A U.S. District Court in Minnesota ruled that federal drug testing regulations preempt the state’s Drug and Alcohol
Testing in the Workplace Act (DATWA) for safety-sensitive positions. The case involved an employee who was
terminated after failing a random drug test, alleging violations of DATWA. The court found that complying with both
federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations and DATWA was impossible, as federal law mandates
immediate removal from safety-sensitive duties upon a positive test. Therefore, the federal regulations superseded the
state law, and the employee’s claims were dismissed.
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