Tennessee has several laws regarding drug testing of employees. The "Department of Corrections Law" allows testing of DOC security personnel and is located in Title 41, Chapter 1, Part 1, Section 41-1-122 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. The "Drug-free Workplace Law" is more general and can be found in Title 50, Chapter 9 of the state code.
Drug Testing of Certain Personnel

• 41-1-122. Drug testing of certain personnel.

• 50-9-101. Legislative intent.
• 50-9-102. Applicability.
• 50-9-103. Definitions.
• 50-9-104. Testing for drugs or alcohol authorized - Conditions for testing - Effect of failure to comply.
• 50-9-105. Written policy statement.
• 50-9-106. Required drug or alcohol tests.
• 50-9-107. Testing subject to department of transportation procedures - Verification - Chain of custody procedures - Costs - Discrimination on grounds of voluntary treatment prohibited.
• 50-9-108. Drug or alcohol use not "handicap" or "disability" - Drug or alcohol use "cause" for firing or failure to hire - Miscellaneous provisions.
• 50-9-109. Confidentiality of records / Parental notification.
• 50-9-112. Temporary employment agencies exempt from drug-free workplace requirements.

(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of the law to the contrary, the commissioner of correction has the authority to require security personnel employed by the department of correction to submit to drug tests. If the result of the initial test is positive, the department shall administer a different reliable confirmatory test for the purpose of determining whether such employee is or has in the immediate past twenty-four (24) hours used a controlled substance which caused impairment of the employee's work performance.

(b) Before the commissioner can require any employee to submit to the drug tests authorized by subsection (a), the commissioner must have a reasonable suspicion based upon specific objective facts that the employee's faculties are impaired on the job, and such impairment presents a clear and present danger to the physical safety of the employee, another employee, or the security of the institution. Such specific objective facts shall be provided the employee in writing prior to requiring tests. The employee subject to the tests shall be given the opportunity to explain the occurrence of suspicious behavior, and a viable explanation shall vitiate the requirement that the employee submit to the tests.

(c) If the results of the drug tests are confirmed pursuant to subsection (a), the employee shall be provided a copy of the tests results, including confirmatory tests. All test results, including screening and confirmatory tests, must be reviewed by a qualified individual meeting certification requirements of a recognized board of toxicology. All test results shall identify the specific drugs or metabolites tested and found, whether positive or negative. The commissioner shall require precautionary measures to ensure the confidentiality of all testing information and results and shall not release any testing information to anyone other than the tested employee without written permission of the tested employee. The commissioner shall ensure that the testing of controlled substances shall not be used to test for any other medical or bodily condition. The commissioner shall provide the tested employee a reasonable opportunity to rebut or explain the test results.

(d) If confirmatory tests verify the use of a controlled substance affecting the employee's job performance pursuant to subsections (a), (b) and (c), the commissioner shall be empowered to take appropriate disciplinary action based only upon the employee's job performance and pursuant to title 8, chapter 30. The commissioner shall provide employee counseling and rehabilitation with reasonable accommodation and support of the rehabilitation program. Following successful completion of a rehabilitation program and two (2) years of unimpaired job performance, any reference to testing or rehabilitation shall be expunged from any and all records. Reasonable efforts shall be made to safeguard the privacy of any employee required to enroll in a rehabilitation program.

(e) If the initial or confirmatory test results are negative, any information, including the results of such test, shall be expunged from all files and records after being made available to the tested employee.

(f) The commissioner is responsible for all costs associated with drug tests administered at the request of the department.

(g) Prior to implementation of any testing program, the department shall promulgate a specific, written policy pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, authorizing the tests, procedures, confidentiality and expungement provision of this section. The policy shall include the requirement that the employee have an opportunity to have an independent analysis of the sample conducted by the laboratory of the employee's choice.

(h) If any employee refuses to submit to the test, the employee shall have the option of entering a rehabilitation program pursuant to subsection (d).

(i) The commissioner shall have the burden of proving that all foregoing provisions of this section have been followed.

(j) If any provision of this section shall be rendered unconstitutional by the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of Tennessee or invalid by the laws of the United States or the laws of the state of Tennessee, the unconstitutional or invalid provision of this section may be deleted by the courts if the deletion will not destroy the integrity, intent, or function of this section.

