§ 242.115 Substance abuse disorders and alcohol drug rules compliance. ( a ) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program which complies with the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program which complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.
( b ) After the pertinent date specified in § 242.105(d) or (e), each railroad, prior to initially certifying or recertifying any person as a conductor for any type of service, shall determine that the person meets the eligibility requirements of this section.
( c ) In order to make the determination required under paragraph (d) of this section, a railroad shall have on file documents pertinent to that determination, including a written document from its DAC which states his or her professional opinion that the person has been evaluated as not currently affected by a substance abuse disorder or that the person has been evaluated as affected by an active substance abuse disorder.
( d ) *Fitness requirement.* ( 1 ) A person who has an active substance abuse disorder shall be denied certification or recertification as a conductor.
( 2 ) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, a certified conductor who is determined to have an active substance abuse disorder shall be ineligible to hold certification. Consistent with other provisions of this part, certification may be reinstated as provided in paragraph (f) of this section.
( 3 ) In the case of a current employee of the railroad evaluated as having an active substance abuse disorder (including a person identified under the procedures of § 242.111), the employee may, if otherwise eligible, voluntarily self-refer for substance abuse counseling or treatment under the policy required by § 219.403 of this chapter; and the railroad shall then treat the substance abuse evaluation as confidential except with respect to ineligibility for certification.
( e ) *Prior alcohol/drug conduct; Federal rule compliance.* ( 1 ) In determining whether a person may be or remain certified as a conductor, a railroad shall consider conduct described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section that occurred within a period of 60 consecutive months prior to the review. A review of certification shall be initiated promptly upon the occurrence and documentation of any incident of conduct described in this paragraph.
( 2 ) A railroad shall consider any violation of § 219.101 or § 219.102 of this chapter and any refusal to provide a breath or body fluid sample for testing under the requirements of part 219 of this chapter when instructed to do so by a railroad representative.
( 3 ) A period of ineligibility described in this section shall begin: ( i ) For a person not currently certified, on the date of the railroad's written determination that the most recent incident has occurred; or
( ii ) For a person currently certified, on the date of the railroad's notification to the person that recertification has been denied or certification has been revoked; and
( 4 ) The period of ineligibility described in this section shall be determined in accordance with the following standards: ( i ) In the case of a single violation of § 219.102 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate during evaluation and any required primary treatment as described in paragraph (f) of this section. In the case of two violations of § 219.102 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of two years. In the case of more than two such violations, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of five years.
( ii ) In the case of one violation of § 219.102 of this chapter and one violation of § 219.101 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of three years.
( iii ) In the case of one violation of § 219.101 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of 9 months (unless identification of the violation was through a qualifying “co-worker report” as described in § 219.405 of this chapter and the conductor waives investigation, in which case the certificate shall be deemed suspended during evaluation and any required primary treatment as described in paragraph (f)). In the case of two or more violations of § 219.101 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of five years.
( iv ) A refusal to provide a breath or body fluid sample for testing under the requirements of part 219 of this chapter when instructed to do so by a railroad representative shall be treated, for purposes of ineligibility under this paragraph, in the same manner as a violation of: ( A ) Section 219.102 of this chapter, in the case of a refusal to provide a body fluid specimen for testing; or
( B ) Section 219.101 of this chapter, in the case of a refusal to provide a breath sample for alcohol testing or a blood specimen for mandatory post-accident toxicological testing.
( f ) *Future eligibility to hold certificate following alcohol/drug violation.* The following requirements apply to a person who has been denied certification or who has had certification suspended or revoked as a result of conduct described in paragraph (e) of this section: ( 1 ) The person shall not be eligible for grant or reinstatement of the certificate unless and until the person has: ( i ) Been evaluated by a SAP to determine if the person currently has an active substance abuse disorder;
( ii ) Successfully completed any program of counseling or treatment determined to be necessary by the SAP prior to return to service; and
( iii ) In accordance with the testing procedures of subpart H of part 219 of this chapter, has had an alcohol test with an alcohol concentration of less than .02 and presented a body fluid sample that tested negative for controlled substances assayed.
( 2 ) A conductor placed in service or returned to service under the above-stated conditions shall continue in any program of counseling or treatment deemed necessary by the SAP and shall be subject to a reasonable program of follow-up alcohol and drug testing without prior notice for a period of not more than 60 months following return to service. Follow-up tests shall include not fewer than 6 alcohol tests and 6 drug tests during the first 12 months following return to service.
( 3 ) Return-to-service and follow-up alcohol and drug tests shall be performed consistent with the requirements of subpart H of part 219 of this chapter.
( 4 ) This paragraph does not create an entitlement to utilize the services of a railroad SAP, to be afforded leave from employment for counseling or treatment, or to employment as a conductor. Nor does it restrict any discretion available to the railroad to take disciplinary action based on conduct described herein.
( g ) *Confidentiality protected.* Nothing in this part shall affect the responsibility of the railroad under § 219.403 of this chapter (“Voluntary referral policy”) to treat voluntary referrals for substance abuse counseling and treatment as confidential; and the certification status of a conductor who is successfully assisted under the procedures of that section shall not be adversely affected. However, the railroad shall include in its voluntary referral policy required to be issued pursuant to § 219.403 of this chapter a provision that, at least with respect to a certified conductor or a candidate for certification, the policy of confidentiality is waived (to the extent that the railroad shall receive from the SAP or DAC official notice of the substance abuse disorder and shall suspend or revoke the certification, as appropriate) if the person at any time refuses to cooperate in a recommended course of counseling or treatment.
[76 FR 69841, Nov. 9, 2011, as amended at 88 FR 27652, May 2, 2023]