For Immediate ReleaseMarch 13, 2014 WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration today announced it is seeking comments on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that would require drug and alcohol testing of maintenance personnel who work on aircraft operated by U.S. air carriers (Part 121) in facilities outside the United States. In the Federal Register notice, the FAA noted that it is considering developing a rulemaking that would require employees of FAA-certified foreign repair stations and certain other maintenance providers who perform safety-sensitive work on U.S. air carrier aircraft to be subject to a drug and alcohol testing program. Consistent with the Congressional mandate for the rulemaking, the testing program would have to meet FAA standards and be consistent with the applicable laws of the country where the repair station is located. Currently, the FAA’s drug and alcohol testing regulations do not extend to companies or individuals who perform safety-sensitive functions, including aircraft and preventive maintenance, outside the United States. The public comment period will help the FAA develop a proposed rule and to assess its likely economic impact. Today's notice invites comments on a variety of issues related to proposing drug and alcohol testing requirements for the relevant employees of covered maintenance providers. These issues include:
What are the standards that employees who have violated drug and alcohol regulations should meet before they are allowed to return to performing safety-sensitive maintenance work? The FAA's action responds to a mandate in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The FAA will accept comments for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Here you can view the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. (PDF) You are subscribed to page updates for the Federal Aviation Administration. A new press release is now available. We've included a copy of the release in this email.
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