May 28, 2009 1:50 PM

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) supports the Safe Roads Act, S.1113, introduced recently by Sen Mark Pryor, (D-AR). The bipartisan bill would create a US Department of Transportation National Drug Clearinghouse database to store commercial motor vehicle operators’ positive drug and alcohol tests results and records of refusals to take the tests.

Included in ATA’s Safety Task Force Recommendations and a goal of the ATA for 10 years, a National Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse will address a loophole in the federal drug and alcohol testing requirements for commercial drivers that is being exploited by some substance-abusing drivers.
The Safe Roads Act would:

•Authorize $5 million annually for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to develop and deploy the national clearinghouse.
•Require medical review officers, employers, and other service agents to report positive results from drug or alcohol tests to the FMCSA.
•Require employers to check the database for prospective employees’ records prior to hiring.
•Protect employees’ privacy and define employees’ rights to challenge information in the database.
The bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen Ben Nelson (D-NE), Sen Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS).