...
*Question 1: A driver has tested positive and completed the referral and evaluation process up to the point of being released by the SAP for a return-to-duty test. The driver no longer works for the employer where he/she tested positive. The driver applies for work with a new employer. Must the new employer conduct two separate controlled substances tests (one pre-employment and one return-to-duty), or will one test suffice for both purposes?
Guidance: An individual, who has complied with the education/treatment process as required under 49 CFR Part 40, Subpart O, but has not submitted to a return-to-duty test, and is seeking employment with a new employer, a single test will suffice to meet the requirements of §382.301 and §382.309 only when the new employer would be required to conduct both tests on the same day.
*Editor’s Note: This interpretation was issued after the interpretations were published in the Federal Register in April 1997.