§ 120.221 Consequences for employees engaging in alcohol-related conduct. ( a ) *Removal from safety-sensitive function.* ( 1 ) Except as provided in 49 CFR part 40, no covered employee shall perform safety-sensitive functions if the employee has engaged in conduct prohibited by §§ 120.19 or 120.37, or an alcohol misuse rule of another DOT agency.
( 2 ) No employer shall permit any covered employee to perform safety-sensitive functions if the employer has determined that the employee has violated this section.
( b ) *Permanent disqualification from service.* ( 1 ) An employee who violates §§ 120.19(c) or 120.37(c) is permanently precluded from performing for an employer the safety-sensitive duties the employee performed before such violation.
( 2 ) An employee who engages in alcohol use that violates another alcohol misuse provision of §§ 120.19 or 120.37, and who had previously engaged in alcohol use that violated the provisions of §§ 120.19 or 120.37 after becoming subject to such prohibitions, is permanently precluded from performing for an employer the safety-sensitive duties the employee performed before such violation.
( c ) *Notice to the Federal Air Surgeon.* ( 1 ) An employer who determines that a covered employee who holds an airman medical certificate issued under part 67 of this chapter has engaged in alcohol use that violated the alcohol misuse provisions of §§ 120.19 or 120.37 shall notify the Federal Air Surgeon within 2 working days.
( 2 ) Each such employer shall forward to the Federal Air Surgeon a copy of the report of any evaluation performed under the provisions of § 120.223(c) within 2 working days of the employer's receipt of the report.
( 3 ) All documents must be sent to the Federal Air Surgeon, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aerospace Medicine, Attn: Drug Abatement Division (AAM-800), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591.
( 4 ) No covered employee who is required to hold an airman medical certificate in order to perform a safety-sensitive duty may perform that duty following a violation of this subpart until the covered employee obtains an airman medical certificate issued by the Federal Air Surgeon dated after the alcohol test result or refusal to test date. After the covered employee obtains this airman medical certificate, the SAP may recommend to the employer that the covered employee may be returned to a safety-sensitive position. The receipt of an airman medical certificate does not alter any obligations otherwise required by 49 CFR part 40 or this subpart.
( 5 ) Once the Federal Air Surgeon has recommended under paragraph (c)(4) of this section that the employee be permitted to perform safety-sensitive duties, the employer cannot permit the employee to perform those safety-sensitive duties until the employer has ensured that the employee meets the return to duty requirements in accordance with 49 CFR part 40.
( d ) *Notice of refusals.* Each covered employer must notify the FAA within 2 working days of any covered employee who holds a certificate issued under part 61, part 63, or part 65 of this chapter who has refused to submit to an alcohol test required under this subpart. Notification must be sent to: Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aerospace Medicine, Drug Abatement Division (AAM-800), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by fax to (202) 267-5200.
( e ) *Required evaluation and alcohol testing.* No covered employee who has engaged in conduct prohibited by §§ 120.19 or 120.37 shall perform safety-sensitive functions unless the employee has met the requirements of 49 CFR part 40. No employer shall permit a covered employee who has engaged in such conduct to perform safety-sensitive functions unless the employee has met the requirements of 49 CFR part 40.
( f ) *Other alcohol-related conduct.* ( 1 ) No covered employee tested under this subpart who is found to have an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater but less than 0.04 shall perform or continue to perform safety-sensitive functions for an employer, nor shall an employer permit the employee to perform or continue to perform safety-sensitive functions, until: ( i ) The employee's alcohol concentration measures less than 0.02; or
( ii ) The start of the employee's next regularly scheduled duty period, but not less than 8 hours following administration of the test.
( 2 ) Except as provided in paragraph (f)(1) of this section, no employer shall take any action under this rule against an employee based solely on test results showing an alcohol concentration less than 0.04. This does not prohibit an employer with authority independent of this rule from taking any action otherwise consistent with law.
[Doc. No. FAA-2008-0937, 74 FR 22653, May 14, 2009, as amended by Amdt. 120-1, 78 FR 42004, July 15, 2013; Docket DOT-OST-2021-0093, 88 FR 27636, May 2, 2023]