The Ulster County Health, Human Services and Human Rights Committee on May 8 postponed action on a resolution (sponsored by Legislator McCullough) that would require high‑quality drug‑test kits for county‑administered social‑service programs and add a requirement that any positive initial screen be followed, without delay, by a secondary test to reduce false positives.

The sponsor sought an amendment to remove the word “field” from the title so the requirement would cover all county‑administered social‑service program tests; committee members discussed whether the change would broaden or narrow the resolution’s scope. Department of Social Services staff explained their unit does not perform tests in the community but that other departments (for example, probation) may administer field tests.

The department described its current testing practice and data: staff said the county uses a multi‑panel urine screen and sends positive screens overnight to a laboratory for confirmation. They reported administering 284 screens over a 10‑month period and that 19 of those 284 positive initial screens (6.7%) were confirmed negative by the laboratory (false positives). Supervisors are reviewing patterns, especially false positives related to synthetic cannabinoids (K2), and the department said it is looking at other panels and reevaluating how thin or faint lines should be interpreted.

Staff also explained that most drug testing in the department occurs in the context of family‑court orders, supervised visitation, or child‑protective services investigations; a positive initial screen does not automatically cancel a supervised visit unless the parent is materially impaired. Department staff said caseworkers consider behavior and safety in deciding whether visits proceed and that confirmed positives or other concerns can be reported to family court.

After discussion the sponsor withdrew an amendment and made a motion to postpone; Legislator Harmon seconded the motion and the committee voted to postpone further action. Committee members indicated they wanted more information about testing costs, false‑positive causes, how the department currently responds to positives and which county programs the resolution should cover before advancing a final resolution.

Authorities and technical points recorded in committee discussion: the department described that initial immunoassay screens are followed by laboratory confirmation; staff noted that some medications and synthetic cannabinoids can generate false positives and that supervised visits are not automatically canceled when a screen is positive.

Actions recorded: motion to amend was made and then withdrawn; sponsor moved to postpone the resolution, seconded by Legislator Harmon; committee voted in favor of postponement on May 8.