INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A bill to require drug testing for some Indiana welfare recipients with past drug offenses no longer restricts what can be bought with government food assistance.
The Senate health committee approved the stripped-down bill 6-3 on Wednesday.
The House earlier approved a version of the bill that would've subjected anyone applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to be screened for likelihood of addiction. It also would have limited food stamp recipients to buying only foods deemed “nutritional.''
Whether Indiana officials could have implemented the legislation before the changes is unclear.
Efforts to restrict food stamp purchases and drug test recipients of the financial assistance program have met challenges in court and with the federal government.
