S-3902

AN ACT Relating to positive drug or alcohol test results of commercial motor vehicle operators; amending RCW 46.25.090, 46.25.100, and 46.25.120; adding new sections to chapter 46.25 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.25 RCW to read as follows:

All medical review officers or breath alcohol technicians hired by or under contract to a motor carrier or employer who is required to have a testing program under 49 C.F.R. 382 or to a consortium the carrier belongs to, as defined in 49 C.F.R. 382.17, shall report the finding of a commercial driver's confirmed positive drug or alcohol test to the department of licensing on a form provided by the department. Motor carriers, employers, or consortiums shall make it a written condition of their contract or agreement with a medical review officer or breath alcohol technician, regardless of the state where the medical review officer or breath alcohol technician is located, that the medical review officer or breath alcohol technician is required to report all Washington state licensed drivers who have a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test to the department of licensing within three business days of the confirmed test. Failure to obtain this contractual condition or agreement with the medical review officer or breath alcohol technician by the motor carrier, employer, or consortium will result in an administrative fine as provided in RCW 81.04.405. Substances obtained for testing may not be used for any purpose other than drug or alcohol testing under 49 C.F.R. 382.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 46.25 RCW to read as follows:

(1) When the department of licensing receives a report from a medical review officer or breath alcohol technician that the holder of a commercial driver's license has a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test, either as part of the testing program required by 49 C.F.R. 382 or as part of a preemployment drug test, the department shall disqualify the driver from driving a commercial motor vehicle under RCW 46.25.090(7) subject to a hearing as provided in this section. The department shall notify the person in writing of the disqualification by first class mail. The notice must explain the procedure for the person to request a hearing.

(2) A person disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for having a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test may request a hearing to challenge the disqualification within twenty days from the date notice is given. If the request for a hearing is mailed, it must be postmarked within twenty days after the department has given notice of the disqualification.

(3) The hearing must be conducted in the county of the person's residence, except that the department may conduct all or part of the hearing by telephone or other electronic means.

(4) For the purposes of this section, the hearing must be limited to the following issues: (a) Whether the driver is the person who took the drug or alcohol test; (b) whether the motor carrier, employer, or consortium has a program that meets the federal requirements under 49 C.F.R. 382; and (c) whether the medical review officer or breath alcohol technician making the report accurately followed the protocols for testing established to certify the results. Evidence may be presented to demonstrate that the test results are a false positive. For the purpose of a hearing under this section, a copy of the positive test result with a declaration by the tester or medical review officer or breath alcohol technician stating the accuracy of the laboratory protocols followed to arrive at the test result is prima facie evidence of a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result. After the hearing, the department shall order the disqualification of the person either be rescinded or sustained.

(5) If the person does not request a hearing within the twenty-day time limit, or if the person fails to appear at a hearing, the person has waived the right to a hearing and the department shall sustain the disqualification.

(6) A decision by the department disqualifying a person from driving a commercial motor vehicle is stayed and does not take effect while a formal hearing is pending under this section or during the pendency of a subsequent appeal to superior court so long as there is no conviction for a moving violation or no finding that the person has committed a traffic infraction that is a moving violation and the department receives no further report of a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test during the pendency of the hearing and appeal. If the disqualification is sustained after the hearing, the person who is disqualified may file a petition in the superior court of the county of his or her residence to review the final order of disqualification by the department in the manner provided in RCW 46.20.334.

(7) The department of licensing may adopt rules specifying further requirements for requesting a hearing under this section.

(8) The department of licensing is not civilly liable for damage resulting from disqualifying a driver based on a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result as required by this section or for damage resulting from release of this information that occurs in the normal course of business.

Sec. 3. RCW 46.25.090 and 1996 c 30 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of not less than one year if a report has been received by the department pursuant to RCW 46.25.120, or if the person has been convicted of a first violation, within this or any other jurisdiction, of:

(a) Driving a commercial motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or any drug;

(b) Driving a commercial motor vehicle while the alcohol concentration in the person's system is 0.04 or more as determined by any testing methods approved by law in this state or any other state or jurisdiction;

(d) Using a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony;

(e) Refusing to submit to a test to determine the driver's alcohol concentration while driving a motor vehicle.

If any of the violations set forth in this subsection occurred while transporting a hazardous material required to be identified by a placard, the person is disqualified for a period of not less than three years.

(2) A person is disqualified for life if it has been determined that the person has committed or has been convicted of two or more violations of any of the offenses specified in subsection (1) of this section, or any combination of those offenses, arising from two or more separate incidents. Only offenses committed after October 1, 1989, may be considered in applying this subsection.

(3) The department may adopt rules, in accordance with federal regulations, establishing guidelines, including conditions, under which a disqualification for life under subsection (2) of this section may be reduced to a period of not less than ten years.

(4) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for life who uses a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance, as defined by chapter 69.50 RCW, or possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance, as defined by chapter 69.50 RCW.

(5) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of not less than sixty days if convicted of or found to have committed two serious traffic violations, or one hundred twenty days if convicted of or found to have committed three serious traffic violations, committed in a commercial motor vehicle arising from separate incidents occurring within a three-year period.

