Although he couldn’t get it out of committee in the 81st Legislative Session, Rep. Ken Legler (R-Pasadena) has once again filed a commonsense bill that will save millions. What is this money saving bill? Drug test people applying for unemployment compensation.
This session’s bill number is HB 126 and the language is very similar to the one he filed as HB 1135 in 2009 but includes a requirement that the applicant disclose a drug test failure at a prospective employer.
In this post from April of 2009, I noted the total savings that the Unemployment Fund would see: $490 million over five years. That number comes directly from the bill’s Fiscal Note.
The next time someone tells you that there is no “fat” in the budget, just remember those people smoking dope and getting fat while receiving unemployment checks.