Senate Committee Backs Drug Treatment for Felons Seeking Aid

Felons convicted of drug possession will have to jump through more hoops to get food stamps or other taxpayer-funded assistance under a billbacked by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 1128 would require anyone seeking state assistance who had been charged with a felony possession offense once the bill becamelaw -- July 1, if the bill is signed into law -- to first complete a state-approved substance-abuse treatment program.

Those with misdemeanor drug charges would not have to take the program.

The federal government has a rule in place that denies drug-using felons from collecting food stamps.However, Florida, at the states request, withdrew from that requirement.

A similar bill, HB 813, was advanced on Tuesday by the House Human Services Committee.