On July 30, 2009, the Department of Transportation issued a final rule reinstating the direct observation drug testing procedures recently approved by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The final rule, which goes into effect on August 31, 2009, requires that all return-to-duty and follow-up tests be conducted in a manner that permits the direct observation of specimen collection to prevent the use of prosthetic or other cheating devices.