Control of Alcohol and Drug
Use in Railroad Operations
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
05/19/2025
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
05/31/2025
456,302
495,744
2,674
4,830
0
0
49 CFR 219 FRA prescribes minimum
Federal safety standards for control of alcohol and drug use. FRA
and the railroad industry use the information collected to improve
safety through the detection and deterrence of alcohol misuse and
illicit drug use on railroad property. This is accomplished through
compliance with all part 219 requirements covering railroads and
their safety sensitive regulated employees. As mandated by the
Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and
Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act or Act),
FRA expanded the scope of its alcohol and drug regulation to cover
mechanical employees. This information collection is mandatory,
submitted as needed, and there is a requirement for record
keeping.
US Code:
49
USC 20103 Name of Law: Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970
This is an extension without
change (with changes in estimates) of a currently approved
information collection request (ICR). The current OMB inventory for
this ICR shows a total burden of 4,830 hours and 495,744 responses,
while the requesting inventory estimates a total burden of hours of
2,674 and 456,302 responses. Overall adjustments decreased the
burden by 2,156 hours and responses by 39,442. FRA has conducted a
thorough review and analysis of this ICR and has determined that
some of the higher estimates were based on the initial requirements
to incorporate an additional 19,058 mechanical employees that were
newly subject to part § 219 of the 2022 final rule. Therefore,
these numbers were decreased accordingly to more accurately reflect
the much lower number of anticipated submissions recorded under
each requirement over the next three-year period. Burden hours
under § 219.4, comments on petitions, was removed as public
comments received in response to general solicitation of comments
published in the Federal Register are not considered information
under PRA. Additionally, after further review FRA determined that §
219.203, Obtaining cooperation of facility, does not create
additional paperwork burden. This section merely outlines a
railroad’s need to reference this subpart as the regulatory
authority that may be necessary when obtaining specimens from an
uncooperative medical facility in a post-accident testing event.
Finally, with this submission FRA has removed the previously
reported burden under §219.25 Previous employer drug and alcohol
checks and §219.800 Annual reports. The burden hours associated
with these requirements are now covered under OMB control number
2105-0529 Procedures for Transportation Drug and Alcohol Testing
Program.
$336,568
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Gerald Powers 202 492-6313
gerald.powers@dot.gov
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.