The Department of Transportation’s Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) proposes to revise the Management Information System (MIS) forms currently used within six U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) operating administrations (OA) for submission of annual drug and alcohol program data. These OAs are: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Federal Transit Administration (FTA); Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA); and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The Department proposes to streamline the annual reporting of drug and alcohol program data to OAs through use of a one-page MIS data collection form. The Department desires to standardize across the OAs the information collected and to reduce the amount of data reported by transportation employers. If an OA intends to require supplemental data, the OA will address those issues separately. The Docket Office must receive comments by November 14, 2002 (Docket OST-2002-13435).
Six OAs collect drug and alcohol program data from their regulated employers on an annual basis. Employers compile this data on MIS forms and each form is OA specific. In fact, more than twelve MIS data collection forms currently exist within the OAs. The Department believes that data collection and entry will be greatly simplified for transportation employers and the Department if a single form is utilized throughout the transportation industries and the OAs.
All drug and alcohol testing conducted under DOT authority uses a standard form for drug testing-Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form-and a standard form for alcohol testing-DOT Alcohol Testing Form. In essence, use of standard testing forms should limit MIS reporting to a finite number of data elements. Therefore, a core set of data elements will make up the new MIS form-a ONE-DOT MIS form-which all transportation employers will complete, as appropriate, for their company and the OA regulating them.
This MIS form will simplify and streamline data recording for transportation employers and will require employers to enter less data. In addition, because the proposed form contains fewer data elements and is on a one-page format, it can be more easily entered and processed via electronically based systems. As an added benefit, there will be a single set of MIS instructions for all transportation employers, regardless of OA.
However, not every OA expects information for all potential data elements (e.g., RSPA does not conduct random alcohol testing), and some data elements may be collected through some means other than MIS (e.g., USCG receives alcohol data immediately following each post-accident testing event). The form’s instructions will highlight some of those peculiar testing differences, and companies not required to conduct or report certain types of tests will simply leave those sections blank. For instance, because USCG wants no alcohol testing data on the MIS form, USCG-regulated employers will leave blank Section IV of the form. In addition, when no testing was done or no results were received for particular data elements, employers will leave those items blank rather than inserting zeros (as is now required).
The ODAPC and the OAs propose to revise the MIS reporting requirements to standardize the collection of data for the OAs. The proposed rulemaking would impose a few new requirements for data collection; specifically, data related to information associated with the revised Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (65 FR 39155, June 23, 2000). However, the overall amount of required data will be less than that required currently. The Department also intends to place the MIS form and instructions for completing it into Part 40, and remove the forms and instructions from all OA regulations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim L. Swart, Drug and Alcohol Policy Advisor at 202-366-3784 (voice) 202-366-3897 (fax) or at: jim.swart@ost.dot.gov (e-mail).