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HR 204118th CongressFailed / ExpiredHouse

Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Act

Policy Area: Social Welfare
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
House
Last Updated
Mar 21, 2025
Latest Action Date
Dec 17, 2024

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare.

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

The Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Act is a bill introduced in the 118th Congress aimed at requiring drug testing for individuals receiving welfare benefits. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare but did not advance further and ultimately failed or expired. The bill falls under the policy area of Social Welfare and seeks to impose conditions on welfare eligibility related to drug use.

Bottom Line

This bill proposed mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients but did not progress beyond subcommittee referral and expired without becoming law.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • The bill mandates drug testing for individuals receiving welfare benefits.
  • It was introduced in the House of Representatives during the 118th Congress.
  • The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare on December 17, 2024, but did not advance further.
Who Benefits?

['Government agencies responsible for welfare program administration may gain additional oversight tools.', 'Taxpayers may be perceived as benefiting from potential reductions in welfare misuse.', 'Organizations involved in drug testing services could see increased demand if implemented.']

Potential Concerns

["The bill's text and summary are not available, limiting detailed analysis of implementation mechanisms.", 'Costs associated with administering drug tests and managing compliance are not specified.', 'Oversight and enforcement provisions are unclear due to lack of full text.', 'Potential legal and privacy considerations related to mandatory drug testing are not addressed in the available data.']

Political Context

The bill was introduced in the House during the 118th Congress and referred to a relevant subcommittee but did not advance, indicating limited legislative momentum. It is situated within ongoing policy debates about conditions on welfare eligibility and social welfare program reforms.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 2

GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

2 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['Potential reduction in welfare enrollment if drug testing acts as a deterrent.', 'Increased administrative workload for welfare agencies to implement and monitor drug testing.', 'Possible legal challenges or increased litigation related to drug testing requirements.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

The absence of a bill summary and full text limits comprehensive analysis. Transparency would be improved by providing complete legislative language and detailed cost and enforcement provisions. Monitoring the bill's referral and failure status is important for understanding legislative priorities and oversight gaps.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 75%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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