UPDATED WITH NEW DEADLINE
The public comment period for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Foreign Repair Station Notice of Proposed Rulemaking closes on April 5, 2024. (This is an extension from the initial deadline of 2.5.24).
Have you shared your thoughts with the FAA yet?
Discussion
On December 7, 2023, the FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to require drug and alcohol testing for employees for certificated maintenance repair stations outside the United States who perform safety-sensitive maintenance on US-registered aircraft operating under 14 CFR Part 121. (See the FAA’s docket for this rulemaking here.)
The drug and alcohol testing requirements have been applied to safety-sensitive employees of domestic certified repair stations for more than 30 years. Like domestic employers, the employers of foreign maintenance and preventive maintenance employees would need to follow 49 CFR Part 40 for the “Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs.” Unlike domestic programs, the FAA is proposing to allow foreign entities the opportunity to petition the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance for exemptions from Part 40 testing.
NDASA will be providing public comments on behalf of our membership. However, we also encourage you to read the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and send the FAA public comment on the aspects of the proposed regulation that you favor or would like to see revised.