49 C.F.R. Subpart R—Public Interest Exclusions
Title 49 - Transportation
(a) To protect the public interest, including protecting transportation employers and employees from serious noncompliance with DOT drug and alcohol testing rules, the Department's policy is to ensure that employers conduct business only with responsible service agents. (b) The Department therefore uses PIEs to exclude from participation in DOT's drug and alcohol testing program any service agent who, by serious noncompliance with this part or other DOT agency drug and alcohol testing regulations, has shown that it is not currently acting in a responsible manner. (c) A PIE is a serious action that the Department takes only to protect the public interest. We intend to use PIEs only to remedy situations of serious noncompliance. PIEs are not used for the purpose of punishment. (d) Nothing in this subpart precludes a DOT agency or the Inspector General from taking other action authorized by its regulations with respect to service agents or employers that violate its regulations. (a) If you are a service agent, the Department may issue a PIE concerning you if we determine that you have failed or refused to provide drug or alcohol testing services consistent with the requirements of this part or a DOT agency drug and alcohol regulation. (b) The Department also may issue a PIE if you have failed to cooperate with DOT agency representatives concerning inspections, complaint investigations, compliance and enforcement reviews, or requests for documents and other information about compliance with this part or DOT agency drug and alcohol regulations. (a) It is the Department's policy to start a PIE proceeding only in cases of serious, uncorrected noncompliance with the provisions of this part, affecting such matters as safety, the outcomes of test results, privacy and confidentiality, due process and fairness for employees, the honesty and integrity of the testing program, and cooperation with or provision of information to DOT agency representatives. (b) The following are examples of the kinds of serious noncompliance that, as a matter of policy, the Department views as appropriate grounds for starting a PIE proceeding. These examples are not intended to be an exhaustive or exclusive list of the grounds for starting a PIE proceeding. We intend them to illustrate the level of seriousness that the Department believes supports starting a PIE proceeding. The examples follow: (1) For an MRO, verifying tests positive without interviewing the employees as required by this part or providing MRO services without meeting the qualifications for an MRO required by this part; (2) For a laboratory, refusing to provide information to the Department, an employer, or an employee as required by this part; failing or refusing to conduct a validity testing program when required by this part; or a pattern or practice of testing errors that result in the cancellation of tests. (As a general matter of policy, the Department does not intend to initiate a PIE proceeding concerning a laboratory with respect to matters on which HHS initiates certification actions under its laboratory guidelines.); (3) For a collector, a pattern or practice of directly observing collections when doing so is unauthorized, or failing or refusing to directly observe collections when doing so is mandatory; (4) For collectors, BATs, or STTs, a pattern or practice of using forms, testing equipment, or collection kits that do not meet the standards in this part; (5) For a collector, BAT, or STT, a pattern or practice of “fatal flaws” or other significant uncorrected errors in the collection process; (6) For a laboratory, MRO or C/TPA, failing or refusing to report tests results as required by this part or DOT agency regulations; (7) For a laboratory, falsifying, concealing, or destroying documentation concerning any part of the drug testing process, including, but not limited to, documents in a “litigation package”; (8) For SAPs, providing SAP services while not meeting SAP qualifications required by this part or performing evaluations without face-to-face interviews; (9) For any service agent, maintaining a relationship with another party that constitutes a conflict of interest under this part (e.g., a laboratory that derives a financial benefit from having an employer use a specific MRO); (10) For any service agent, representing falsely that the service agent or its activities is approved or certified by the Department or a DOT agency; (11) For any service agent, disclosing an employee's test result information to any party this part or a DOT agency regulation does not authorize, including by obtaining a “blanket” consent from employees or by creating a data base from which employers or others can retrieve an employee's DOT test results without the specific consent of the employee; (12) For any service agent, interfering or attempting to interfere with the ability of an MRO to communicate with the Department, or retaliating against an MRO for communicating with the Department; (13) For any service agent, directing or recommending that an employer fail or refuse to implement any provision of this part; or (14) With respect to noncompliance with a DOT agency regulation, conduct that affects important provisions of Department-wide concern (e.g., failure to properly conduct the selection process for random testing). The following DOT officials may initiate a PIE proceeding: (a) The drug and alcohol program manager of a DOT agency; (b) An official of ODAPC, other than the Director; or (c) The designee of any of these officials. (a) Initiating officials have broad discretion in deciding whether to start a PIE proceeding. (b) In exercising this discretion, the initiating official must consider the