Drug & Alcohol Regulation Updates Newsletters
Issue 70
December 2020
- Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference
- MIS Reporting
Issue 69
July 2020
- Free drug and alcohol program tools available from FTA
- COVID-19 Guidance
- Pre-employment testing after an extended absence
- CCFs and Employee ID Numbers
Issue 68
February 2020
- 15th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference
- 2018 MIS results summary
- The 2020 minimum random testing rates
- FTA Follow-up Alcohol Test Timing
Issue 67
September 2019
- FMCSA CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
- Post Accident Testing: FTA vs. FMCSA
- Step 3 of the ATF: Common Errors
- Flaws in Alcohol Testing when Using an EBT
Special Edition
October 2018
- FTA Minimum Random Drug Testing Rate Increase
Issue 66
September 2018
- FTA’s Drug Abuse Awareness Video
- Direct Observation Criteria
- Remote Post-Accident Determinations
Issue 65
April 2018
- You’re Being Audited: How to Prepare
- Electronic Custody and Control Form Use
- EBT Maintenance and Test Accuracy
Special Edition
January 2018
- DOT Publishes Part 40 Final Rule
- Changes to the MRO Verification Process
- DOT Drug Tests Are Still Five-Panel
- Required Policy Revisions
- Revised Federal Drug Testing CCF
- Removal of Blind Specimens
Issue 64
December 2017
- 13th Annual National Conference Registration Available Soon!
- Annual MIS Reporting
- No "Expiration" on Return-To-Duty Requirements
- Using Mobile Collection Sites
- Who Should Be Trained to Make Reasonable Suspicion Determinations
- Reasonable Suspicion Training
- Coming Soon: MIS Reporting Instructional Video
- Clarification: An Employee Who Consumes Alcohol While On-Call Has Not Violated A FTA Prohibition
- Reviewing SAP Letters & Testing Plans
- After Hours Testing
- Firearm Discharge is Not Cause for FTA Post-Accident Testing
- Spot-Checking Your Consortium/TPA
- Drug and Alcohol Training
Issue 63
August 2017
- 2016 Drug and Alcohol MIS Results
- Alcohol Results Less Than 0.04 Are Not DOT Violations
- Responding to a 40.25 Request for Testing Information
- The Collector’s Role
- Another Successful FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference on the Books!
- Drug and Alcohol Training
- Timely Reasonable Suspicion Testing
- Employer Oversight of MROs
- Pre-Employment Test Refusals
- C/TPA Information Required on Annual MIS Submissions
- Top 5 Audit Findings
- Collector Errors & Affidavits
- Clarification: Tire Retreading is Not a Safety-Sensitive Function
- Drug and Alcohol Word Scramble
- Lift Operation and Post-Accident Testing Decisions
Issue 62
April 2017
- DOT Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (DAMIS) Reporting
- Alere Records Drug Tests Times in Central Time Zones
- Daylight Savings Time: Make Sure Clocks were Changed!
- Drug and Alcohol Training
- How Many SAP Referrals?
- Free Drug & Alcohol Resources
- Telephone Preferred for Positive Drug Test Results
- Policies and the Term "Substance Abuse Professional"
- Random Rosters - Accuracy Counts
- Removal of an Employee from Safety-Sensitive Duty Following a Post-Accident or Reasonable Suspicion Occurrence
- Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- The Anti-Drug and Alcohol Misuse Policy
Issue 61
January 2017
- Use of Video Cameras in Reasonable Suspicion Determinations
- Reminder: Annual MIS Reporting Due March 15th!
- Clarifying Federal Requirements for Shared Mobility
- Company Policies Must State a Position on Negative-Dilute Tests
- Evidential Breath Testing Devices and Manual Mode
- Federal Drug Testing Electronic Custody and Control Approved Lab List
- Role of the Substance Abuse Professional
- Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- Drug and Alcohol Training
- Employees Must Relinquish Firearms at Collection Site
- Non-DOT Follow-up Tests Are Not Allowed
- Tracking Post-Accident Testing Delays
Issue 60
October 2016
- 11th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference A Success!
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Lowers Drug Testing Rate
- Ubers, Lyfts, and Ride-Sourcing: Do the Regulations Apply?
- What Employers Need to Know About Monitoring Collection Sites
- Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- Follow the Plan: Quality Assurance Plans (QAPs)
- 49 U.S.C Section 5339 Buses and Bus Facilities Grants Program Established
- Reclassifying DOT Drug Tests
- Are Taxicab Companies Covered under FTA Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulations?
- Substance Abuse Professionals as Gatekeepers
- 2016 DOT Random Testing Rates
- Do My Contractors Fall under the FTA Regulations?
