Crawford Introduces Legislation to Fix Long-Overdue HHS Testing Delay

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01) introduced H.R. 4320, The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Public Safety Improvement Act, which would direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to add a positive hair test result to their current definition of an employer’s ‘actual knowledge’ of a truck driver’s drug use.

This long-overdue legislation strengthens Public Law 114-19, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015, by recognizing hair testing as an acceptable alternative to urine testing in conducting pre-employment drug testing of commercial motor vehicle operators. In 2015, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue, within one year of the Act’s enactment, the scientific and technical guidelines for hair drug testing. In more than nine years, HHS has yet to meet this statutory requirement.

“Arkansas’s trucking industry relies on safe and efficient policies that keep our roads safe for all users of the road. Allowing U.S. motor carriers to use positive hair test results as actual knowledge for pre-employment purposes not only creates a more reliable way for drug testing but also creates a more equitable process for hiring truck drivers,” said Congressman Crawford. “This legislation enables employers to know if a licensed commercial truck driver job applicant has previously failed a hair test for illegal drug use. Removing known controlled substance users from behind the wheel of commercial motor vehicles will make our nation’s roads safer for everyone.”

Congressman Crawford worked with a strong coalition of transportation industry stakeholders to ensure that this legislation functions as intended and holds HHS accountable for what Congress tasked the department with over nine years ago.

“The trucking industry is committed to keeping commercial drivers who fail drug tests off the road,” said Arkansas Trucking Association President & CEO Shannon Newton. “For 14 years, Congressman Crawford has been a steadfast leader on this issue—identifying loopholes and advancing solutions to close them. We appreciate his continued leadership in pressing HHS and FMCSA to finally recognize positive hair test results in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a critical step toward safer highways.”

“A hair test is the most reliable way to know if a truck driver has an illegal drug habit,” said Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO of Maverick Transportation in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Congressman Crawford is a crusader for highway safety and his legislation will make sure that truck drivers who fail a hair drug test must get rehabilitation before getting behind the wheel.”

“The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) would like to applaud Congressman Crawford for his continued support of our industry by introducing the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Public Safety Improvement Act of 2025, a bill that would require employers to submit positive hair follicle test results to FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse,” said TCA President, Jim Ward. “As a top priority for our members, this bill reflects the importance of hair follicle testing as the most effective method of drug testing for pre-employment screenings and would allow for our members and industry as a whole, to further our efforts to reduce drug use by professional truck drivers who operate on our highways in the safety-sensitive nature that is interstate commerce. We look forward to supporting this effort and are thrilled to be working with the Congressman and his staff in making certain that this important legislation comes to fruition.”

“For nearly two decades, J.B. Hunt has utilized hair testing in our driver screening process as one of many proactive steps we utilize to protect the safety of our people and the motoring public,” said Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at J.B. Hunt. “This commonsense legislation will require positive hair test results to be submitted to the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, so other carriers will also have access to this information when making the important decision about who they entrust to operate commercial motor vehicles.”

“To ensure that only the highest quality drivers are behind the wheel, many fleets exceed federal drug testing requirements by using hair testing, a proven drug screening method that is more thorough than a standard urinalysis,” said American Trucking Associations SVP of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom. “Unfortunately, a serious loophole exists for drivers looking to shirk safety standards. Positive hair tests are neither accepted by nor recorded in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which means unsafe drivers can circumvent this critical safety check and continue operating commercial motor vehicles. The trucking industry commends Congressman Crawford for introducing this bill that will support our efforts to keep roadways safe.”

Read the full bill text here.

Read the one-pager on H.R. 4320 here.

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