Department's policy regarding the seriousness of the service agent's conduct (see §40.365) and all information he or she has obtained to this point concerning the facts of the case. The initiating official may also consider the availability of the resources needed to pursue a PIE proceeding. (c) A decision not to initiate a PIE proceeding does not necessarily mean that the Department regards a service agent as being in compliance or that the Department may not use other applicable remedies in a situation of noncompliance. (a) An initiating official may rely on credible information from any source as the basis for starting a PIE proceeding. (b) Before sending a correction notice (see §40.373), the initiating official informally contacts the service agent to determine if there is any information that may affect the initiating official's determination about whether it is necessary to send a correction notice. The initiating official may take any information resulting from this contact into account in determining whether to proceed under this subpart. (a) If you are a service agent, the initiating official must send you a correction notice before starting a PIE proceeding. (b) The correction notice identifies the specific areas in which you must come into compliance in order to avoid being subject to a PIE proceeding. (c) If you make and document changes needed to come into compliance in the areas listed in the correction notice to the satisfaction of the initiating official within 60 days of the date you receive the notice, the initiating official does not start a PIE proceeding. The initiating official may conduct appropriate fact finding to verify that you have made and maintained satisfactory corrections. When he or she is satisfied that you are in compliance, the initiating official sends you a notice that the matter is concluded. (a) As a service agent, if your compliance matter is not correctable (see §40.373(a)), or if have not resolved compliance matters as provided in §40.373(c), the initiating official starts a PIE proceeding by sending you a notice of proposed exclusion (NOPE). The NOPE contains the initiating official's recommendations concerning the issuance of a PIE, but it is not a decision by the Department to issue a PIE. (b) The NOPE includes the following information: (1) A statement that the initiating official is recommending that the Department issue a PIE concerning you; (2) The factual basis for the initiating official's belief that you are not providing drug and/or alcohol testing services to DOT-regulated employers consistent with the requirements of this part or are in serious noncompliance with a DOT agency drug and alcohol regulation; (3) The factual basis for the initiating official's belief that your noncompliance has not been or cannot be corrected; (4) The initiating official's recommendation for the scope of the PIE; (5) The initiating official's recommendation for the duration of the PIE; and (6) A statement that you may contest the issuance of the proposed PIE, as provided in §40.379. (c) The initiating official sends a copy of the NOPE to the ODAPC Director at the same time he or she sends the NOPE to you. (a) The ODAPC Director, or his or her designee, decides whether to issue a PIE. If a designee is acting as the decisionmaker, all references in this subpart to the Director refer to the designee. (b) To ensure his or her impartiality, the Director plays no role in the initiating official's determination about whether to start a PIE proceeding. (c) There is a “firewall” between the initiating official and the Director. This means that the initiating official and the Director are prohibited from having any discussion, contact, or exchange of information with one another about the matter, except for documents and discussions that are part of the record of the proceeding. (a) If you receive a NOPE, you may contest the issuance of the PIE. (b) If you want to contest the proposed PIE, you must provide the Director information and argument in opposition to the proposed PIE in writing, in person, and/or through a representative. To contest the proposed PIE, you must take one or more of the steps listed in this paragraph (b) within 30 days after you receive the NOPE. (1) You may request that the Director dismiss the proposed PIE without further proceedings, on the basis that it does not concern serious noncompliance with this part or DOT agency regulations, consistent with the Department's policy as stated in §40.365. (2) You may present written information and arguments, consistent with the provisions of §40.381, contesting the proposed PIE. (3) You may arrange with the Director for an informal meeting to present your information and arguments. (c) If you do not take any of the actions listed in paragraph (b) of this section within 30 days after you receive the NOPE, the matter proceeds as an uncontested case. In this event, the Director makes his or her decision based on the record provided by the initiating official (i.e., the NOPE and any supporting information or testimony) and any additional information the Director obtains. (a) As a service agent who wants to contest a proposed PIE, you must present at least the following information to the Director: (1) Specific facts that contradict the statements contained in the NOPE (see §40.375(b)(2) and (3)). A general denial is insufficient to raise a genuine dispute over facts material to the issuance of a PIE; (2) Identification of any existing, proposed or prior PIE; and (3) Identification of your affiliates, if any. (b) You may provide any information and arguments you wish concerning the proposed issuance, scope and duration of the PIE (see §40.375(b)(4) and (5)). (c) You may provide any additional relevant information or arguments