NY A06146

TANF recipients age 18 and older must submit to pre-qualification drug screening using a Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory test, random drug testing, reasonable suspicion drug testing, and resumption of benefits drug testing as a condition of receiving assistance.

Reasonable suspicion for drug testing exists if an individual is charged with controlled substance offenses, shows risk indicators on screening tests, or has previously failed a drug test; individuals meeting these criteria are placed in testing pools with at least 50 percent tested or 25 percent randomly tested monthly.

Individuals testing positive must enroll in drug abuse treatment within 30 days and test negative twice within 20-30 day intervals over four months to continue receiving benefits; failure results in three-month ineligibility period.

Individuals who test positive after reapplication become permanently ineligible for themselves, though their children may receive assistance if they live with a different guardian; subsequent positive tests on reapplication result in permanent ineligibility for the individual and children's ineligibility while residing with them.

Drug test costs are paid by local social services offices except when individuals test positive, in which case test costs are withheld from future TANF payments; refusal to test results in immediate ineligibility for the individual and dependent children.