JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
It's known as Senate Bill 2224 and currently sits in a senate committee.
If it becomes law, Mississippi's welfare system will have a new component.
The bill would require anyone who receives public assistance and is able bodied to perform a minimum 20 hours a week of community service for a non-profit in Mississippi or for a church were the individual is not a member.
"I think we've got a lot of support from people who want to see better things done with our welfare system," said Senator John Polk.
As a freshman lawmaker, Sen. Polk ran on a platform to improve the state's welfare system and create more fairness in a system he says is unbalanced.
He teamed up with Sen. Nancy Collins who was working on the same agenda.
"I believe it could open doors for them, that experience could open doors for them and so many times it's just become a dead end," Sen. Collins said.
Both senators say the bill is aimed at giving a hand up instead of a hand out and could lead to full time jobs, new skill sets and an overall better community.
The bill would include anyone receiving public housing, medicaid or transfer payments such as food stamps.
"Those who are receiving the assistance in my mind should be the very first that want to give back to people in some cases who are less fortunate than even they are," Sen. Polk said.
Polk says the bill is not intended to add a burden to those already facing social and financial ones, but rather instill the importance of community service while allowing the state to get something in return for all of the tax dollars spent to prop up those who need it.
"It's not punishment, it's helping others. That's what we're doing as taxpayers, we're helping people on assistance. I'm just asking people on assistance to give back also," Sen. Polk said.
"They would be doing this in appreciation of what we as a state are helping them with and they also would be helping others," Sen. Collins said.
In addition to the bill, there's also another, authored by the same senators, which would require adults seeking public benefits to submit to random drug testing in order to be eligible.
Both bills have a March 6th deadline for a committee vote.
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