# Petition for Rulemaking; Notification of Petition for Rulemaking; Invalid Specimen Determinations

**Action Urgency Score:** 20/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | Transportation Department |
| Type | Proposed rule |
| Action | Notification of petition for rulemaking; request for comments. |
| Published | 2026-10-01 |
| Comments close | 2026-11-02 |
| Significant | No |
| CFR parts | 49 CFR 40 |
| Summary | This document announces receipt of a petition for rulemaking received by DOT on February 27, 2026, to initiate a rulemaking to amend 49 CFR part 40. The petitioner's proposed amendments seek to incorporate structured medical verification standards when an employee asserts a plausible medical explanation for abnormal specimen validity findings, including abnormal pH values. Specifically, the petitioner proposes: a defined and finite documentation submission window; required written Medical Review Officer determinations addressing submitted documentation; defined evaluation standards for abnorma |
| Document number | 2026-20169 |

## Why this score


Source: Federal Register API (Office of the Federal Register) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/01/2026-20169/petition-for-rulemaking-notification-of-petition-for-rulemaking-invalid-specimen-determinations). Last refreshed: 2026-11-04T09:17:43.641Z.
Data from the Federal Register API; the published Federal Register document is authoritative. Informational only, not legal advice.