Notice2026-00167
Drug and Alcohol Testing: Determination of Minimum Random Testing Rates for 2026
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 8, 2026
Effective
January 8, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This notification of determination announces FRA's minimum annual random drug and minimum annual random alcohol testing rates for covered service, maintenance-of-way (MOW), and mechanical (MECH) employees for calendar year 2026.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 759-760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00167]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2001-11213, Notice No. 30]
Drug and Alcohol Testing: Determination of Minimum Random Testing
Rates for 2026
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notification of determination.
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SUMMARY: This notification of determination announces FRA's minimum
annual random drug and minimum annual random alcohol testing rates for
covered service, maintenance-of-way (MOW), and mechanical (MECH)
employees for calendar year 2026.
DATES: This determination takes effect January 8, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerald Powers, FRA Drug and Alcohol
Program Manager, by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#650200170409014b150a1200171625010a114b020a13"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f1969483909d95df819e86948382b1959e85df969e87">[email protected]</span></a> or by telephone: 202-
493-6313; or Melissa Van Dermeir, FRA Drug and Alcohol Program
Specialist, by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#177a727b7e6464766176797372657a727e655773786339707861"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e08d858c8993938196818e8485928d858992a0848f94ce878f96">[email protected]</span></a> or by telephone: 312-
720-9491.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year, FRA sets its minimum annual
random testing rates after considering the last two complete calendar
years of railroad industry drug and alcohol program data submitted to
its Management Information System (MIS). FRA, however, reserves the
right to consider factors other than MIS-reported data before deciding
whether to lower annual minimum random testing rates. See 85 FR 81265
(Dec. 15, 2020).
To summarize, FRA is announcing its minimum annual random drug and
alcohol testing rates for calendar year 2026 as follows:
--Covered service employee rates will remain at 25 percent for
drugs and 10 percent for alcohol.
--MOW employee rates will remain at 25 percent for drugs and 10
percent for alcohol.
--MECH employee rates will remain at 50 percent for drugs but will
be lowered to 10 percent for alcohol.
These rates are minimums, and railroad carriers and railroad
contractors may conduct FRA random testing at higher rates.
Discussion
Random Testing Rates for Covered Service Employees
The industry-wide random drug testing positive rate for covered
service
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employees remained below 1.0 percent for 2023 and 2024. The
Administrator has therefore determined the minimum annual random drug
testing rate for covered service employees will remain at 25 percent
for the period January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
The industry-wide random alcohol testing violation rate for covered
service employees remained below 0.5 percent for 2023 and 2024. The
Administrator has therefore determined the minimum random annual
alcohol testing rate for covered service employees will remain at 10
percent for the period January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Random Testing Rates for MOW Employees
The industry-wide random drug testing positive rate for MOW
employees remained below 1.0 percent for 2023 and 2024. The
Administrator has therefore determined the minimum annual random drug
testing rate for MOW employees will remain at 25 percent for the period
January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
The industry-wide random alcohol testing violation rate for MOW
employees remained below 0.5 percent for 2023 and 2024. The
Administrator has therefore determined the minimum random alcohol
testing rate for MOW employees will remain at 10 percent for the period
January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Random Testing Rates for MECH Employees
FRA now has industry-wide MIS data from two full consecutive
calendar years for MECH employees, who became subject to FRA random
drug and alcohol testing in 2022. See 87 FR 5719 (Feb. 2, 2022).
The industry-wide random drug testing positive rate for MECH
employees was above 1.0 percent for 2023 and 2024. The Administrator
has therefore determined the minimum annual random drug testing rate
for MECH employees will remain at 50 percent for the period January 1,
2026, through December 31, 2026.
The industry-wide random alcohol testing violation rate for MECH
employees was below 0.5 percent for 2023 and 2024. The Administrator
has therefore determined the minimum annual random alcohol testing rate
for MECH employees will be lowered from 25 percent to 10 percent for
the period January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Issued in Washington, DC.
David A. Fink,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2026-00167 Filed 1-7-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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