concerning any of the issues in the matter. (a) DOT conducts PIE proceedings in a fair and informal manner. The Director may use flexible procedures to allow you to present matters in opposition. The Director is not required to follow formal rules of evidence or procedure in creating the record of the proceeding. (b) The Director will consider any information or argument he or she determines to be relevant to the decision on the matter. (c) You may submit any documentary evidence you want the Director to consider. In addition, if you have arranged an informal meeting with the Director, you may present witnesses and confront any person the initiating official presents as a witness against you. (d) In cases where there are material factual issues in dispute, the Director or his or her designee may conduct additional fact-finding. (e) If you have arranged a meeting with the Director, the Director will make a transcribed record of the meeting available to you on your request. You must pay the cost of transcribing and copying the meeting record. (a) As the proponent of issuing a PIE, the initiating official bears the burden of proof. (b) This burden is to demonstrate, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the service agent was in serious noncompliance with the requirements of this part for drug and/or alcohol testing-related services or with the requirements of another DOT agency drug and alcohol testing regulation. (a) Following the service agent's response (see §40.379(b)) or, if no response is received, after 30 days have passed from the date on which the service agent received the NOPE, the Director may take one of the following steps: (1) In response to a request from the service agent (see §40.379(b)(1)) or on his or her own motion, the Director may dismiss a PIE proceeding if he or she determines that it does not concern serious noncompliance with this part or DOT agency regulations, consistent with the Department's policy as stated in §40.365. (i) If the Director dismisses a proposed PIE under this paragraph (a), the action is closed with respect to the noncompliance alleged in the NOPE. (ii) The Department may initiate a new PIE proceeding against you on the basis of different or subsequent conduct that is in noncompliance with this part or other DOT drug and alcohol testing rules. (2) If the Director determines that the initiating official's submission does not have complete information needed for a decision, the Director may remand the matter to the initiating official. The initiating official may resubmit the matter to the Director when the needed information is complete. If the basis for the proposed PIE has changed, the initiating official must send an amended NOPE to the service agent. (b) The Director makes determinations concerning the following matters in any PIE proceeding that he or she decides on the merits: (1) Any material facts that are in dispute; (2) Whether the facts support issuing a PIE; (3) The scope of any PIE that is issued; and (4) The duration of any PIE that is issued. This section lists examples of the kind of mitigating and aggravating factors that the Director may consider in determining whether to issue a PIE concerning you, as well as the scope and duration of a PIE. This list is not exhaustive or exclusive. The Director may consider other factors if appropriate in the circumstances of a particular case. The list of examples follows: (a) The actual or potential harm that results or may result from your noncompliance; (b) The frequency of incidents and/or duration of the noncompliance; (c) Whether there is a pattern or prior history of noncompliance; (d) Whether the noncompliance was pervasive within your organization, including such factors as the following: (1) Whether and to what extent your organization planned, initiated, or carried out the noncompliance; (2) The positions held by individuals involved in the noncompliance, and whether your principals tolerated their noncompliance; and (3) Whether you had effective standards of conduct and control systems (both with respect to your own organization and any contractors or affiliates) at the time the noncompliance occurred; (e) Whether you have demonstrated an appropriate compliance disposition, including such factors as the following: (1) Whether you have accepted responsibility for the noncompliance and recognize the seriousness of the conduct that led to the cause for issuance of the PIE; (2) Whether you have cooperated fully with the Department during the investigation. The Director may consider when the cooperation began and whether you disclosed all pertinent information known to you; (3) Whether you have fully investigated the circumstances of the noncompliance forming the basis for the PIE and, if so, have made the result of the investigation available to the Director; (4) Whether you have taken appropriate disciplinary action against the individuals responsible for the activity that constitutes the grounds for issuance of the PIE; and (5) Whether your organization has taken appropriate corrective actions or remedial measures, including implementing actions to prevent recurrence; (f) With respect to noncompliance with a DOT agency regulation, the degree to which the noncompliance affects matters common to the DOT drug and alcohol testing program; (g) Other factors appropriate to the circumstances of the case. (a) The scope of a PIE is the Department's determination about the divisions, organizational elements, types of services, affiliates, and/or individuals (including direct employees of a service agent and its contractors) to which a PIE applies. (b) If, as a service agent, the Department issues a PIE concerning you, the PIE applies to all your divisions, organizational elements, and types of