Voluntary Drug Testing Bill Gains Key Senate Approval

Candidates Encouraged to be Drug Free

Columbia, SC – In an effort to “restore the trust and confidence of the public” in elected officials Senator Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee) today offered amendments to the Candidate Drug Testing Bill (S.1070) that would allow candidates to voluntarily submit to a test for illegal drugs and have the results of the test published. The Senate gave the bill a key second reading and a final reading of the bill is expected tomorrow.

The new Candidate Voluntary Drug Testing Program provides guidelines for candidates to follow when submitting the results of a drug test with their candidate filing papers. The State Election Commission will publish the candidates full name, the office sought and the results of the test on its website. The results of the test would be available thirty days prior to the election and would remain on the website for ninety days after the election.

The bill sets the same testing standards as those currently applied to commercial drivers.

“I wanted to provide candidates an opportunity to prove that they are indeed drug free when running for office,” says Senator Peeler. “The public needs to have confidence in their elected officials and this bill will give everyone the opportunity to restore some of that trust.”

Senator Peeler introduced his original bill after former State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel was indicted on drug charges in 2007. “Politicians in South Carolina have shown that this is a problem, I hope the Candidate Voluntary Drug Testing Program will help us start moving away from those days,” says Senator Peeler.

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