- Follow-Up Testing Must Be Unpredictable
- Safety Concerns Require Medical Review Officers to Report Medical Information
- Drug and Alcohol Training
Issue 59
March 2016
- 2014 Drug and Alcohol MIS (Management Information Systems) Results
- A Notice to Collectors on Using the Electronic Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control (eCCF) Form
- DAMIS Improvements
- Pre-Employment Tests and the 90-Day Rule
- The Importance of Accurate Contact Information
- Semi-Annual Statistical Summaries
- Discovering the Return-to-Duty Process Was Not Followed—Now What to Do?
- Stand Downs and Drug Test Results
- Compliance Creep—Consequence of Complacency
- No Time Limits on Reasonable Suspicion Drug Testing
- Drug and Alcohol Training
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Crossword Puzzle
- Contractor Tow Trucks Usually Covered by FMCSA
- Acetone Does Not Interfere With DOT Alcohol Testing
Issue 58
October 2015
- Public Interest Exclusion (PIE) Order Issued
- Collectors and Refusal Documentation
- No Need for Redundant Pre-Employment and Return-to-Duty Tests
- Prior Employer Testing Histories
- Securing Donor Items for DOT Collections
- HHS Proposes Major Changes to Drug Testing Procedures
- Part 40 Amended to Include eCCF
- FAA Creates DER Video Series
- FTA Issues Series of Rx/OTC Brochures
- Possession of CDL Not Automatically Safety-Sensitive
- Drug and Alcohol Training
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Word Scramble
- SAP Referral Required for Pre-employment Positives/Refusals
Issue 57
April 2015
- Records Retention for Employers Offering a "Second Chance"
- New Hires and Old Tests
- Roundups and Random Batch Testing
- Does Airbag Deployment Constitute Disabling Damage?
- Officers Serving as BATs - Good Idea or Not?
- Documentation Required for Post-Accident Test Delays
- MIS Reporting Tips
- Online Collector Training - Proceed with Caution
- 2015 DOT Random Testing Rates
- Correct DOT Agency on Custody and Control Form
- Annual Testing Results for 2014
- New Tools on the Website
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Word Search
- Tourist Trolley or Road Trolley?
Issue 56
January 2015
- Information Release: Lawsuits, Grievances, and Unemployment and Worker's Compensation Proceedings
- Using SAP Networks and Brokerages
- Correct MRO Information on Forms
- Important Announcement!
- Follow-up Testing and Extended Absences
- Annual MIS Reporting
- Reading the Temperature Strip—Doing it Right
- Blind Specimens Required for Large Employers and Consortia
- Common Collection Site Errors
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Training Available
- Reminder to Medical Review Officers (MROs) Verifying an Employee's Prescription
- Must Show the Backs of the Forms
- Shy Bladder—the Three-Hour Period
- 10th Annual National Conference Registration Online Now!
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Crossword Puzzle
- Why Calibration Checks are Important— What Documentation is Required
Issue 55
August 2014
- The 9th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference
- Rise in the use of Marijuana by Safety-Sensitive Employees
- Refusal Decision Makers
- 2014 CCF Used as Paper or Electronic (eCCF)
- Mid-Period Random Selections Not Allowed
- FMCSA National Clearinghouse on Drug and Alcohol Program Violators-Proposed Rule
- Drug and Alcohol Testing for Employees with Disabilities
- Random Selection Draws for Very Small Employers
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- FTA Reasonable Suspicion Determination Cards are Available to Order
- When Does A Drug or Alcohol Test Commence?
- Retention of Annual Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (MIS) Reports
- Updating Drug and Alcohol Policies-"Public Transportation" vs. "Mass Transportation"
- Tasers and Stun Guns Are Not Considered a Firearm
- FTA 5311 Tribal Transit Program
- Previous DOT-Covered Employer Records - What Constitutes a Good Faith Effort?
Issue 54
April 2014
- New Acting Director of Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance
- Post-Accident – Definition of Operation of Vehicle Lifts/Doors on Light Rail
- Oversight Responsibility
- Refusals Recognized by FTA
- Efforts to Improve Collection Process May Violate Rule
- Testing Above the Federal Minimums
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- Drug-Free Workplace Act—25th Anniversary
- What Do You Have Hanging On Your Walls?
- FTA Grantees Have Access to Contractor/Subrecipient Records
- DAMIS Packages Mailed in December
- Electronic CCFs Not Permitted
- Ferry Boat Operators Must Submit MIS
Issue 53
January 2014
- Alternate Selections in Random Testing
- Alternative Methodologies for Drug Testing
- Post-Accident: What is the "Best Information Available"?
- ODAPC – Great Source of Information and Technical Assistance Materials
- Is Your EBT Compromising Your Compliance?
- Ninth Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol National Conference to be held in April 2014 in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- Early Morning and Late Night Alcohol Tests – Part 2: How to Accomplish Them
- Administrative vs. MRO-Produced Refusals
- Dispatcher/Scheduler/Call-Taker: When Do You Consider Employees Safety-Sensitive?