50-9-101. Legislative intent.

(a) It is the intent of the general assembly to promote drug-free workplaces in order that employers in this state be afforded the opportunity to maximize their levels of productivity, enhance their competitive positions in the marketplace and reach their desired levels of success without experiencing the costs, delays and tragedies associated with work-related accidents resulting from drug or alcohol abuse by employees. It is further the intent of the general assembly that drug and alcohol abuse be discouraged and that employees who choose to engage in drug or alcohol abuse face the risk of unemployment and the forfeiture of workers' compensation benefits.

(b) If an employer implements a drug-free workplace program in accordance with this chapter which includes notice, education and procedural requirements for testing for drugs and alcohol pursuant to rules developed by the division, the covered employer may require the employee to submit to a test for the presence of drugs or alcohol and, if a drug or alcohol is found to be present in the employee's system at a level prescribed by statute or by rule adopted pursuant to this chapter, the employee may be terminated and forfeits eligibility for workers' compensation medical and indemnity benefits. However, a drug-free workplace program must require the covered employer to notify all employees that it is a condition of employment for an employee to refrain from reporting to work or working with the presence of drugs or alcohol in the employee's body and, if an injured employee refuses to submit to a test for drugs or alcohol, the employee forfeits eligibility for workers' compensation medical and indemnity benefits.

50-9-102. Applicability.

Sections 50-9-103 through 50-9-111, inclusive, apply to a drug-free workplace program implemented pursuant to rules adopted by the commissioner of labor and workforce development. The application of the provisions of this chapter is subject to the provisions of any applicable collective bargaining agreement. Nothing in the program authorized by this chapter is intended to authorize any employer to test any applicant or employee for alcohol or drugs in any manner inconsistent with federal constitutional or statutory requirements, including those imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the National Labor Relations Act.

50-9-103. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Alcohol" has the same meaning in this chapter when used in the federal regulations describing the procedures used for testing of alcohol by programs operating pursuant to the authority of the United States department of transportation, currently compiled at 49 C.F.R. part 40. It is intended that the definition shall change as the department of transportation's regulations are revised;

(2) "Alcohol test" means an analysis of breath, or blood, or any other analysis which determines the presence and level or absence of alcohol as authorized by the United States department of transportation in its rules and guidelines concerning alcohol testing and drug testing;

(3) "Chain of custody" refers to the methodology of tracking specified materials or substances for the purpose of maintaining control and accountability from initial collection to final disposition for all such materials or substances, and providing for accountability at each stage in handling, testing and storing specimens and reporting test results;

(4) "Confirmation test," "confirmed test" or "confirmed drug or alcohol test" means a second analytical procedure used to identify the presence of a specific drug or alcohol or metabolite in a specimen, which test must be different in scientific principle from that of the initial test procedure and must be capable of providing requisite specificity, sensitivity and quantitative accuracy;

(5) "Covered employer" means a person or entity that employs a person, is covered by the Workers' Compensation Law, maintains a drug-free workplace pursuant to this chapter and includes on the posting required by Sec. 50-9-105 a specific statement that the policy is being implemented pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. This chapter shall have no effect on employers who do not meet this definition;

(6) "Drug" means any controlled substance subject to testing pursuant to drug testing regulations adopted by the United States department of transportation. A covered employer shall test an individual for all such drugs in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The commissioner of labor and workforce development may add additional drugs by rule in accordance with Sec. 50-9-111;

(7) "Drug or alcohol rehabilitation program" means a service provider that provides confidential, timely and expert identification, assessment and resolution of employee drug or alcohol abuse;

(8) "Drug test" or "test" means any chemical, biological or physical instrumental analysis administered by a laboratory authorized to do so pursuant to this chapter, for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a drug or its metabolites pursuant to regulations governing drug testing adopted by the United States department of transportation or such other recognized authority approved by rule by the commissioner of labor and workforce development;

(9) "Employee" means any person who works for salary, wages or other remuneration for a covered employer;

(10) "Employee assistance program" means an established program capable of providing expert assessment of employee personal concerns; confidential and timely identification services with regard to employee drug or alcohol abuse; referrals of employees for appropriate diagnosis, treatment and assistance; and follow-up services for employees who participate in the program or require monitoring after returning to work. If, in addition to the above activities, an employee assistance program provides diagnostic and treatment services, these services shall in all cases be provided by the program;

