The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the final rule for a drug and alcohol clearinghouse for holders of commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) at the end of October, according to reports.
The final rule will be made public through the
Federal Register in about a week.
The clearinghouse will be a database of motorists who hold CDLs who tested positive for controlled substances such as alcohol and drugs, or refused to submit to testing.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the clearinghouse will require employers, medical review officers, substance abuse professionals, and consortia/third party administrators supporting Department of Transportation testing programs to report pertinent information to the government for record in the database.
Prospective employers can then check the clearinghouse for an applicant’s records, with his or her written consent prior to hiring and operating a commercial motor vehicle.
Proponents of the rule say the clearinghouse is expected to make US roads safer by making sure that CDL holders who have tested positive or refused to submit to testing for controlled substances, have complied with the return-to-duty process prior to returning to driving a commercial vehicle.
FMCSA proposed the creation of the clearinghouse in 2014 and the OMB received the final rule in May.
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