New regs for Friday: HIV organ donations, trains, alcohol and drug testing

Friday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for harvesting organs from people infected with HIV, alcohol and drug testing requirements for NASA contractors, energy conservation standards for pool pumps, and safety requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials.

Here’s what is happening:

Efficiency: The Department of Energy (DOE) is considering new energy conservation standards for dedicated-purpose pool pumps.

{mosads}The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on Thursday issued a request for information, the results of which the agency will use as it considers whether and how to regulate.

The agency says it is trying to determine the “feasibility” of energy conservation standards and which testing methods it could implement.

The public has 45 days to comment.

HIV: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is moving forward with new rules allowing organs to be harvested from people who were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) before they died.

Those organs could only be implanted in other patients who are also infected with HIV and are participating in clinical research.

For decades, HHS has prevented people with HIV from donating their organs when they die.

The rule goes into effect in 30 days.

Drug testing: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is proposing to revise the drug and alcohol testing requirements for certain government contractor employees.

Employees of government contractors who operate in mission-critical positions would be subject to pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, random and post-accident drug and alcohol testing.

The drugs they test for would be expanded to include amphetamines, opiates and phencyclidine.

“The greatest efforts must be expended to eliminate the abuse of alcohol and use of illegal drugs,” the agency wrote.

The public has 60 days to comment.

Trains: The Department of Transportation is moving forward with new safety requirements for trains carrying flammable liquids like petroleum.

The Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will regulate the speed, braking systems and routes traveled by these high-hazard flammable trains. 

The safety requirements will also include tank car design standards, the agency said.

“These operational and safety improvements are necessary to address the unique risks associated with the growing reliance on trains to transport large quantities of flammable liquids,” the agency said.

The rules go into effect in 60 days.