A Democratic congresswoman is pushing the federal government to consider “relaxing” strict drug testing rules for transportation workers that punish people for marijuana use outside of work hours that doesn’t actually lead to being high on the job.
Rep. Emily Randall (D-WA) told colleagues at a hearing this month that current policy is impeding efforts to ensure there’s a “robust workforce” to staff ferries that are a popular form of transportation in her home state of Washington.
The congresswoman, who is a co-chair of the Congressional Ferry Caucus, said lawmakers need to be open to “creative solutions” to the problem.
“Federal regulations require drug testing for some maritime employees in safety-sensitive positions, including ferry workers,” she said. We could consider relaxing the rules around recreational marijuana use in states where it’s legal, as long as it’s not used on the job and outside a certain window before their shift.”
“Right now, you could drug test positive for a month or longer after using legal recreational marijuana in Washington and be unable to work as a ferry operator,” Randall said at the the “member day” hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Randall is cosponsoring legislation to federally
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