(11) "Employer" means a person or entity that employs a person and that is covered by the Workers' Compensation Law;

(12) "Initial drug or alcohol test" means a procedure that qualifies as a "screening test" or "initial test" pursuant to regulations governing drug or alcohol testing adopted by the United States department of transportation or such other recognized authority approved by rule by the commissioner of labor and workforce development;

(13) "Job applicant" means a person who has applied for a position with a covered employer and who has been offered employment conditioned upon successfully passing a drug or alcohol test, and may have begun work pending the results of the drug or alcohol test;

(14) "Medical review officer" or "MRO" means a licensed physician, employed with or contracted with a covered employer, who has knowledge of substance abuse disorders, laboratory testing procedures and chain of custody collection procedures; who verifies positive, confirmed test results; and who has the necessary medical training to interpret and evaluate an employee's positive test result in relation to the employee's medical history or any other relevant biomedical information;

(15) "Reasonable-suspicion drug testing" means drug or alcohol testing based on a belief that an employee is using or has used drugs or alcohol in violation of the covered employer's policy drawn from specific objective and articulable facts and reasonable inferences drawn from those facts in light of experience. Among other things, such facts and inferences may be based upon:

(A) Observable phenomena while at work, such as direct observation of drug or alcohol use or of the physical symptoms or manifestations of being under the influence of a drug or alcohol;

(B) Abnormal conduct or erratic behavior while at work or a significant deterioration in work performance;

(C) A report of drug or alcohol use, provided by a reliable and credible source;

(D) Evidence that an individual has tampered with a drug or alcohol test during employment with the current covered employer;

(E) Information that an employee has caused, contributed to or been involved in an accident while at work; or

(F) Evidence that an employee has used, possessed, sold, solicited or transferred drugs or used alcohol while working or while on the covered employer's premises or while operating the covered employer's vehicle, machinery or
equipment;

(16) "Safety-sensitive position" means a position involving a safety-sensitive function pursuant to regulations governing drug or alcohol testing adopted by the United States department of transportation. For drug-free workplaces, the commissioner is authorized, with the approval of the advisory council on workers' compensation, to promulgate rules expanding the scope of safety-sensitive position to cases where impairment may present a clear and present risk to co-workers or other persons. "Safety-sensitive position" means, with respect to any employer, a position in which a drug or alcohol impairment constitutes an immediate and direct threat to public health or safety, such as a position that requires the employee to carry a firearm, perform life-threatening procedures, work with confidential information or documents pertaining to criminal investigations or work with controlled substances; or a position in which a momentary lapse in attention could result in injury or death to another person; and

(17) "Specimen" means tissue, fluid or a product of the human body capable of revealing the presence of alcohol or drugs or their metabolites.

50-9-104. Testing for drugs or alcohol authorized - Conditions for testing - Effect of failure to comply.

(a) A covered employer may test a job applicant for alcohol or for any drug described in Sec. 50-9-103; provided, that for public employees such testing shall be limited to the extent permitted by the Tennessee and federal constitutions. A covered employer may test an employee for any drug defined in Sec. 50-9-103(6) and at any time set out in Sec. 50-9-106. An employee who is not in a "safety-sensitive position," as defined in Sec. 50-9-103(16), may be tested for alcohol only when the test is based upon "reasonable suspicion," as defined in Sec. 50-9-103(15). An employee in a safety-sensitive position may be tested for alcohol use at any occasion described in Sec. 50-9-106(a)(2)-(5), inclusive. In order to qualify as having established a drug-free workplace program which affords a covered employer the ability to qualify for the discounts provided under Sec. 50-6-418 and deny workers' compensation medical and indemnity benefits and shift the burden of proof under Sec. 50-6-110(c), all drug or alcohol testing conducted by covered employers shall be in conformity with the standards and procedures established in this chapter and all applicable rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. If a covered employer fails to maintain a drug-free workplace program in accordance with the standards and procedures established in this section and in applicable rules, the covered employer shall not be eligible for:

(1) Discounts under Sec. 50-6-418;

(2) A shift in the burden of proof pursuant to Sec. 50-6-110(c); or

(3) Denial of workers' compensation medical and indemnity benefits pursuant to this chapter. All covered employers qualifying for and receiving discounts provided under Sec. 50-6-418 must be reported annually by the insurer to the division.

