Some applicants for state programs in Wisconsin including job training, food stamps, and unemployment benefits could soon have to prove they aren't using drugs in order to qualify for those assistance benefits.

This week, Wisconsin governor and former 2016 GOP presidential contender Scott Walker approved an administrative rule that would create a system for drug testing applicants of state work experience programs. Applicants who fail tests, which are administered by the state's Department of Children and Families, will be eligible for drug treatment plans, according to the Capital Times.

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Drug testing for potential recipients of public assistance programs passed in Gov. Walker's state budget in July. The law goes into effect on Nov. 9.

"Our 2015-17 State Budget implements common-sense reforms that put in place drug-screening, testing, and treatment mechanisms, so we can continue strengthening Wisonsin's workforce," Walker said in a statement. "Employers across the state frequently tell me they have good-paying jobs available in high-demand fields, but need their workers to be drug-free."

"These important entitlement reforms will help more people find family-supporting jobs, moving them from government dependence to true independence," Walker added.

About a dozen other states have similar laws, even though research indicates drug tests tend to be ineffective, and yield low results. And they carry an implicit assumption that needy people have greater issues with drug dependence, an assumption largely disproved in a National Survey on Drug Use and Health report that found only 3.6 percent of welfare recipients use or are addicted to drugs.

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In Tennessee, which uses drug tests for some welfare applicants, only saw 37 out of 16,107 applicants test positive for illegal drug use. That program, which targets "suspected" drug users, had spent $5,295 over a six-month period.