Christie announces $300M N.J. Statehouse renovation project

Gov. Chris Christie, seen in this photo taken at the Statehouse Tuesday, signed a bill into law Wednesday that permits people convicted of drug possession to qualify for welfare benefits if they have received outpatient drug treatment. (Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com )

TRENTON -- A drug possession conviction is no longer a barrier to receiving welfare benefits in New Jersey under a compromise bill Gov. Chris Christie signed into law Wednesday.

Childless adults who undergo outpatient drug treatment may qualify for public assistance, despite a conviction for drug possession in their backgrounds. Previously, inpatient treatment was the requirement.

The bill's sponsors say the old restrictions inhibited a person's ability to become self-sufficient. The legislation is among others aimed at reducing poverty in the state, which has remained stubbornly high in the post-recession era.

"It can be tremendously hard to turn one's life around after a drug conviction because of all the doors that close in their face due to legal constraints, especially for those who don't have family or friends to rely on for assistance," said state Assemblywoman Liz Muoio (D-Mercer), one of the bill's prime sponsors. "Financial assistance, job training, and education -- all of these things provide hope and a chance at a new start."

Christie twice rejected a previous version of the bill that would have allowed people convicted of drug distribution to be eligible for welfare. Both houses of the Legislature agreed to remove this language and limit the benefit to people convicted for possession offenses and approved an amended bill last week.

The measure (S601) also allows people to qualify for "general assistance" if treatment is not available or they receive an exemption "for good cause."

There were 16,700 people who received general assistance welfare benefits in September, according to the most recent data available. They included 7,500 who worked or attended job training to receive their benefits. The rest were deemed "unemployable" typically because of mental or physical disabilities.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.