(b) The commissioner of labor and workforce development shall adopt a form pursuant to rulemaking authority, which form shall be used by the employer to certify compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Substantial compliance in completing and filing the form with the commissioner shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer has established a drug-free workplace program and is entitled to the protection and benefit of this chapter. Prior to granting any premium credit to an employer pursuant to Sec. 50-6-418, all insurers and self-insured pools under chapter 6, part 4 of this title, shall obtain such form from the employer. Not less than monthly insurers and self-insured pools shall submit such forms to the department of labor and workforce development. Any other employer desiring to establish a drug-free workplace shall file such form with the department.

(c) It is intended that any employer required to test its employees pursuant to the requirements of any federal statute or regulation shall be deemed to be in conformity with this section as to the employees it is required to test by those standards and procedures designated in that federal statute or regulation. All other employees of such employer shall be subject to testing as provided in this chapter in order for such employer to qualify as having a drug-free workplace program.

50-9-105. Written policy statement.

(a) One (1) time only, prior to testing, a covered employer shall give all employees and job applicants for employment a written policy statement which contains:

(1) A general statement of the covered employer's policy on employee drug or alcohol use, which must identify:

(A) The types of drug or alcohol testing an employee or job applicant may be required to submit to, including reasonable-suspicion drug or alcohol testing or drug or alcohol testing conducted on any other basis; and

(B) The actions the covered employer may take against an employee or job applicant on the basis of a positive confirmed drug or alcohol test result;

(2) A statement advising the employee or job applicant of the existence of this section;

(3) A general statement concerning confidentiality;

(4) Procedures for employees and job applicants to confidentially report to a medical review officer the use of prescription or nonprescription medications to a medical review officer after being tested, but only if the testing process has revealed a positive result for the presence of alcohol or drug use;

(5) The consequences of refusing to submit to a drug or alcohol test;

(6) A representative sampling of names, addresses and telephone numbers of employee assistance programs and local drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs;

(7) A statement that an employee or job applicant who receives a positive confirmed test result may contest or explain the result to the medical review officer within five (5) working days after receiving written notification of the test result; that if an employee's or job applicant's explanation or challenge is unsatisfactory to the medical review officer, the medical review officer shall report a positive test result back to the covered employer; and that a person may contest the drug or alcohol test result pursuant to rules adopted by the department of labor and workforce development;

(8) A statement informing the employee or job applicant of the employee's responsibility to notify the laboratory of any administrative or civil action brought pursuant to this section;

(9) A list of all drug classes for which the employer may test;

(10) A statement regarding any applicable collective bargaining agreement or contract and any right to appeal to the applicable court;

(11) A statement notifying employees and job applicants of their right to consult with a medical review officer for technical information regarding prescription or nonprescription medication; and

(12) A statement complying with the requirements for notice under Sec. 50-9-101(b).

(b) A covered employer shall ensure that at least sixty (60) days elapse between a general one-time notice to all employees that a drug-free workplace program is being implemented and the effective date of the program. Such notice shall also indicate that on the effective date of the program that Sec. 50-6-110(c) will apply to that employer.

(c) A covered employer shall include notice of drug and alcohol testing on vacancy announcements for positions for which drug or alcohol testing is required. A notice of the covered employer's drug and alcohol testing policy must also be posted in an appropriate and conspicuous location on the covered employer's premises, and copies of the policy must be made available for inspection by the employees or job applicants of the covered employer during regular business hours in the covered employer's personnel office or other suitable locations.

(d) Subject to any applicable provisions of a collective bargaining agreement or any applicable labor law, a covered employer may rescind its coverage under this chapter by posting a written and dated notice in an appropriate and conspicuous location on its premises. The notice shall state that the policy will no longer be conducted pursuant to this chapter. The employer shall also provide sixty (60) days' written notice to the employer's workers' compensation insurer of the rescission. As to employees and job applicants, the recession shall become effective no earlier than sixty (60) days after the date of the posted notice.

(e) The commissioner of labor and workforce development shall develop a model notice and policy for drug-free workplace programs.

