To require drug testing for special Government employees, and for other purposes. (H.R. 2578)
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A bill in the U.S. Congress.

Link to text of bill

H.R. 2578: To require drug testing for special Government employees, and for other purposes.

Introduced on April 1, 2025

This bill is in the first stage of the legislative process. It was introduced into Congress on April 1, 2025. It will typically be considered by committee next before it is possibly sent on to the House or Senate as a whole.

Sponsor: Mikie Sherrill

Representative for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district

Democrat

More detail from Axios:

A House Democrat is introducing long-shot legislation that would force billionaire Trump lieutenant Elon Musk and his staffers at DOGE to undergo routine drug testing, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) cited a Wall Street Journal report from 2024 that alleged Musk has used illegal drugs including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and ketamine as the impetus for her bill.

  • DOGE spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
  • An attorney for Musk told the Journal that Musk is “regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test.”

Driving the news: Sherrill’s bill, a copy of which was first obtained by Axios, would require special government employees to undergo a drug test before they begin work and enter into a random drug testing program.

  • Anyone who tests positive for certain illegal drugs would be barred from federal service for at least a year.
  • Citing Signalgate, Sherrill said it is “more important than ever to protect the American people from the Trump Administration’s reckless incompetence and blatant disregard for national security.”

Between the lines: Musk and many DOGE staffers have been designated as special government employees.

  • The Justice Department defines a special government employee as “anyone who works, or is expected to work, for the government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.”
  • The title is usually used for subject-matter experts who are brought on to assist with specific projects.

What they’re saying: “Those with access to sensitive information must be thoroughly vetted, clear-eyed, and exercise good judgment,” said Sherrill, a former Naval aviator running for New Jersey governor.

  • She argued the special government employees at DOGE should “be held to the same standard as other executive branch employees.”
  • That includes “conflicts of interest or passing a drug test to maintain employment or a security clearance,” she said.

Reality check: Sherrill’s bill is highly unlikely to become law any time soon as Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House.

EDIT: updated with Axios article and link to text of bill