DOT Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Rule back from White House with recommended changes

Written by Lucas Kibby, CleanFleet

FMCSA has okay to publish final rule

BREAKING: FMCSA Releases Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Final Rule

The FMCSA may move forward with the rule if it follows the OMB’s recommendations, which were not made public following the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review of the of the CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse final rule completed on October 31, 2016.

First proposed in February 2014, FMCSA-regulated truck and bus companies, Medical Review Officers (MROs), Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs), and private, third-party USDOT drug and alcohol testing laboratories would be required to record information about a driver who fails a drug and/or alcohol test; refuses to submit to a drug and/or alcohol test; and successfully completes a substance abuse program and is legally qualified to return to duty.

Private, third-party USDOT drug and alcohol testing laboratories would also be required to report summary information annually. This information would be used to help identify companies that do not have a testing program.

The content of the final rule will not be known until FMCSA releases the rulemaking, which is expected to by the end of November 2016, barring any more set-backs.