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A Hair Closer<br />
Drug addiction bill moves forward<br />
hair testing for substance abuse<br />
By Lyndon Finney<br />
In signing a bill in late October that he said would put an “extremely<br />
big dent” in the scourge of drug addiction in America, President Donald<br />
Trump also moved forward the idea of recognizing hair testing as a tool<br />
for pre-employment and random drug and alcohol screening for commercial<br />
vehicle drivers.<br />
The bill, introduced in May by Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation<br />
Chairman Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., requires the Department of<br />
Health and Human Services (HHS) to report progress on hair testing within<br />
30 days of passage and lays out a schedule, including benchmarks, for<br />
completion of hair testing guidelines, something trucking industry executives<br />
have been pushing for a long time.<br />
Efforts to get hair testing guidance has been a work in progress for the<br />
past 21 months, said David Heller, vice president of government affairs at<br />
the Truckload Carriers Association.<br />
The legislation calls on HHS to issue federal oral fluid testing guidelines<br />
by December 31, study the possibility of adding a federal drug testing panel<br />
for the opiate drug fentanyl, and expand drug testing requirements for<br />
certain rail employees.<br />
Currently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration<br />
(SAMHSA) only recognizes the test method of urinalysis. The FAST Act<br />
required HHS to issue scientific and technical guidelines for hair testing by<br />
December 2016 — a deadline which was missed.<br />
“The ability to require drivers to undergo any type of substance abuse<br />
screen is important because we are a zero tolerant industry,” said Heller.<br />
“We are dedicated to operating in a drug-free environment and will insist<br />
that we continue to have the ability to do so. We’re still waiting for results<br />
on hair testing [as a recognized screening tool] and whether they are going<br />
to certify laboratories or the testing procedures to pass DOT testing<br />
requirements.”<br />
“<br />
There are roughly seven laboratories<br />
that do hair testing, but each one does it a<br />
little differently. There is no one set way to do the<br />
testing. This is where HHS and the Department<br />
of Transportation Office of Drug and Alcohol<br />
Policy and Compliance have an issue. ...<br />
” — David Heller<br />
TCA 2018-19 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 15
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