2026-22121·DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs Using Oral Fluid (OFMG)

Proposed RuleComment Period OpenComments open

Published: Oct 29, 2026
Comments close: Dec 28, 2026
Citation: 91 FR 68364

Proposed revisions to mandatory guidelines.

Summary

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing updates to the “Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs Using Oral Fluid.” The changes are intended to modernize the rules that govern how federal agencies and contractors conduct drug tests with saliva samples, making the process more reliable, protecting employee privacy, and ensuring consistent practices across the government workforce. These revised guidelines would apply to all federal employees, civilian personnel, and contractors who are required to undergo drug testing under existing federal drug‑testing programs. By clarifying testing procedures, result interpretation, and chain‑of‑custody requirements, HHS aims to improve the accuracy of test results while reducing the burden on testing laboratories and workplace managers. The proposed rule was published on October 29, 2026, in the Federal Register (91 FR 68364). The public comment period closes on December 28, 2026. After that date, HHS will review the feedback, make any final adjustments, and then issue a final rule that will become effective once it is formally published.

AI-generated summary — verify against the Federal Register text.

Official abstract

The Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS" or "Department") is proposing to revise the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using Oral Fluid (OFMG) published on October 12, 2023.