‘An Act To Exempt Employers Subject to Federally Mandated Drug and Alcohol Programs from Maine Substance Abuse Program Laws’
| HP0932 LD 1241 |
First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature C "A", Filing Number H-287, Sponsored by
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LR 288 Item 2 |
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| Bill Tracking, Additional Documents | Chamber Status | ||
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Exempt Employers Subject to Federally Mandated Drug and Alcohol Programs from Maine Substance Abuse Program Laws’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §681, sub-§8, as amended by PL 1995, c. 324, §2, is further amended to read:
(1) For the purposes of applying section 685, subsection 2 to an employee under this paragraph, the employee is deemed to have previously worked in an employment position subject to random or arbitrary testing under an employer's written policy.
Sec. 2. Report. The Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards shall submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations by January 15, 2012 to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development regarding the simplification and streamlining of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, chapter 7, subchapter 3-A. The report and recommendations must include, among other topics, consideration of the following:
1. Initiating substance abuse testing when an employee causes a work-related accident that results in property damage, personal injury or loss of life or a citation or summons being issued to the employee by a law enforcement officer;
2. Submitting supervisory personnel to substance abuse testing on a random or arbitrary basis when an employer requires, requests or suggests that other employees be tested; and
3. Eliminating the requirement that an employer provide an opportunity and pay for an employee to participate in an assistance program when the employee has received a confirmed positive result on a substance abuse test.
The joint standing committee is authorized to introduce a bill related to the bureau's report to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature.’
summary
This amendment replaces the bill. It allows an employer subject to a federally mandated substance abuse testing program to extend its United States Department of Transportation mandated program to its entire workforce and its independent contractors. It allows such employers to have the same substance abuse policy for all employees and independent contractors. The amendment directs the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards to submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development by January 15, 2012 with recommendations on simplifying and streamlining the labor laws dealing with substance abuse testing. The joint standing committee is authorized to introduce a bill related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature.