'Urine Trouble' Act trickles out of committee to full House for a vote
The Mississippi Legislature could be accused of engaging in trickle down economics with the "Urine Trouble Act," but the reason for the bill is a serious one, says its author.
House Bill 1080 passed committee Thursday and is headed for the full House for a vote.
Bill author and state Rep. Andy Gipson showed his House Judiciary B Committee an $18.99 bottle of synthetic urine that he said was purchased just minutes away from the capitol. The product is used by those trying to avoid testing positive on a drug test.
If Gipson's bill becomes law, any possession, sale or use of synthetic urine designed to defeat drug tests would be a misdemeanor with a $500 fine and/or three months in jail.
There are similar chemicals advertised on the web such as Clean Stream, Done Deal and UPass. The UPass website advertised its "research and novelty" product for $29.95, with a "sticky hand warmer" ($1.95) and stash strap ($19.95). Despite the disclaimer, there are also heating instructions included with the products since a sample that is too cold or too hot — between 94 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit according to this site — can be rejected by a testing laboratory.
Mississippi would be one of at least 14 states that have banned the sale and use of such products or similar chemicals to circumvent a drug test.
Most recently, New Hampshire's ban on fake urine went into effect last January, while Indiana's went into effect on July 1. Missouri is considering a similar bill.