Federal & State Regulations | Medical exams - Arizona | J. J. Keller® Compliance Network

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Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

The federal laws which govern medical exams for employment purposes are the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), federal drug testing guidelines under the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). A federal executive order prohibits federal employers from requesting genetic tests as a condition of employment, but there are as yet no provisions relating to private employers.

The ADA governs medical testing in relation to applicants and employees with disabilities. For more information on the ADA, see the Disability Discrimination.

Drug tests are not considered medical examinations under the ADA, but the records of such tests are considered confidential medical records from a privacy standpoint, and certain procedures must be followed in conducting the tests. For more information, see the section on Drug Testing.

For more information on privacy and medical records, see the section on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.

Arizona law mirrors federal drug testing law in providing that all information received by an employer in connection with a drug or alcohol testing program is to be kept confidential. The law also states that no sample used for testing may be tested for substances other than the unlawful drugs or alcohol permitted by the Arizona state statutes.