(6) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of:

(a) Not less than ninety days nor more than one year if convicted of or found to have committed a first violation of an out-of-service order while driving a commercial vehicle;

(b) Not less than one year nor more than five years if, during a ten-year period, the person is convicted of or is found to have committed two violations of out-of-service orders while driving a commercial vehicle in separate incidents;

(c) Not less than three years nor more than five years if, during a ten-year period, the person is convicted of or is found to have committed three or more violations of out-of-service orders while driving commercial vehicles in separate incidents;

(d) Not less than one hundred eighty days nor more than two years if the person is convicted of or is found to have committed a first violation of an out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (46 U.S.C. Sec. 1801-1813), or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver. A person is disqualified for a period of not less than three years nor more than five years if, during a ten-year period, the person is convicted of or is found to have committed subsequent violations of out-of-service orders, in separate incidents, while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver.

(7) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle if a report has been received by the department under section 2 of this act that the person has received a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test either as part of the testing program required by 49 C.F.R. 382 or 49 C.F.R. 40 or as part of a preemployment drug test. A disqualification under this subsection remains in effect until the person undergoes a drug and alcohol assessment by an agency certified by the department of social and health services and, if the person is classified as an alcoholic, drug addict, alcohol abuser, or drug abuser, until the person presents evidence of satisfactory participation in or successful completion of a drug or alcohol treatment program that has been certified by the department of social and health services under chapter 70.96A RCW and until the person has met the requirements of RCW 46.25.100. The agency making a drug and alcohol assessment under this section shall forward a diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendation to the department of licensing for use in determining the person's eligibility for driving a commercial motor vehicle. Persons who are disqualified under this subsection more than twice in a five-year period are disqualified for life.

(8) Within ten days after suspending, revoking, or canceling a commercial driver's license, the department shall update its records to reflect that action. After suspending, revoking, or canceling a nonresident commercial driver's privileges, the department shall notify the licensing authority of the state that issued the commercial driver's license.

Sec. 4. RCW 46.25.100 and 1989 c 178 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

When a person has been disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle, the person is not entitled to have the commercial driver's license restored until after the expiration of the appropriate disqualification period required under RCW 46.25.090 or until the department has received a drug and alcohol assessment and evidence is presented of satisfactory participation in or completion of any required drug or alcohol treatment program for ending the disqualification under RCW 46.25.090(7). After expiration of the appropriate period and upon payment of a requalification fee of twenty dollars, or one hundred fifty dollars if the person has been disqualified under RCW 46.25.090(7), the person may apply for a new, duplicate, or renewal commercial driver's license as provided by law. If the person has been disqualified for a period of one year or more, the person shall demonstrate that he or she meets the commercial driver's license qualification standards specified in RCW 46.25.060.

Sec. 5. RCW 46.25.120 and 1998 c 41 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person who drives a commercial motor vehicle within this state is deemed to have given consent, subject to RCW 46.61.506, to take a test or tests of that person's blood or breath for the purpose of determining that person's alcohol concentration or the presence of other drugs.

(2) A test or tests may be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer, who after stopping or detaining the commercial motor vehicle driver, has probable cause to believe that driver was driving a commercial motor vehicle while having alcohol in his or her system.

(3) The law enforcement officer requesting the test under subsection (1) of this section shall warn the person requested to submit to the test that a refusal to submit will result in that person being disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle under RCW 46.25.090.

(4) If the person refuses testing, or submits to a test that discloses an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more, the law enforcement officer shall submit a sworn report to the department certifying that the test was requested pursuant to subsection (1) of this section and that the person refused to submit to testing, or submitted to a test that disclosed an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.

(5) Upon receipt of the sworn report of a law enforcement officer under subsection (4) of this section, the department shall disqualify the driver from driving a commercial motor vehicle under RCW 46.25.090, subject to the hearing provisions of RCW 46.20.329 and 46.20.332. The hearing shall be conducted in the county of the arrest. For the purposes of this section, the hearing shall cover the issues of whether a law enforcement officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been driving or was in actual physical control of a commercial motor vehicle within this state while having alcohol in the person's system, whether the person refused to submit to the test or tests upon request of the officer after having been informed that the refusal would result in the disqualification of the person from driving a commercial motor vehicle, and, if the test was administered, whether the results indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or more. The department shall order that the disqualification of the person either be rescinded or sustained. Any decision by the department disqualifying a person from driving a commercial motor vehicle is stayed and does not take effect while a formal hearing is pending under this section or during the pendency of a subsequent appeal to superior court so long as there is no conviction for a moving violation or no finding that the person has committed a traffic infraction that is a moving violation during the pendency of the hearing and appeal. If the disqualification of the person is sustained after the hearing, the person who is disqualified may file a petition in the superior court of the county of arrest to review the final order of disqualification by the department in the manner provided in RCW 46.20.334.

(6) The hearing provisions of this section do not apply to those persons disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle under RCW 46.25.090(7).