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to create a grant program that assists 
States in establishing and maintaining pilot drug testing and drug 
treatment programs for welfare recipients who have a commitment to 
overcoming their substance abuse problems and are in acute need of 
overcoming such problems.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Drug.--The term ``drug'' means a drug within the 
        meaning of subpart II of part B of title XIX of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-21 et seq.).
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (3) Welfare agency.--The term ``welfare agency'' means a 
        State agency carrying out a program described in paragraph (4).
            (4) Welfare recipient.--The term ``welfare recipient'' 
        means an individual in a State who is receiving assistance 
        under the State temporary assistance for needy families program 
        established under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    The Secretary may award grants to States to establish and maintain 
pilot drug testing programs and drug treatment programs for welfare 
recipients in each State that receives a grant.

SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, 
a State shall submit an application to the Secretary.
    (b) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to subsection 
(a) shall--
            (1) describe a program to provide drug testing for welfare 
        recipients in the State; and
            (2) describe a drug treatment program for welfare 
        recipients in the State that provides treatment if such a 
        recipient receives a positive result on a test described in 
        paragraph (1).

SEC. 6. CRITERIA FOR AWARD OF GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
States under section 4 on a competitive basis in accordance with the 
criteria set out in subsection (b).
    (b) Criteria.--The Secretary shall award grants to eligible States 
based on the following criteria:
            (1) The need and ability of a State to address drug use by 
        welfare recipients.
            (2) The ability of the State to continue the State programs 
        established under this Act after the grant program established 
        under this Act is concluded.

SEC. 7. AWARDS.

    (a) Amount of Grant.--The Secretary shall award a grant under this 
Act in the amount of $1,500,000 per year.
    (b) Duration.--The Secretary shall award a grant under this Act for 
a period of 3 years.
    (c) Limitation on Number of Grants.--The Secretary shall award 
grants under this Act to not more than 5 States.

SEC. 8. USE OF FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--A State that receives a grant under this Act shall 
use the funds made available through the grant to establish and 
maintain the programs described in the application submitted by the 
State under section 5.
    (b) Distribution by States.--Each State receiving a grant under 
this Act shall distribute grant funds only to entities that are 
receiving assistance under subpart II of part B of title XIX of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-21 et seq.).

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.
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