Employees with access to "highly sensitive" information, which could include addresses, Social Security numbers, bank accounts and medical history details, would be subject to random tests.

The association representing state workers quickly decried the plan presented at a legislative hearing Wednesday as an "attack" on employees.

But officials backing the proposal - which would be implemented without legislative action - defend it as a sound move at a time when identity theft is a growing concern.

"We have a sacred trust when we have people's information," said Kirk Torgensen, chief deputy attorney general, during a Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development interim committee meeting.

Although he acknowledged the plan may be challenged in the courts, Torgensen said he believed Utah could successfully defend such testing.

No start date has been set, said Jeff Herring, executive director of the Department of Human Resource Management, although it could begin as soon as this year.

The Utah Public Employees Association objects to the policy change, saying there is scant evidence - save one case - that state workers to any extent are using drugs and stealing identities. Coming on the heels of a four-day workweek mandate, public employees are stuck with solutions looking for a problem, says Dennis Hammer, association deputy director.

"They want to change what's not broken. It's a constant attack," Hammer said. "It's just every time the public employee turns around, there's something else being taken away from them."

State policy now reserves random testing for state troopers, Corrections officers and others with direct responsibility for public safety. Any employee can be required to test if his or her supervisors have "reasonable suspicion" of drug abuse.

This spring, a former Workforce Services employee was charged with forgery for allegedly stealing the identities of dozens of Utah residents. A Nov. 3 trial is set for Laura Bustamante.

Other cases of alleged identify theft have been investigated at the Utah State Tax Commission and the Office of Recovery Services.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. attempted to tamp down concerns, saying the plan would not be "widespread at all."

"The intent is that it's narrowly focused to people with access to sensitive data," said Lisa Roskelley.

"This really ought to be something that people are grateful that the state is being proactive about."

Neither she nor state personnel officials could provide an estimate of the number of agencies or employees affected.

State lawmakers generally seemed supportive of the proposal.

"I think if it's handled like they're proposing, I'm in favor of it as long as it's absolutely random," said Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden. "Something is necessary where folks are handling these records."

Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she hopes for ''broad support for this limited use. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in our state and we need to get a handle on it.''

jlyon@sltrib.com

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* THOMAS BURR and CATHY MCKITRICK contributed to this story.

More drug tests

* Proposed: Extending random drug testing to state employees with access to sensitive information.

* Current: State employees can be drug-tested for a "reasonable suspicion" of drug use. Public safety officers and employees can be randomly tested.