The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has given the public another 30 days to comment on whether or not positive drug tests should be included in state driving records.
On July 9 the agency initiated a study, mandated by Congress, to determine the feasibility and merits of requiring medical review officers to report verified positive drug tests for CDL drivers to the state that issued the license. If that rule is adopted, carriers would be required to check drug test records with state licensing agencies as part of their pre-employment screening. The deadline for comments was Aug. 8.
The American Trucking Assns. and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. each requested a 45-day extension to the comment period in order to contact their members. FMCSA granted a 30-day extension, moving the deadline to Sept. 8, but said it couldn’t give them the full 45 days because it must have the report ready for Congress by Dec. 9.
Additional information, including comments received, is available at http://dmses.dot.gov. Reference Docket Number FMCSA-2001-9664. Comments can be submitted electronically through the same website or can be mailed to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20590.
