Source: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section31306&num=0&edition=prelim
Timestamp: 2020-01-28 19:23:36
Document Index: 32993039

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 31306', 'art 391', '§1', '§342', '§32402', '§5402', '§12020', '§5', '§5402', '§8106', '§5402', '§226', '§4020']

[USC02] 49 USC 31306: Alcohol and controlled substances testing
<< Previous TITLE 49 / SUBTITLE VI / PART B / CHAPTER 313 / § 31306 Next >>
49 USC 31306: Alcohol and controlled substances testing Text contains those laws in effect on January 27, 2020
(a) Definition.-In this section and section 31306a, "controlled substance" means any substance under section 102 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 802) specified by the Secretary of Transportation.
(b) Testing Program for Operators of Commercial Motor Vehicles.-(1)(A) In the interest of commercial motor vehicle safety, the Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations that establish a program requiring motor carriers to conduct preemployment, reasonable suspicion, random, and post-accident testing of operators of commercial motor vehicles for the use of a controlled substance in violation of law or a United States Government regulation and to conduct reasonable suspicion, random, and post-accident testing of such operators for the use of alcohol in violation of law or a United States Government regulation.
(B) The regulations prescribed under subparagraph (A) shall permit motor carriers-
(ii) to use hair testing as an acceptable alternative to urine testing-
(2) In prescribing regulations under this subsection, the Secretary of Transportation-
(c) Testing and Laboratory Requirements.-In carrying out subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall develop requirements that shall-
(2) for laboratories and testing procedures for controlled substances, incorporate the Department of Health and Human Services scientific and technical guidelines dated April 11, 1988, and any amendments to those guidelines, for urine testing, and technical guidelines for hair testing, including mandatory guidelines establishing-
(d) Testing as Part of Medical Examination.-The Secretary of Transportation may provide that testing under subsection (a) of this section for operators subject to subpart E of part 391 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, be conducted as part of the medical examination required under that subpart.
(e) Rehabilitation.-The Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations establishing requirements for rehabilitation programs that provide for the identification and opportunity for treatment of operators of commercial motor vehicles who are found to have used alcohol or a controlled substance in violation of law or a Government regulation. The Secretary shall decide on the circumstances under which those operators shall be required to participate in a program. This section does not prevent a motor carrier from establishing a program under this section in cooperation with another motor carrier.
(f) Sanctions.-The Secretary of Transportation shall decide on appropriate sanctions for a commercial motor vehicle operator who is found, based on tests conducted and confirmed under this section, to have used alcohol or a controlled substance in violation of law or a Government regulation but who is not under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance as provided in this chapter.
(g) Effect on State and Local Government Regulations.-A State or local government may not prescribe or continue in effect a law, regulation, standard, or order that is inconsistent with regulations prescribed under this section. However, a regulation prescribed under this section may not be construed to preempt a State criminal law that imposes sanctions for reckless conduct leading to loss of life, injury, or damage to property.
(h) International Obligations and Foreign Laws.-In prescribing regulations under this section, the Secretary of Transportation-
(i) Other Regulations Allowed.-This section does not prevent the Secretary of Transportation from continuing in effect, amending, or further supplementing a regulation prescribed before October 28, 1991, governing the use of alcohol or a controlled substance by commercial motor vehicle employees.
(j) Application of Penalties.-This section does not supersede a penalty applicable to an operator of a commercial motor vehicle under this chapter or another law.
( Pub. L. 103–272, §1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1017 ; Pub. L. 104–59, title III, §342(c), Nov. 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 609 ; Pub. L. 112–141, div. C, title II, §32402(a)(1), July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 795 ; Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title V, §5402(a), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1547 .)
31306(a) 49 App.:2717(g). Oct. 27, 1986, Pub. L. 99–570, 100 Stat. 3207–170 , §12020; added Oct. 28, 1991, Pub. L. 102–143, §5(a)(1), 105 Stat. 959 .
2015-Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 114–94, §5402(a)(1)(B), struck out at end "The regulations shall permit such motor carriers to conduct preemployment testing of such employees for the use of alcohol."
2012-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–141 inserted "and section 31306a" after "this section".
1995-Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 104–59 added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: "In the interest of commercial motor vehicle safety, the Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations not later than October 28, 1992, that establish a program requiring motor carriers to conduct preemployment, reasonable suspicion, random, and post-accident testing of operators of commercial motor vehicles for the use of alcohol or a controlled substance in violation of law or a United States Government regulation."
Pub. L. 115–271, title VIII, §8106, Oct. 24, 2018, 132 Stat. 4106 , provided that:
"(a) In General.-Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 24, 2018], and annually thereafter until the date that the Secretary of Health and Human Services publishes in the Federal Register a final notice of scientific and technical guidelines for hair testing in accordance with section 5402(b) of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (Public Law 114–94; 129 Stat. 1312) [set out below], the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on-
"(b) Requirement.-To the extent practicable and consistent with the objective of the hair testing described in subsection (a) to detect illegal or unauthorized use of substances by the individual being tested, the final notice of scientific and technical guidelines under that subsection, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall eliminate the risk of positive test results, of the individual being tested, caused solely by the drug use of others and not caused by the drug use of the individual being tested."
Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title V, §5402(b), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1548 , provided that: "Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 4, 2015], the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue scientific and technical guidelines for hair testing as a method of detecting the use of a controlled substance for purposes of section 31306 of title 49, United States Code."
Pub. L. 106–159, title II, §226, Dec. 9, 1999, 113 Stat. 1771 , provided that:
"(a) In General.-The Secretary shall conduct a study of the feasibility and merits of-
"(b) Study Factors.-In carrying out the study under this section, the Secretary shall assess-
"(3) whether a process should be established to allow drivers-
"(c) Report.-Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 9, 1999], the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the study carried out under this section, together with such recommendations as the Secretary determines appropriate."
Pub. L. 105–178, title IV, §4020, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 414 , provided that:
"(a) Study.-The Secretary [of Transportation] shall conduct a study of the feasibility of utilizing law enforcement officers for conducting post-accident alcohol testing of commercial motor vehicle operators under section 31306 of title 49, United States Code, as a method of obtaining more timely information. The study shall also assess the impact of the current post-accident alcohol testing requirements on motor carrier employers, including any burden that employers may encounter in meeting the testing requirements of such section 31306.
"(b) Report.-Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act [June 9, 1998], the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the study, together with such recommendations as the Secretary determines appropriate."