• A representative from FMCSA will explain the medical requirements drivers, doctors, and school districts need to meet to drive a school bus.

• Other commercial vehicle requirements will be provided and explained.

• At this workshop you can also bring your questions and ask for clarification on issues that may be happening in your department.

Workshop Description

Donald Ross - Safety Investigator

FMCSA Washington State Division

June 2015 WA Association for Pupil Transportation Conference

9:30am to 10:40am1:30pm to 2:45pm

Workshop:

FMCSA’s Explanation of the Medical Certification Requirements/Process and other Commercial Driver Licensing Requirements.

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Background

Who is FMCSA?• A Modal Administration in the USDOT • Mission

What Does FMCSA do?• Develop, publish, & enforce CMV safety rules (industry & states)• Provides grants to states (WSP, DOT, DOL)• Oversight

• Industry: roadside inspections, audits, & penalties• States: compliance reviews & withhold grants

Who am I• FMCSA structure• HQ – Region – Division

Why?Addresses safety vulnerabilities

non-compliant exams & creates jurisdiction over M.E.’sEffective as of 5/21/2014

Exams after this date conducted by a non-NR ME are not valid

Steps1) M.E. obtains training

Re-trained every 5 years

2) M.E. pass test 30 day waiting period if failed Re-test every 10 years

3) Monthly completion form MCSA-5850 4) Medical Certificate forms submitted to FMCSA in 48 hours

National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

Washington State StatusRCW 46.25.055 (DOL) requires CDL drivers to have

medical cert CDL School bus drivers CDL government drivers

782 Medical Examiners on the Registry [as of 6/15/15]

Thousands of CDL’s have been downgraded due to failure to self certify or provide medical card

Thoroughness of exams has increased – watch out for fraud

National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

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Drivers need to: Self Certify with DOL

Interstate non-excepted *must keep medical card updated with DOL Interstate excepted Intrastate non-excepted *intrastate restriction applied to license Intrastate excepted *intrastate restriction applied to license

Provide & maintain current medical card to DOL Initial submission must be in person future submissions can be mailed, faxed, or emailed

Consequences for failure to keep medical current: Letter sent to driver 45 days prior to medical expiration date License is downgraded the day of expiration

Medical Certification / Commercial Drivers License

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Employers need to:Obtain Initial and Annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR)

Self Certification Status: is it accurate? Restrictions: intrastate? Medical certification status: is it valid? Look for all information from medical examiner’s certificate (including registry #)

Maintain Medical Card in driver’s qualification file

Verify National Registry information - 391.23(m)(1) As of May 21, 2014, verify the driver was certified by a medical examiner listed

on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Document verification in the DQ file before allowing the driver to operate a

CMV.

Medical Certification / Commercial Drivers License

Next Step: Medical Certificate Integration Rule

Federal Register, Final Rule published: 6/9/2015

DOL’s to obtain medical information directly from the medical examiner (through FMCSA system). Driver no longer will provide the medical card to DOL Fraud opportunities reduced

Required to be in place by June 2018

Monthly completion form MCSA-5850

Medical Certificate forms submitted to FMCSA in 48 hours

National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

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Q&A

• Question & Answer Session

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End

Donald Ross: FMCSA Safety Investigator (WA)360-753-9021