(f) Any notice required by this section shall inform minors who are tested that the minor's parents or guardians will be notified of the results of tests conducted pursuant to this chapter.

50-9-106. Required drug or alcohol tests.

(a) To the extent permitted by law, a covered employer who establishes a drug-free workplace is required to conduct the following types of drug or alcohol tests:

(1) Job Applicant Drug and Alcohol Testing. A covered employer must, after a conditional offer of employment, require job applicants to submit to a drug test and may use a refusal to submit to a drug test or a positive confirmed drug test as a basis for refusing to hire a job applicant. An employer may, but is not required to, test job applicants, after a conditional offer of employment, for alcohol. Limited testing of applicants, only if it is based on a reasonable classification basis, is permissible in accordance with division rule;

(2) Reasonable-Suspicion Drug and Alcohol Testing. A covered employer must require an employee to submit to reasonable-suspicion drug or alcohol testing. A written record shall be made of the observations leading to a controlled substances reasonable suspicion test within twenty-four (24) hours of the observed behavior or before the results of the test are released, whichever is earlier. A copy of this documentation shall be given to the employee upon request, and the original documentation shall be kept confidential by the covered employer pursuant to Sec. 50-9-109 and shall be retained by the covered employer for at least one (1) year;

(3) Routine Fitness-For-Duty Drug Testing. A covered employer shall require an employee to undergo drug or alcohol testing if, as a part of the employer's written policy, the test is conducted as a routine part of a routinely scheduled employee fitness-for-duty medical examination, or is scheduled routinely for all members of an employment classification or group; provided, that a public employer may require scheduled, periodic testing only of employees who:

(A) Are police or peace officers;

(B) Have drug interdiction responsibilities;

(C) Are authorized to carry firearms;

(D) Are engaged in activities which directly affect the safety of others;

(E) Work in direct contact with inmates in the custody of the department of correction; or

(F) Work in direct contact with minors who have been adjudicated delinquent or who are in need of supervision in the custody of the department of children's services.

This subdivision does not require a drug or alcohol test if a covered employer's personnel policy on July 1, 1998, does not include drug or alcohol testing as part of a routine fitness-for-duty medical examination. The test shall be conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner. Routine fitness-for-duty drug or alcohol testing of employees does not apply to volunteer employee health screenings, employee wellness programs, programs mandated by governmental agencies, or medical surveillance procedures that involve limited examinations targeted to a particular body part or function.

(4) Follow-Up Drug Testing. If the employee in the course of employment enters an employee assistance program for drug-related or alcohol-related problems, or a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program, the covered employer must require the employee to submit to a drug and alcohol test, as appropriate, as a follow-up to such program, unless the employee voluntarily entered the program. In those cases, the covered employer has the option to not require follow-up testing. If follow-up testing is required, it must be conducted at least once a year for a two-year period after completion of the program. Advance notice of a follow-up testing date must not be given to the employee to be tested; and

(5) Post-Accident Testing. After an accident which results in an injury, as defined in chapter 3 of this title, and the rules promulgated thereunder, the covered employer shall require the employee to submit to a drug or alcohol test in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(b) This chapter does not preclude an employer from conducting any lawful testing of employees for drugs or alcohol that is in addition to the minimum testing required under this chapter.

50-9-107. Testing subject to department of transportation procedures - Verification - Chain of custody procedures - Costs - Discrimination on grounds of voluntary treatment prohibited.

(a) All specimen collection and testing for drugs and alcohol under this chapter shall be performed in accordance with the procedures provided for by the United States department of transportation rules for workplace drug and alcohol testing compiled at 49 C.F.R., Part 40.

(b) A covered employer may not discharge, discipline, refuse to hire, discriminate against or request or require rehabilitation of an employee or job applicant on the sole basis of a positive test result that has not been verified by a confirmation test and by a medical review officer.

(c) A covered employer that performs drug testing or specimen collection shall use chain-of-custody procedures established by regulations of the United States department of transportation or such other recognized authority approved by rule by the commissioner of labor and workforce development governing drug testing.

(d) A covered employer shall pay the cost of all drug and alcohol tests, initial and confirmation, which the covered employer requires of employees. An employee or job applicant shall pay the costs of any additional drug or alcohol tests not required by the covered employer.