- Common Mistakes Found on Custody and Control Forms (CCF)
- SAMHSA Releases Report on Energy Drinks
Issue 52
July 2013
- New Acting Program Manager of FTA Drug and Alcohol Program
- Keynote Speaker Swart Stresses DOT's Position on Medical Marijuana at National Conference
- Early Morning and Late Night Alcohol Tests - PART 1: Why They Are Important
- National Conference Attracts 500 Participants
- Post-Accident Testing for Maintenance Personnel
- MIS Late Letters Going Out
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- FTA Audits Only Performed by FTA
- FTA Drug Testing Records-Security and Separation
- Maintenance Contractors
- Blood Alcohol Content Greater than or Equal to 0.02, but Less than 0.04 - Now What?
- Reasonable Suspicion Must Be REASONABLE
- Not All Evidential Breath Testing Devices Can Be Used For DOT Confirmation Tests
Issue 51
- Collection Sites May Be Visited by "Undercover" Inspectors
- Immediate Means Immediate
- National Focus on Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic
- When EBTs Fail to Print Confirmation Tests
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- Transit Safety Institute (TSI) Training Schedule
- Marijuana Class I Appeal Rejected By Federal Court, Still Dangerous With No Accepted Medical Use
- Notification Forms: Accuracy is Key
- Reviewing Collector Credentials?
- How to Revise a Submitted Annual MIS Report
- Post-Accident Flow Chart
- Why File Management is Critical to Compliance
- Providing Modal Authority for the CCF
- FTA Supports Reasonable Suspicion Testing
- Do Not Double Report MIS Testing Results
- Best Practice: Provide Updated DER Information Before Each Collection
- Employers: Save Copies of Your MIS Submissions for Your Records!
Issue 50
- Random Selections Needed Prior to Beginning of Testing Period
- DAMIS Packages Mailed in December
- Random Testing Rates for 2013
- Transmission of "non-negative" results
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- Transit Safety Institute (TSI) Training Schedule
- When Is a Self-Referral Too Late?
- Report Provides Disturbing Insight into Rx Misuse
- Pass-Through Agencies May Not Be Required to Have Policy
- How to Find a Qualified MRO and SAP
- What Happens When You Have a Re-Collect Negative Dilute
- Dissemination of Pre-Employment Positives
- Are Employees of Armored Car Guards Performing a Safety-Sensitive Function?
- 2011 Positive Rate Climbs to 0.85 Percent
- Daylight Savings Time: Make Sure Clocks were Changed!
- Federal Register Final Rule
Issue 49
Summer 2012
- Popular EBTs Removed from Conforming Products List
- The "Drug-Before-Alcohol" Problem in Testing
- Reclassified Tests Should Be Reported
- Ten Most Common Prescription Medications Used By Transit Employees
- What to Do When Your Collection Site Is Unable or Unwilling to Do It Right
- Cab Companies: Best Practices for Oversight
- Reasonable Suspicion Testing: Impairment vs. Diagnosis
- Weekend and Off-Hours Testing
- Consistency Is Critical
- U.S. DOT's Stance on Medical Marijuana
- How to Update Your Contractor List for Annual MIS Reporting
Issue 48
Spring 2012
- 90-Day Pre-Employment vs. Return-to-Duty
- When is "No" a "Test Refusal"?
- What Does It Mean to "Refuse a Urine Test?"
- Sixty-Minute Training Lacking
- New Ways Prohibited Drug Users Are Fooling Collectors
- ODAPC Issues Strong Reminder of Regulatory Requirement
- K2/Spice: Education is the Key
- DOT Unveils Mock-Collection Video
- Second Chance vs. Zero Tolerance
- 7th Annual Conference Another Success!
- Drug and Alcohol Training Schedule
- Semi-Annual Statistical Summary from the Laboratory
- Correcting your DAMIS Submission Until August
- DTAB Recommendations Have No Immediate Impact on DOT Drug Testing Programs
- When is a Vehicle in "Operation"? What is an "Accident"?
