H.R. 7967: Heidi’s Law

This bill, known as "Heidi’s Law", proposes revisions to the current Federal workplace drug testing guidelines and aims to include methadone as a substance that can be tested for in specific federal drug testing programs. Here are the key components of the bill:

Inclusion of Testing for Methadone

The bill mandates the following actions:

• Revision of Guidelines: Within 90 days of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to revise the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs to include methadone in the opiate testing category.
• Publication of Notice: After the revision is completed, a final notice of the changes must be published in the Federal Register.

Department of Transportation Regulations

Following the publication of the notice regarding the inclusion of methadone:

• The Secretary of Transportation must issue necessary regulations within 60 days to update drug testing procedures specifically for transportation employees to include testing for methadone.

Periodic Updates to Testing Guidelines

The bill also requires:

• Annual Review: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must review and revise the Mandatory Guidelines annually if needed. This includes considering the addition of any new drugs not previously included.
• Publication of Revised Guidelines: Any revisions must be published in the Federal Register after they are completed.

Inclusion of Newly Established Drugs

In a similar vein to the inclusion of methadone:

• Within 60 days of the publication of new revisions, the Secretary of Transportation is tasked with updating drug testing regulations to include any newly identified substances deemed necessary for testing in the workplace.

Summary of Requirements

This bill aims to enhance the federal drug testing framework by formally recognizing methadone in testing protocols and ensuring that the guidelines remain up-to-date with current substances relevant to workplace safety.

Relevant Companies

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