(e) A covered employer shall not discharge, discipline or discriminate against an employee solely upon the employee's voluntarily seeking treatment, while under the employ of the covered employer, for a drug-related or alcohol-related problem if the employee has not previously tested positive for drug or alcohol use, entered an employee assistance program for drug-related or alcohol-related problems or entered a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program. Unless otherwise provided by a collective bargaining agreement, a covered employer may select the employee assistance program or drug or alcohol rehabilitation program if the covered employer pays the cost of the employee's participation in the program. However, nothing in this chapter is intended to require any employer to permit or provide such a rehabilitation program.

(f) If drug or alcohol testing is conducted based on reasonable suspicion, the covered employer shall promptly detail in writing the circumstances which formed the basis of the determination that reasonable suspicion existed to warrant the testing. A copy of this documentation shall be given to the employee upon request and the original documentation shall be kept confidential by the covered employer pursuant to Sec. 50-9-109, and shall be retained by the covered employer for at least one
(1) year.

50-9-108. Drug or alcohol use not "handicap" or "disability" - Drug or alcohol use "cause" for firing or failure to hire - Miscellaneous provisions.

(a) An employee or job applicant whose drug or alcohol test result is confirmed as positive in accordance with this section shall not, by virtue of the result alone, be deemed to have a "handicap" or "disability" as defined under federal, state or local handicap and disability discrimination laws.

(b) A covered employer who discharges or disciplines an employee or refuses to hire a job applicant in compliance with this section is considered to have discharged, disciplined or refused to hire for cause.

(c) No physician-patient relationship is created between an employee or job applicant and a covered employer or any person performing or evaluating a drug or alcohol test, solely by the establishment, implementation or administration of a drug or alcohol testing program. This section in no way relieves the person performing the test from responsibility for acts of negligence in performing the tests.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a covered employer from establishing reasonable work rules related to employee possession, use, sale or solicitation of drugs or alcohol, including convictions for offenses relating to drugs or alcohol, and taking action based upon a violation of any of those rules.

(e) This section does not operate retroactively, and does not abrogate the right of an employer under state law to lawfully conduct drug or alcohol tests, or implement lawful employee drug-testing programs. The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit an employer from conducting any drug or alcohol testing of employees which is otherwise permitted by law.

(f) If an employee or job applicant refuses to submit to a drug or alcohol test, the covered employer is not barred from discharging or disciplining the employee or from refusing to hire the job applicant. However, this subsection does not abrogate the rights and remedies of the employee or job applicant as otherwise provided in this section.

(g) This section does not prohibit an employer from conducting medical screening or other tests required, permitted or not disallowed by any statute, rule or regulation for the purpose of monitoring exposure of employees to toxic or other unhealthy substances in the workplace or in the performance of job responsibilities. Such screening or testing is limited to the specific substances expressly identified in the applicable statute, rule or regulation, unless prior written consent of the employee is obtained for other tests. Such screening or testing need not be in compliance with the rules adopted by the department of labor and workforce development and department of health. If applicable, such drug or alcohol testing must be specified in a collective bargaining agreement as negotiated by the appropriate certified bargaining agent before such testing is implemented.

(h) No cause of action shall arise in favor of any person based upon the failure of an employer to establish a program or policy for drug or alcohol testing.

50-9-109. Confidentiality of records / Parental notification.

(a) All information, interviews, reports, statements, memoranda and drug or alcohol test results, written or otherwise, received by the covered employer through a drug or alcohol testing program are confidential communications and may not be used or received in evidence, obtained in discovery or disclosed in any public or private proceedings, except in accordance with this section or in determining compensability under this chapter.

(b) Covered employers, laboratories, medical review officers, employee assistance programs, drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs and their agents who receive or have access to information concerning drug or alcohol test results shall keep all information confidential. Release of such information under any other circumstance is authorized solely pursuant to a written consent form signed voluntarily by the person tested, unless such release is compelled by a hearing officer or a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to an appeal taken under this section, relevant to a legal claim asserted by the employee or is deemed appropriate by a professional or occupational licensing board in a related disciplinary proceeding. The consent form must contain, at a minimum:

(1) The name of the person who is authorized to obtain the information;

(2) The purpose of the disclosure;

(3) The precise information to be disclosed;

(4) The duration of the consent; and

(5) The signature of the person authorizing release of the information.

