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Social Security Act 2018

Enforcement: sanctions and offences - Sanctions for breach of obligations other than young person or young parent obligations - Evidential drug test

260: Costs of evidential drug test

You could also call this:

“Who pays for drug tests that MSD asks you to take”

If you need to take a drug test because MSD (which stands for Ministry of Social Development) asked you to, MSD will pay for it. They’ll cover the actual costs that the drug testing company charges for doing the test.

If you take the drug test and fail it, you’ll have to pay MSD back for two things. First, you’ll need to pay for the drug test you just failed. Second, if your employer paid for an earlier screening test, you’ll also need to pay back that cost.

The money you owe for these tests is considered a debt to the government. This means the government can collect this money from you in the same way they collect other debts.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783676.

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Part 5 Enforcement: sanctions and offences
Sanctions for breach of obligations other than young person or young parent obligations: Evidential drug test

260Costs of evidential drug test

  1. MSD must pay the actual and reasonable costs incurred by a drug-testing provider in doing an evidential drug test arranged by MSD in accordance with a request under section 257.

  2. If a person (P) fails an evidential drug test arranged by MSD in accordance with a request under section 257, the following are a debt due to the Crown from P for the purpose of regulations made under section 444:

  3. the actual and reasonable costs incurred by a drug-testing provider in doing that evidential drug test; and
    1. the actual and reasonable costs (if any) reimbursed to the employer under section 151 of P’s associated prior screening drug test.

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