services that are involved with or affected by the noncompliance that forms the factual basis for issuing the PIE. (c) In the NOPE (see §40.375(b)(4)), the initiating official sets forth his or her recommendation for the scope of the PIE. The proposed scope of the PIE is one of the elements of the proceeding that the service agent may contest (see §40.381(b)) and about which the Director makes a decision (see §40.387(b)(3)). (d) In recommending and deciding the scope of the PIE, the initiating official and Director, respectively, must take into account the provisions of paragraphs (e) through (j) of this section. (e) The pervasiveness of the noncompliance within a service agent's organization (see §40.389(d)) is an important consideration in determining the scope of a PIE. The appropriate scope of a PIE grows broader as the pervasiveness of the noncompliance increases. (f) The application of a PIE is not limited to the specific location or employer at which the conduct that forms the factual basis for issuing the PIE was discovered. (g) A PIE applies to your affiliates, if the affiliate is involved with or affected by the conduct that forms the factual basis for issuing the PIE. (h) A PIE applies to individuals who are officers, employees, directors, shareholders, partners, or other individuals associated with your organization in the following circumstances: (1) Conduct forming any part of the factual basis of the PIE occurred in connection with the individual's performance of duties by or on behalf of your organization; or (2) The individual knew of, had reason to know of, approved, or acquiesced in such conduct. The individual's acceptance of benefits derived from such conduct is evidence of such knowledge, acquiescence, or approval. (i) If a contractor to your organization is solely responsible for the conduct that forms the factual basis for a PIE, the PIE does not apply to the service agent itself unless the service agent knew or should have known about the conduct and did not take action to correct it. (j) PIEs do not apply to drug and alcohol testing that DOT does not regulate. (k) The following examples illustrate how the Department intends the provisions of this section to work: Example 1 to §40.391. Service Agent P provides a variety of drug testing services. P's SAP services are involved in a serious violation of this Part 40. However, P's other services fully comply with this part, and P's overall management did not plan or concur in the noncompliance, which in fact was contrary to P's articulated standards. Because the noncompliance was isolated in one area of the organization's activities, and did not pervade the entire organization, the scope of the PIE could be limited to SAP services. Example 2 to §40.391. Service Agent Q provides a similar variety of services. The conduct forming the factual basis for a PIE concerns collections for a transit authority. As in Example 1, the noncompliance is not pervasive throughout Q's organization. The PIE would apply to collections at all locations served by Q, not just the particular transit authority or not just in the state in which the transit authority is located. Example 3 to §40.391. Service Agent R provides a similar array of services. One or more of the following problems exists: R's activities in several areas—collections, MROs, SAPs, protecting the confidentiality of information—are involved in serious noncompliance; DOT determines that R's management knew or should have known about serious noncompliance in one or more areas, but management did not take timely corrective action; or, in response to an inquiry from DOT personnel, R's management refuses to provide information about its operations. In each of these three cases, the scope of the PIE would include all aspects of R's services. Example 4 to §40.391. Service Agent W provides only one kind of service (e.g., laboratory or MRO services). The Department issues a PIE concerning these services. Because W only provides this one kind of service, the PIE necessarily applies to all its operations. Example 5 to §40.391. Service Agent X, by exercising reasonably prudent oversight of its collection contractor, should have known that the contractor was making numerous “fatal flaws” in tests. Alternatively, X received a correction notice pointing out these problems in its contractor's collections. In neither case did X take action to correct the problem. X, as well as the contractor, would be subject to a PIE with respect to collections. Example 6 to §40.391. Service Agent Y could not reasonably have known that one of its MROs was regularly failing to interview employees before verifying tests positive. When it received a correction notice, Y immediately dismissed the erring MRO. In this case, the MRO would be subject to a PIE but Y would not. Example 7 to §40.391. The Department issues a PIE with respect to Service Agent Z. Z provides services for DOT-regulated transportation employers, a Federal agency under the HHS-regulated Federal employee testing program, and various private businesses and public agencies that DOT does not regulate. The PIE applies only to the DOT-regulated transportation employers with respect to their DOT-mandated testing, not to the Federal agency or the other public agencies and private businesses. The PIE does not prevent the non-DOT regulated entities from continuing to use Z's services. (a) In the NOPE (see §40.375(b)(5)), the initiating official proposes the duration of the PIE. The duration of the PIE is one of the elements of the proceeding that the service agent may contest (see §40.381(b)) and about which the Director makes a decision (see §40.387(b)(4)). (b) In deciding upon the duration of the PIE, the Director considers the seriousness of the conduct on which the