Implementation date delayed until June 22, 2021
The implementation date for the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration final rule has been officially delayed for three years, according to a recent interim final rule issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The compliance date, originally slated for June 22, 2018, has been rescheduled until June 22, 2021. FMCSA indicates the action was necessary to provide additional time for IT (information technology) development for both the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) and the State Driver’s Licensing Agencies’ (SDLAs) systems.
What’s the process until June 22, 2021?
The final rule, once in place, will streamline the process to communicate the results of an FMCSA medical exam performed on a driver holding a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) or Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). However, with the delay, affected parties have been instructed to take the following actions through June 21, 2021:
- Certified medical examiners must continue issuing the original paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, to all qualified drivers, including CDL and CLP drivers.
- CLP/CDL drivers must continue:
- Providing the SDLA a copy of their Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876; and
- Carrying their Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, as proof of medical certification for the first 15 days following certification.
- Motor carriers must continue:
- Verifying that drivers were certified by a certified medical examiner listed on the National Registry; and
- Requesting a copy of a motor vehicle record within 15 days of the exam showing the medical status and exam were updated.
- SDLAs must continue processing paper copies of Medical Examiner’s Certificates, Form MCSA-5876, that they receive from drivers.
The interim final rule does not change the requirement for medical examiners to report results of all commercial motor vehicle driver physical examinations performed (including the results of examinations where the driver was found not to be qualified) to FMCSA by midnight (local time) of the next calendar day following the examination. The compliance date for this provision remains as June 22, 2018.
Source: https://www.jjkeller.com/learn/news/062018/FMCSA-officially-delays-implementation-of-Medical-Examiners-Certification-Integration-rule – June 20, 2018