(a) Each large operator (having more than 50 covered employees) must submit an annual Management Information System (MIS) report to PHMSA of its anti-drug testing using the MIS form and instructions as required by 49 CFR part 40 (at § 40.26 and appendix H to part 40), not later than March 15 of each year for the prior calendar year (January 1 through December 31). The Administrator may require by notice in the PHMSA Portal (https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/phmsaportallanding) that small operators (50 or fewer covered employees), not otherwise required to submit annual MIS reports, to prepare and submit such reports to PHMSA.

(b) Each report required under this section must be submitted electronically at http://damis.dot.gov. An operator may obtain the user name and password needed for electronic reporting from the PHMSA Portal (https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/phmsaportallanding). If electronic reporting imposes an undue burden and hardship, the operator may submit a written request for an alternative reporting method to the Information Resources Manager, Office of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. The request must describe the undue burden and hardship. PHMSA will review the request and may authorize, in writing, an alternative reporting method. An authorization will state the period for which it is valid, which may be indefinite. An operator must contact PHMSA at 202-366-8075, or electronically to [email protected] to make arrangements for submitting a report that is due after a request for alternative reporting is submitted but before an authorization or denial is received.

(c) To calculate the total number of covered employees eligible for random testing throughout the year, as an operator, you must add the total number of covered employees eligible for testing during each random testing period for the year and divide that total by the number of random testing periods. Covered employees, and only covered employees, are to be in an employer's random testing pool, and all covered employees must be in the random pool. If you are an employer conducting random testing more often than once per month (e.g., you select daily, weekly, bi-weekly), you do not need to compute this total number of covered employees rate more than on a once per month basis.

(d) As an employer, you may use a service agent (e.g., C/TPA) to perform random selections for you; and your covered employees may be part of a larger random testing pool of covered employees. However, you must ensure that the service agent you use is testing at the appropriate percentage established for your industry and that only covered employees are in the random testing pool.

(e) Each operator that has a covered employee who performs multi-DOT agency functions (e.g., an employee performs pipeline maintenance duties and drives a commercial motor vehicle), count the employee only on the MIS report for the DOT agency under which he or she is randomly tested. Normally, this will be the DOT agency under which the employee performs more than 50% of his or her duties. Operators may have to explain the testing data for these employees in the event of a DOT agency inspection or audit.

(f) A service agent (e.g., Consortia/Third Party Administrator as defined in 49 CFR part 40) may prepare the MIS report on behalf of an operator. However, each report shall be certified by the operator's anti-drug manager or designated representative for accuracy and completeness.