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Title 49 — TransportationRelease 119-73

§353 Toxicological testing of officers and employees

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE I— - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Chapter CHAPTER 3— - GENERAL DUTIES AND POWERS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - MISCELLANEOUS › § 353

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When a DOT accident or incident happens, the Secretary of Transportation or the head of the agency must collect a toxicology sample from the DOT officer or employee as soon as possible. They must try to collect the sample within 4 hours of the accident or incident. Each component head must send a report to the Secretary about how long it took to collect samples for tests tied to accidents or incidents the National Transportation Safety Board investigates. A DOT officer or employee cannot use a failure to follow this rule as a legal claim, cause of action, or defense in court or an agency hearing.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §353

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)When the Secretary of Transportation or the head of a component of the Department of Transportation conducts post-accident or post-incident toxicological testing of an officer or employee of the Department, the Secretary or head shall collect the specimen from the officer or employee as soon as practicable after the accident or incident. The Secretary or head shall try to collect the specimen not later than 4 hours after the accident or incident.
(b)The head of each component shall submit a report to the Secretary on the circumstances about the amount of time required to collect the specimen for a toxicological test conducted on an officer or employee who is reasonably associated with the circumstances of an accident or incident under the investigative jurisdiction of the National Transportation Safety Board.
(c)An officer or employee required to submit to toxicological testing may not assert failure to comply with this section as a claim, cause of action, or defense in an administrative or judicial proceeding.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 35349 App.:1657–1.Nov. 28, 1990, Pub. L. 101–641, § 5, 104 Stat. 4656. In this section, the words “officer or employee” are substituted for “employee” for clarity and consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. In subsection (a), the words “Secretary of Transportation or the head of a component of the Department of Transportation” are substituted for “Department of Transportation, including any of its agencies” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the Code. In subsection (b), the word “Secretary” is substituted for “Office of the Secretary of Transportation” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the Code. The words “within that agency” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (c), the words “An officer or employee required to submit to toxicological testing may not assert” are substituted for “may not be asserted” for clarity.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 353

Title 49 — Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73