Wyoming House Passes Welfare Drug Testing Bill

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming House of Representatives has approved a bill that would require some state welfare recipients to undergo drug testing.

By a vote of 37-to-23 on Monday, the House gave its final approval to the bill. It now goes to the Senate.

Supporters of the bill say the testing will identify people who have drug problems and help them to get treatment.

Opponents of the bill say that requiring the tests would violate recipients' constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable searches.

Similar drug-testing bills are pending in Colorado, Utah and other states. Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have endorsed the idea.