With a dozen states still noncompliant with new federal guidelines for medical certification for commercial drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has modified a waiver intended to help states comply with the new rules.
Those new guidelines – known as the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration rule – went into effect in late June. Under the new regulations, medical examiners are required to electronically submit results from physicals to FMCSA and state licensing agencies within 24 hours of the exam. The new rule also eliminated the need for drivers to carry a paper copy of their medical certification card.
At the time the agency rolled out the regulations, 37 states were fully compliant with the new rule, with the remaining states expected to meet all requirements “in the coming months.” Since then, just one state has reached compliance – leaving Alaska, California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Vermont and Wyoming as the states still needing to implement the regulation.
In July, the agency issued a waiver to assist those noncompliant states. The waiver, set to expire Oct. 12, allows CDL holders to continue to use paper copies of medical examiner’s certificates as proof of their medical certification for up to 15 days after the date the certificate is issued.
“Through this waiver, FMCSA recognizes that some drivers may face delays as certified medical examiners and state driver’s licensing agencies transition from the paper-based process to the secure, electronic transmission of driver medical certification information under the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration (NRII) final rule,” the agency said in July. “FMCSA has determined that it is in the public interest to issue a waiver so that drivers with valid medical certification and their employers are not negatively impacted for delays outside of their control during the transition to NRII.”
More than a month after that waiver was issued, the same 12 states are still noncompliant with the new medical certification regulations.
In response, on Thursday, Aug. 21, FMCSA announced a modification to the waiver that will allow drivers to use the paper copy of their medical certification for up to 60 days after the certificate was issued. The agency added that it “strongly recommends” medical examiners continue issuing paper copies of the certificate to drivers – in addition to electronically submitting results – until further notice.
Despite adding an additional 45 days to the timeline that drivers can use a paper copy, the agency did not change the expiration date of the waiver, which is set to end on Oct. 12.
Land Line asked FMCSA if the October date would be a deadline for the remaining states to reach compliance with the regulation or if the waiver could possibly be extended past that date. A spokesperson for the agency said it would “continue to monitor the extent of delays and the need for regulatory relief during this transition.” LL
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