Senator Colas Bennett, a Republican from Saratosa, is sponsoring the bill in an effort to ensure that government funding will go only to people who are € ready, able and willing to work €. Last month, unemployment benefit claims in Florida reached $117 million. 2 comments Leave a reply After Texas and West Virginia, a Florida lawmaker is also proposing a bill to subject the state € unemployed to random drug testing before allowing them to claim benefits. Random Drug Testing for the Unemployed. An unemployed respondent has expressed support for the proposal, saying that money that may go to substance abusers making unemployment claims can better be reallocated to those who will use the money for more important uses. The bill is getting mixed reactions from different sectors. Without drug testing, there will be no way for the government to control the recipients of unemployment benefit claims. The proposed bill calls for the random testing of 10% of those who are in the process of filing unemployment claims as well as 10% of those who are already receiving unemployment benefits.

The ACLU of Florida, however, has expressed opposition to the proposal, claiming that its provisions seem to be a generalization for a marginalized sector..