WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has extended the comment for its proposal to amend the transportation industry drug testing program procedures regulation to include oral fluid testing.
The original comment period would have ended March 30, but it has now been extended by 30 days to April 29.
“The extension is granted in response to request received from stakeholders, who have stated the March 30 closing date does not provide sufficient time for them to prepare and submit comments to the docket,” DOT officials said in a news release.
On Feb. 28 DOT published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the public register that proposed amending its transportation industry drug-testing program.
“The proposal includes provision to update DOT’s regulation and to harmonize, as needed, the new Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using oral fluid established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” the news release stated.
In addition to adding oral fluid as a drug testing method, DOT also proposed to clarify certain part 40 provisions that cover urine drug testing procedures, to remove provisions that are no longer necessary, to add clarifying language to other provision and to update provisions to reflect issues that have arisen in recent practice.
DOT is not proposing to eliminate urine testing; rather, oral fluid testing will be an alternative.
The public is asked to submit comments by one of the following means:
- Online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal
- By mail to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, West Building Ground Floor Room W12-140, Washington, D.C. 20590-0001
- Hand delivery to the West Building Ground Floor, Room W-12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329
To ensure proper docketing of your comment, please include the agency name and docket number of DOT-OST-2021-0093 or Regulatory Identification Number of 2105-AE94.
All comments received, including personal information provided, will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov.
All members of the public are invited to submit comments.
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