- The Status of Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (DAMIS) 2011 Reporting
Issue 47
Winter 2011
- 7th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference in Miami
- Five Practices Mistaken for Regulations
- Automatic Sinks and Toilets Pose Challenge
- DAMIS Annual Reports due March 15th
- New Questions in the DAPM Questionnaire
- MRO Must Maintain Originals of CCFs
- Ensuring a Truly Random Testing Program
- Random Testing for Small Transit Systems
- Six Changes That Will Immediately Improve Your Drug and Alcohol Program
- CHANTIX Use Poses Safety Risk for Transportation Professionals
- Drug and Alcohol Training
- Testing Following Self-Referral under Employer Authority
- Specimen Collection Quality Assurance Procedures
Issue 46
Fall 2011
- New CCF Must Be Used
- 7th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference
- 2011 National Drug Control Strategy Released
- MROs Must Follow Procedures to Report Test Results
- Preparing for an Audit
- Remember to Meet Record Retention Requirements
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings
- Rx & OTC Medications - Epidemic: Responding to America's Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis
- Technical Assistance
Issue 45
Summer 2011
- Drug Testing Integrity Act of 2011 (HR 707)
- 6th Annual Conference A Success
- MIS Report Submissions Submitted On Time
- Testing Authority Must be Indicated
- Collector Training Found Lacking
- FTA Issues 2011 Rx/OTC Medication Toolkit
- Working Group Reviews FTA Rx/OTC Medication Study
- Medicaid Contractors Not Covered by FTA
- Indiana Requires Medical Qualification Program and Rx/OTC Medication Policy for All Section 5311 Transit Systems
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings
- Rx & OTC Medications - Pill Mills
- Technical Assistance
Issue 44
Winter 2011
- Survey Data Shows Drug Use Increasing
- 6th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference
- Random Test Rates Remain the Same for 2011
- 6-AM Test Procedure Clarified
- Correcting CCFs and ATFs
- Discontinue Use of Old ATFs
- MIS Reports due March 15, 2011
- Ferryboat Operators Must Submit MIS Reports to FTA
- Livingston Essential Transportation Service (L.E.T.S.) Emphasizes
- Safety in its Rx/OTC Medication Use Policy
- MBTA Addresses Rx/OTC Medications as Part of Maintaining a Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings
- Rx & OTC Medications - Synthetic Marijuana Incense or Drug
- Technical Assistance
Issue 43
Fall 2010
- New Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form
- Conference Scheduled for April 5-7, 2011
- MRO Requalification Training Requirements Clarified
- Time to Use Old ATFs is Running Out
- Employer Requirements Added to Part 40
- Employers Should Include Ecstasy in Employee Training
- Employers Should Review CCF for Accuracy
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings
- Rx and OTC Medications - Drug Interactions: Take Multiple
- Rx/OTC Medications with Caution
- Technical Assistance Materials
Issue 42
Summer 2010
- Proposed Rule Becomes Final
- 6th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference
- Definitions Modified and Added
- Pre-Employment Drug Test Should Occur Before Medical Exam
- Date For New ATF Extended
- IITFs Will Not Be Allowed
- Random Test Results Remain Stable
- Confusion Over Volunteers Clarified
- Senate Bill Promises to Give FTA Civil Penalty Authority
- Clandestine Collections Reveal Problems At Collection Sites
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings - Delaying Screen Test to Allow Mouth Alcohol to Dissipate Not Allowed
- Rx and OTC Medications - Driving and Diabetes
- Technical Assistance Materials
Issue 41
Spring 2010
- DOT Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
- DOT Makes Interim Regulatory Changes Final
- 5th Annual Conference Best Yet!
- Public Interest Exclusion Enforced
- FTA Researches Impact of Benzodiazepines on Driving
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings - Training
- Rx and OTC Medications - Muscle Relaxants-Use with Caution
- Technical Assistance Materials
Issue 40
Fall 2009
- Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference to be Held in March
- Direct Observation for Return-to-Duty & Follow-up Testing Clarified
- Medical Use of Marijuana Remains a Violation of DOT's Regulation
- FTA Post-Accident Threshold Still Misunderstood
- How to Update your List of Contractors for MIS Reporting
- Random Survey of Accidents Underway
- Majority of Transit Systems Have Rx/OTC Policy
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings - Previous Employer Record Requests
- Rx and OTC Medications - Adderall Use Increasing Among Safety-Sensitive Employees
- DOT Updates Technical Assistance Materials
Issue 39
Spring 2009
- Court Rules - Direct Observation Rule Stands as Written
- MRO Procedures Clarified
- 4th Annual Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference Biggest Yet
- ODAPC Names New Senior Policy Advisor
- Random Selection Methods
- Makers of "Whizzinator" Plead Guilty in Federal Court
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings
- Rx and OTC Medications
- DOT's 10 Steps to Collection Site Security and Integrity Video
- Free Training Available
Issue 38
Winter 2009
- Direct Observation for Return-to-Duty and Follow-up Testing On Hold
- Random Rates Remain Same for 2009
- FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference in Nashville
- 2008 MIS Reports
- Swart Named Director of ODAPC
- Rx/OTC Medication Research Underway-Transit Systems Requested to Complete Questionnaire
- Questions & Answers
- Common Audit Findings
- Rx and OTC Medications
- DOT's Direct Observation Procedures Available Online
- Forty HHS Certified Labs Remain