PIE is based and the continued need to protect employers and employees from the service agent's noncompliance. The Director considers factors such as those listed in §40.389 in making this decision. (c) The duration of a PIE will be between one and five years, unless the Director reduces its duration under §40.407. At any time before the Director's decision, you and the initiating official can, with the Director's concurrence, settle a PIE proceeding. The Director makes his or her decision within 60 days of the date when the record of a PIE proceeding is complete (including any meeting with the Director and any additional fact-finding that is necessary). The Director may extend this period for good cause for additional periods of up to 30 days. If you are a service agent involved in a PIE proceeding, the Director provides you written notice as soon as he or she makes a PIE decision. The notice includes the following elements: (a) If the decision is not to issue a PIE, a statement of the reasons for the decision, including findings of fact with respect to any material factual issues that were in dispute. (b) If the decision is to issue a PIE— (1) A reference to the NOPE; (2) A statement of the reasons for the decision, including findings of fact with respect to any material factual issues that were in dispute; (3) A statement of the scope of the PIE; and (4) A statement of the duration of the PIE. (a) The Department maintains a document called the “List of Excluded Drug and Alcohol Service Agents.” This document may be found on the Department's web site (http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc). You may also request a copy of the document from ODAPC. (b) When the Director issues a PIE, he or she adds to the List the name and address of the service agent, and any other persons or organizations, to whom the PIE applies and information about the scope and duration of the PIE. (c) When a service agent ceases to be subject to a PIE, the Director removes this information from the List. (d) The Department also publishes a (a) As a service agent, if the Department issues a PIE concerning you, you must notify each of your DOT-regulated employer clients, in writing, about the issuance, scope, duration, and effect of the PIE. You may meet this requirement by sending a copy of the Director's PIE decision or by a separate notice. You must send this notice to each client within three business days of receiving from the Department the notice provided for in §40.399(b). (b) As part of the notice you send under paragraph (a) of this section, you must offer to transfer immediately all records pertaining to the employer and its employees to the employer or to any other service agent the employer designates. You must carry out this transfer as soon as the employer requests it. [65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 41955, Aug. 9, 2001] The Director's decision is a final administrative action of the Department. Like all final administrative actions of Federal agencies, the Director's decision is subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et. seq). (a) Yes, as a service agent concerning whom the Department has issued a PIE, you may request that the Director terminate a PIE or reduce its duration and/or scope. This process is limited to the issues of duration and scope. It is not an appeal or reconsideration of the decision to issue the PIE. (b) Your request must be in writing and supported with documentation. (c) You must wait at least nine months from the date on which the Director issued the PIE to make this request. (d) The initiating official who was the proponent of the PIE may provide information and arguments concerning your request to the Director. (e) If the Director verifies that the sources of your noncompliance have been eliminated and that all drug or alcohol testing-related services you would provide to DOT-regulated employers will be consistent with the requirements of this part, the Director may issue a notice terminating or reducing the PIE. (a) As an employer, you are deemed to have notice of the issuance of a PIE when it appears on the List mentioned in §40.401(a) or the notice of the PIE appears in the (b) As an employer who is using a service agent concerning whom a PIE is issued, you must stop using the services of the service agent no later than 90 days after the Department has published the decision in the (c) Except during the period provided in paragraph (b) of this section, you must not, as an employer, use the services of a service agent that are covered by a PIE that the Director has issued under this subpart. If you do so, you are in violation of the Department's regulations and subject to applicable DOT agency sanctions (e.g., civil penalties, withholding of Federal financial assistance). (d) You also must not obtain drug or alcohol testing services through a contractor or affiliate of the service agent to whom the PIE applies. Example to Paragraph (e) This section's prohibition on using the services of a service agent concerning which the Director has issued a PIE applies to employers in all industries subject to DOT drug and alcohol testing regulations. Example to Paragraph (f) The issuance of a PIE does not result in the cancellation of drug or alcohol tests conducted using the service agent involved before the issuance of the Director's decision or up to 90 days following its publication in the Example to Paragraph (a) Any person may bring concerns about waste, fraud, or abuse on the part of a service agent to the attention of the DOT Office of Inspector General. (b) In appropriate cases, the Office of Inspector General may pursue criminal or civil remedies against a service agent. (c) The Office of Inspector General may provide factual information