The U.S. Department of Transportation has extended the period during which Substance Abuse Professionals and Service Agents can conduct remote interviews of individuals who have positive substance abuse test results.

DOT guidance on conducting remote interviews was initially issued in April in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance was set to expire on June 30, but it will now expire on September 30.

In other DOT news, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will allow transportation employers to associate their activity in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse with their USDOT numbers. According to the FMCSA, "This will enable employers to associate Clearinghouse activity (reporting violations, conducting queries, purchasing query plans, and designating consortia/third-party administrators (C/TPAs)) with a specified USDOT Number in their Portal account."