Workplace Drug And Alcohol Testing Queried

October 21, 2009
UMA Reporting from the Utah Legislature

Having been rejected by the House Business and Labor Committee during the 2009 General Session, Representative Trish Beck appeared before the interim committee with a much amended approach to workplace drug and alcohol testing bill. Her original approach in February included a mandate that all private employer drug testing must be reviewed and approved by a Medical Review Officer (MRO). UMA and other business interests strongly objected to the mandate and worked with Rep. Beck to scale her bill back to simply indentifying proper protocol for drug testing.

The approach she is taking in this interim committee this morning is to better define protocols and to clarify protections for employers when they drug test. UMA, the Utah Food Industry Association and the Employers Council met throughout the summer with others to craft a bill that properly addresses this issue without mandating testing or medical review. The bill was considered by the business and labor committee and approved for filing in the 2010 general session. UMA did not endorse the approach but also did not oppose its introduction.

Drug testing under this new approach will still be voluntary and actually adds some additional protections for employers who discipline of terminate employees for testing positive for drugs that may impair their ability to work safely.