Issue 24, Pg 1 - FTA Drug And Alcohol Regulation Updates

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Transit
Administration
Office of Safety and Security

FTA Drug And Alcohol Regulation Updates

Spring 2003

Issue 24

Introduction....

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published its revised rule on prohibited drug use and the prevention of alcohol misuse (49 CFR Part 655) on August 1, 2001. The FTA published the revised Implementation Guidelines for Drug and Alcohol Regulations in Mass Transit to provide a comprehensive overview of the regulations. Since the Guidelines were published, there have been numerous amendments, interpretations, and clarifications to the Drug and Alcohol testing procedures and program requirements. This publication is being provided to update the Guidelines and inform your transit system of these changes. This Update is the twenty-fourth in a series.

Inside....

For Your Information	2
Service Agent Update	3
Relevant Court Cases	4
Rx & OTC Medications	5
Resources & Materials	6

Drug & Alcohol Discussion Forum Announced

The FTA Office of Safety and Security recently announced the creation of the FTA Drug and Alcohol Discussion Forum. The forum can be accessed on the FTA website at http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/Safety/BBS. The forum is an FTA-monitored bulletin board where registered users can ask questions of the FTA or other registered users, discuss topics related to FTA drug and alcohol testing regulations, raise issues for further discussion, make suggestions, express opinions, and learn where to find additional information or technical assistance. Registering to access the Forum is fast and easy, just go to the website and follow the easy steps.

Drug and Alcohol Audit Questions Revised

     In 1997 the FTA Office of Safety and Security began auditing grantee drug and alcohol testing programs. The audits assess compliance with the FTA drug and alcohol testing regulations (49 CFR Part 655) and the appropriate provisions of the DOT testing procedures (49 CFR Part 40). The audits also give FTA the opportunity to provide extensive technical assistance and to obtain a better understanding of the difficulties that grantees encounter when implementing rules. People sitting at a desk, one person typing into a computer
     Since the audit program’s inception, the process and audit questions have been fine-tuned, streamlined, and where appropriate made more grantee-friendly. Following the publication of Part 655 and the new Part 40, the audit questions went through a major revision to reflect the changes. The latest version of the audit questions can be found on the FTA Safety and Security website at http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/Safety/DATesting/Audit/default.asp.
     The questions can be a useful tool in monitoring your transit system’s drug and alcohol program or in providing oversight of your contractors and/or service agents.

Hosts Needed for Substance Abuse Seminars

The FTA is seeking volunteers to sponsor FTA Substance Abuse Seminars in FY 2004 (October 2003 to June 2004). The one-day seminars provide an overview of 49 CFR Parts 655 and 40, prescription and over-the-counter medications and agency best practices. Hosts are required to provide an ADA accessible site able to house 100 participants and audio-visual equipment. If you are interested in sponsoring a future seminar and are able to meet these requirements, please contact Louise Lawson at (617) 494-3798 or via email at Louise.Lawson@volpe.dot.gov.

FTA Drug & Alcohol Program - Topic at CTAA

FTA Drug and Alcohol Program Manager, Mark Snider, will conduct a leadership session titled "Drug and Alcohol Regulations" at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Expo in Philadelphia, PA on May 22^nd from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The workshop is included in the conference and trade fair registration fee.
The FTA Drug and Alcohol Program will also be exhibiting at the CTAA Trade Fair on May 21^st and 22^nd. The FTA will be in Booth 1006 on the main exhibit floor. Representatives will be available at the booth to answer questions, provide copies of recent publications, the new ONEDOT MIS form and self-audit tools. The FTA Drug and Alcohol website including MIS Internet reporting will also be demonstrated.