NDASA Welcomes Congressional Letter Urging HHS Action on Oral Fluid Drug Testing

The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) stated that members of Congress have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging action on oral fluid drug testing. The letter, dated April 16, 2026, addresses HHS Secretary Robert F.

, and requests the removal of regulatory barriers that prevent the use of oral fluid testing in federally regulated safety-sensitive industries, according to Benzinga.

The initiative follows a coordinated advocacy campaign involving NDASA leaders and experts. , a drug testing expert. These individuals engaged with members of Congress and the HHS to promote the change. The campaign aimed to align federal workplace drug testing with updated technologies.

The letter was signed by Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD), Ben Cline (R-VA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Mike Bost (R-IL), Mike Collins (R-GA), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY). It urges immediate steps to protect public safety by enabling oral fluid testing under the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

Oral fluid testing involves collecting saliva samples to detect drugs, offering an alternative to urine testing in industries like transportation and aviation.

This would position SAMHSA to handle updates to drugs, cutoffs, testing technologies, and specimen types. The goal is to keep the federal drug testing program current and ensure safety in DOT-regulated sectors. Current regulations primarily rely on urine testing, but oral fluid methods could provide faster results and reduce cheating risks.

The push comes amid ongoing discussions on modernizing drug testing protocols. If implemented, the change could affect millions of workers in transportation and related fields, potentially improving detection accuracy and workplace safety.