to other DOT officials for use in a PIE proceeding. (a) If you are a service agent, DOT sends notices to you, including correction notices, notices of proposed exclusion, decision notices, and other notices, in any of the ways mentioned in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section. (b) DOT may send a notice to you, your identified counsel, your agent for service of process, or any of your partners, officers, directors, owners, or joint venturers to the last known street address, fax number, or e-mail address. DOT deems the notice to have been received by you if sent to any of these persons. (c) DOT considers notices to be received by you— (1) When delivered, if DOT mails the notice to the last known street address, or five days after we send it if the letter is undeliverable; (2) When sent, if DOT sends the notice by fax or five days after we send it if the fax is undeliverable; or (3) When delivered, if DOT sends the notice by e-mail or five days after DOT sends it if the e-mail is undeliverable. The Collection Kit Contents 1. Collection Container a. Single-use container, made of plastic, large enough to easily catch and hold at least 55 mL of urine voided from the body. b. Must have graduated volume markings clearly noting levels of 45 mL and above. c. Must have a temperature strip providing graduated temperature readings 32–38 °C/90–100 °F, that is affixed or can be affixed at a proper level on the outside of the collection container. Other methodologies (e.g., temperature device built into the wall of the container) are acceptable provided the temperature measurement is accurate and such that there is no potential for contamination of the specimen. d. Must be individually wrapped in a sealed plastic bag or shrink wrapping; or must have a peelable, sealed lid or other easily visible tamper-evident system. e. May be made available separately at collection sites to address shy bladder situations when several voids may be required to complete the testing process. 2. Plastic Specimen Bottles a. Each bottle must be large enough to hold at least 35 mL; or alternatively, they may be two distinct sizes of specimen bottles provided that the bottle designed to hold the primary specimen holds at least 35 mL of urine and the bottle designed to hold the split specimen holds at least 20 mL. b. Must have screw-on or snap-on caps that prevent seepage of the urine from the bottles during shipment. c. Must have markings clearly indicating the appropriate levels (30 mL for the primary specimen and 15 mL for the split) of urine that must be poured into the bottles. d. Must be designed so that the required tamper-evident bottle seals made available on the CCF fit with no damage to the seal when the employee initials it nor with the chance that the seal overlap would conceal printed information. e. Must be wrapped (with caps) together in a sealed plastic bag or shrink wrapping separate from the collection container; or must be wrapped (with cap) individually in sealed plastic bags or shrink wrapping; or must have peelable, sealed lid or other easily visible tamper-evident system. f. Plastic material must be leach resistant. 3. Leak-Resistant Plastic Bag a. Must have two sealable compartments or pouches which are leak-resistant; one large enough to hold two specimen bottles and the other large enough to hold the CCF paperwork. b. The sealing methodology must be such that once the compartments are sealed, any tampering or attempts to open either compartment will be evident. 4. Absorbent material Each kit must contain enough absorbent material to absorb the entire contents of both specimen bottles. Absorbent material must be designed to fit inside the leak-resistant plastic bag pouch into which the specimen bottles are placed. 5. Shipping Container a. Must be designed to adequately protect the specimen bottles from shipment damage in the transport of specimens from the collection site to the laboratory (e.g., standard courier box, small cardboard box, plastic container). b. May be made available separately at collection sites rather than being part of an actual kit sent to collection sites. c. A shipping container is not necessary if a laboratory courier hand-delivers the specimen bottles in the plastic leak-proof bags from the collection site to the laboratory. The following items are required on each report: Reporting Period: (inclusive dates) Laboratory Identification: (name and address) Employer Identification: (name; may include billing code or ID code) C/C/TPA Identification: (where applicable; name and address) 1. Number of specimen results reported: (total number) By test type: (a) Pre-employment testing: (number) (b) Post-accident testing: (number) (c) Random testing: (number) (d) Reasonable suspicion/cause testing: (number) (e) Return-to-duty testing: (number) (f) Follow-up testing: (number) (g) Type not noted on CCF: (number) 2. Number of specimens reported as (a) Negative: (total number) (b) Negative-dilute: (number) 3. Number of specimens reported as Rejected for Testing: (total number) By reason: (a) Fatal flaw: (number) (b) Uncorrected flaw: (number) 4. Number of specimens reported as Positive: (total number) By drug: (a) Marijuana Metabolite: (number) (b) Cocaine Metabolite: (number) (c) Opiates: (1) Codeine: (number) (2) Morphine: (number) (3) 6–AM: (number) (d) Phencyclidine: (number) (e) Amphetamines: (number) (1) Amphetamine: (number) (2) Methamphetamine: (number): 5. Adulterated: (number) 6. Substituted: (number) 7. Invalid results: (number)
Title 49: Transportation
PART 40—PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS
Subpart R—Public Interest Exclusions
§ 40.361 What is the purpose of a public interest exclusion (PIE)?
§ 40.363 On what basis may the Department issue a PIE?
