The FAA late last month adopted a 2004 notice of proposed rulemaking amending airman medical standards so that a refusal to submit to a required drug or alcohol test carries the same penalty as failure of a test–revocation or disqualification from holding an airman medical certificate. The same penalty awaits a pilot with an alcohol test result of an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater in a blood or breath specimen. The new rules also allow suspension or revocation of airman medical certificates for pre-employment and return-to-duty test refusals. The new rules go into effect July 21.