Implementation Guidelines - Federal Transit Administration - U.S. ...

Chapter 3.
PROGRAM FORMULATION
AND REVISION
Following the initial publication of the
regulation in 1994, most transit employers
worked aggressively to develop
comprehensive drug and alcohol testing
programs to address the regulatory
requirements. Originally, implementation of
the program was phased in with the large
systems required to implement first (1995),
and the small operators required to follow a
year later (1996). The implementation
deadlines for all covered employers have
long passed; all covered employers are now
required to be in compliance.
New transit operations, contractors, or
employers that are new to public transit are
required to be in compliance with the
regulations before they assume any safetysensitive
responsibilities. These employers
must either formulate a program if none
exists, or revamp an existing drug and
alcohol testing program to meet FTA
requirements.
Covered employers with existing FTA
programs may also find that their programs
require periodic fine-tuning, revision, or
overhaul depending on the extent of changes
in regulations, organizational structure,
policy, collective bargaining agreements,
and/or internal procedures.
For those employers who are
establishing new FTA-compliant drug and
alcohol testing programs or those who are
revamping an existing program, the
recommended first step is to identify and
assemble key personnel who are responsible
for developing and implementing the
program.
The early involvement of transit
management, employees, and labor
organizations and their continued
involvement throughout the implementation
Chapter 3. Program Formulation 3-1 August 2002