(c) Information on drug or alcohol test results for tests administered pursuant to this chapter shall not be released or used in any criminal proceeding against the employee or job applicant. Information released contrary to this section is inadmissible as evidence in any such criminal proceeding.

(d) This section does not prohibit a covered employer, agent of such employer or laboratory conducting a drug or alcohol test from having access to employee drug or alcohol test information or using such information when consulting with legal counsel in connection with actions brought under or related to this section, or when the information is relevant to its defense in a civil or administrative matter. Neither is this section intended to prohibit disclosure among management as is reasonably necessary for making disciplinary decisions relating to violations of drug or alcohol standards of conduct adopted by an employer.

(e) A covered employer shall notify the parents or legal guardians of a minor of the results of any drug or alcohol testing program conducted pursuant to this chapter. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, an employer is authorized to disclose such results to parents and guardians and an employer shall not be liable for any disclosure permitted by this subsection.

50-9-112. Temporary employment agencies exempt from drug-free workplace requirements.

A temporary employment agency shall not be required by rule, regulation or policy of the department of labor and workforce development to implement a drug-free workplace pursuant to this chapter.

50-6-418. Rating plans based on drug-free workplace program participation.

The department of commerce and insurance shall approve rating plans for workers' compensation insurance that give specific identifiable consideration in the setting of rates to employers that implement a drug-free workplace program pursuant to rules adopted by the division of workers' compensation of the department of labor and workforce development. The plans must take effect January 1, 1997, must be actuarially sound, and must state the savings anticipated to result from such drug testing. The credit shall be at least five percent (5%) unless the commissioner of commerce and insurance determines that five percent (5%) is actuarially unsound. The commissioner is also authorized to develop a schedule of premium credits for workers' compensation insurance for employers who have safety programs that attain certain criteria for safety programs. The commissioner shall consult with the commissioner of labor and workforce development in setting such criteria.

50-9-113. State and local government construction contracts.

(a) Each employer with no less than five (5) employees receiving pay who contracts with the state or any local government to provide construction services or who is awarded a contract to provide construction services or who provides construction services to the state or local government shall submit an affidavit stating that such employer has a drug-free workplace program that complies with this chapter, in effect at the time of such submission of a bid at least to the extent required of governmental entities. Any private employer that certifies compliance with the drug-free workplace program, only to the extent required by this section, shall not receive any reduction in workers' compensation premiums and shall not be entitled to any other benefit provided by compliance with the drug-free workplace program set forth in this chapter. Nothing in this section shall be construed to reduce or diminish the rights or privileges of any private employer who has a drug-free workplace program that fully complies with this chapter. For purposes of compliance with this section, any private employer shall obtain a certificate of compliance with the applicable portions of the Drug-free Workplace Act from the department of labor and workforce development. No local government or state governmental entity shall enter into any contract or award a contract for construction services with an employer who does not comply with the provisions of this section.

(b) For the purposes of this section, "employer" does not include any utility or unit of local government. "Employer" includes any private company and/or corporation.

(c) If it is determined that an employer subject to the provisions of this section has entered into a contract with a local government or state agency and such employer does not have a drug-free workplace pursuant to this section, such employer shall be prohibited from entering into another contract with any local government or state agency until such employer can prove compliance with the drug-free workplace program pursuant to this section. If the same employer again contracts with any local government or state agency and does not have a drug-free workplace program pursuant to this section, then such employer shall be prohibited from entering into another contract with any local government or state agency for not less than three (3) months from the date such violation was discovered and verified and shall be prohibited from entering into another contract until such employer complies with the drug-free workplace program pursuant to this section. If the same employer for a third time contracts with any local government or state agency and does not have a drug-free workplace program pursuant to this section, then such employer shall be prohibited from entering into another contract with any local government or state agency for not less than one (1) year from the date such violation was discovered and verified and shall be prohibited from entering into another contract until such employer complies with the drug-free workplace program pursuant to this section.

(d) A written affidavit by the principal officer of a covered employer provided to a local government at the time such bid or contract is submitted stating that the employer is in compliance with this section shall absolve the local government of all further responsibility under this section and any liability arising from the employer's compliance or failure of compliance with the provisions of this section.