§ 40.365 What is the Department's policy concerning starting a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.367 Who initiates a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.369 What is the discretion of an initiating official in starting a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.371 On what information does an initiating official rely in deciding whether to start a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.373 Before starting a PIE proceeding, does the initiating official give the service agent an opportunity to correct problems?
§ 40.375 How does the initiating official start a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.377 Who decides whether to issue a PIE?
§ 40.379 How do you contest the issuance of a PIE?
§ 40.381 What information do you present to contest the proposed issuance of a PIE?
§ 40.383 What procedures apply if you contest the issuance of a PIE?
§ 40.385 Who bears the burden of proof in a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.387 What matters does the Director decide concerning a proposed PIE?
§ 40.389 What factors may the Director consider?
§ 40.391 What is the scope of a PIE?
§ 40.393 How long does a PIE stay in effect?
§ 40.395 Can you settle a PIE proceeding?
§ 40.397 When does the Director make a PIE decision?
§ 40.399 How does the Department notify service agents of its decision?
§ 40.401 How does the Department notify employers and the public about a PIE?
§ 40.403 Must a service agent notify its clients when the Department issues a PIE?
§ 40.405 May the Federal courts review PIE decisions?
§ 40.407 May a service agent ask to have a PIE reduced or terminated?
§ 40.409 What does the issuance of a PIE mean to transportation employers?
§ 40.411 What is the role of the DOT Inspector General's office?
§ 40.413 How are notices sent to service agents?
Appendix A to Part 40—DOT Standards for Urine Collection Kits
Appendix B to Part 40—DOT Drug Testing Semi-Annual Laboratory Report
Appendix C to Part 40 [Reserved]
Appendix D to Part 40—Report Format: Split Specimen Failure To Reconfirm
Fax or mail to: Department of Transportation, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 10403, Washington, DC 20590 (fax) 202–366–3897.
1. MRO name, address, phone number, and fax number.
2. Collection site name, address, and phone number.
3. Date of collection.
4. Specimen I.D. number.
5. Laboratory accession number.
6. Primary specimen laboratory name, address, and phone number.
7. Date result reported or certified by primary laboratory.
8. Split specimen laboratory name, address, and phone number.
9. Date split specimen result reported or certified by split specimen laboratory.
10. Primary specimen results (e.g., name of drug, adulterant) in the primary specimen.
11. Reason for split specimen failure-to-reconfirm result (e.g., drug or adulterant not present, specimen invalid, split not collected, insufficient volume).
12. Actions taken by the MRO (e.g., notified employer of failure to reconfirm and requirement for recollection).
13. Additional information explaining the reason for cancellation.
14. Name of individual submitting the report (if not the MRO).
Appendix E to Part 40—SAP Equivalency Requirements for Certification Organizations
1. Experience: Minimum requirements are for three years of full-time supervised experience or 6,000 hours of supervised experience as an alcoholism and/or drug abuse counselor. The supervision must be provided by a licensed or certified practitioner. Supervised experience is important if the individual is to be considered a professional in the field of alcohol and drug abuse evaluation and counseling.
2. Education: There exists a requirement of 270 contact hours of education and training in alcoholism and/or drug abuse or related training. These hours can take the form of formal education, in-service training, and professional development courses. Part of any professional counselor's development is participation in formal and non-formal education opportunities within the field.
3. Continuing Education: The certified counselor must receive at least 40–60 hours of continuing education units (CEU) during each two year period. These CEUs are important to the counselor's keeping abreast of changes and improvements in the field.
4. Testing: A passing score on a national test is a requirement. The test must accurately measure the application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities possessed by the counselor. The test establishes a national standard that must be met to practice.
5. Testing Validity: The certification examination must be reviewed by an independent authority for validity (examination reliability and relationship to the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by the counseling field). The reliability of the exam is paramount if counselor attributes are to be accurately measured. The examination passing score point must be placed at an appropriate minimal level score as gauged by statistically reliable methodology.
6. Measurable Knowledge Base: The certification process must be based upon measurable knowledge possessed by the applicant and verified through collateral data and testing. That level of knowledge must be of sufficient quantity to ensure a high quality of SAP evaluation and referral services.
7. Measurable Skills Base: The certification process must be based upon measurable skills possessed by the applicant and verified through collateral data and testing. That level of skills must be of sufficient quality to ensure a high quality of SAP evaluation and referral services.
8. Quality Assurance Plan: The certification agency must ensure that a means exists to determine that applicant records are verified as being true by the certification staff. This is an important check to ensure that true information is being accepted by the certifying agency.
