Olens: Federal law bans testing food stamp recipients for drugs

ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens is agreeing with federal officials that U.S. law blocks drug-testing requirements for food stamp recipients.<br /> <br /> Olens wrote Gov. Nathan Deal on Friday saying that the U.S. Agriculture Department is correct in stating the law bans states from creating eligibility requirements for people who get benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.<br /> <br /> Deal previously signed a law calling for recipients suspected of drug abuse to undergo testing.<br /> <br /> But Olens says the state law isn't allowable under federal law.<br /> <br /> Olens says the state provisions shouldn't be implemented in Georgia unless there's a change in federal law.<br /> <br /> In Florida, a similar proposal requiring drug tests for food stamp recipients was declared unconstitutional by federal courts.