9. Code of Ethics: Certified counselors must pledge to adhere to an ethical standard for practice. It must be understood that code violations could result in de-certification. These standards are vital in maintaining the integrity of practitioners. High ethical standards are required to ensure quality of client care and confidentiality of client information as well as to guard against inappropriate referral practices.
10. Re-certification Program: Certification is not just a one-time event. It is a continuing privilege with continuing requirements. Among these are continuing education, continuing state certification, and concomitant adherence to the code of ethics. Re-certification serves as a protector of client interests by removing poor performers from the certified practice.
11. Fifty State Coverage: Certification must be available to qualified counselors in all 50 states and, therefore, the test must be available to qualified applicants in all 50 states. Because many companies are multi-state operators, consistency in SAP evaluation quality and opportunities is paramount. The test need not be given in all 50 states but should be accessible to candidates from all states.
12. National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Accreditation: Having NCCA accreditation is a means of demonstrating to the Department of Transportation that your certification has been reviewed by a panel of impartial experts that have determined that your examination(s) has met stringent and appropriate testing standards.
Appendix F to Part 40—Drug and Alcohol Testing Information that C/TPAs May Transmit to Employers
1. If you are a C/TPA, you may, acting as an intermediary, transmit the information in the following sections of this part to the DER for an employer, if the employer chooses to have you do so. These are the only items that you are permitted to transmit to the employer as an intermediary. The use of C/TPA intermediaries is prohibited in all other cases, such as transmission of laboratory drug test results to MROs, the transmission of medical information from MROs to employers, the transmission of SAP reports to employers, the transmission of positive alcohol test results, and the transmission of medical information from MROs to employers.
2. In every case, you must ensure that, in transmitting the information, you meet all requirements (e.g., concerning confidentiality and timing) that would apply if the party originating the information (e.g., an MRO or collector) sent the information directly to the employer. For example, if you transmit MROs' drug testing results to DERs, you must transmit each drug test result to the DER in compliance with the requirements for MROs set forth in §40.167.
Drug Testing Information
§40.25: Previous two years' test results
§40.35: Notice to collectors of contact information for DER
§40.61(a): Notification to DER that an employee is a “no show” for a drug test
§40.63(e): Notification to DER of a collection under direct observation
§40.65(b)(6) and (7) and (c)(2) and (3): Notification to DER of a refusal to provide a specimen or an insufficient specimen
§40.73(a)(9): Transmission of CCF copies to DER (However, MRO copy of CCF must be sent by collector directly to the MRO, not through the C/TPA.)
§40.111(a): Transmission of laboratory statistical report to employer
§40.127(f): Report of test results to DER
§§40.127(g), 40.129(d), 40.159(a)(4)(ii); 40.161(b): Reports to DER that test is cancelled
§40.129 (d): Report of test results to DER
§40.129(g)(1): Report to DER of confirmed positive test in stand-down situation
§§40.149(b): Report to DER of changed test result
§40.155(a): Report to DER of dilute specimen
§40.167(b) and (c): Reports of test results to DER
§40.187(a)–(f) Reports to DER concerning the reconfirmation of tests
§40.191(d): Notice to DER concerning refusals to test
§40.193(b)(3): Notification to DER of refusal in shy bladder situation
§40.193(b)(4): Notification to DER of insufficient specimen
§40.193(b)(5): Transmission of CCF copies to DER (not to MRO)
§40.199: Report to DER of cancelled test and direction to DER for additional collection
§40.201: Report to DER of cancelled test
Alcohol Testing Information
§40.215: Notice to BATs and STTs of contact information for DER
§40.241(b)(1): Notification to DER that an employee is a “no show” for an alcohol test
§40.247(a)(2): Transmission of alcohol screening test results only when the test result is less than 0.02
§40.255(a)(4): Transmission of alcohol confirmation test results only when the test result is less than 0.02
§40.263(a)(3) and 263(b)(3): Notification of insufficient saliva and failure to provide sufficient amount of breath
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 41955, Aug. 9, 2001]
Appendix G to Part 40—Alcohol Testing Form
The following form is the alcohol testing form required for use in the DOT alcohol testing program beginning August 1, 2001. Use of the form is authorized beginning January 18, 2001.
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Appendix H to Part 40—DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Management Information System (MIS) Data Collection Form
The following form and instructions must be used when an employer is required to report MIS data to a DOT agency.
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[68 FR 43952, July 25, 2003]
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