This section defines the minimum sanctions that licensees and other entities shall impose when an individual has violated the drug and alcohol provisions of an FFD policy. A licensee or other entity may impose more stringent sanctions, except as specified in paragraph (h) of this section.

Any act or attempted act to subvert the testing process, including, but not limited to, refusing to provide a specimen and providing or attempting to provide a substituted or adulterated specimen, for any test required under § 26.31(c) must result in the immediate unfavorable termination of the individual's authorization and permanent denial of authorization thereafter.

Any individual who is determined to have been involved in the sale, use, or possession of illegal drugs or the consumption of alcohol within a protected area of any nuclear power plant, within a facility that is licensed to possess or use formula quantities of SSNM, within a transporter's facility or vehicle, or while performing the duties that require the individual to be subject to this subpart shall immediately have his or her authorization unfavorably terminated and denied for a minimum of 5 years from the date of the unfavorable termination of authorization.

Any individual who resigns or withdraws his or her application for authorization before authorization is terminated or denied for a first violation of the FFD policy involving a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result shall immediately have his or her authorization denied for a minimum of 5 years from the date of termination or denial. If an individual resigns or withdraws his or her application for authorization before his or her authorization is terminated or denied for any violation of the FFD policy, the licensee or other entity shall record the resignation or withdrawal, the nature of the violation, and the minimum sanction that would have been required under this section had the individual not resigned or withdrawn his or her application for authorization.

Lacking any other evidence to indicate the use, sale, or possession of illegal drugs or consumption of alcohol on site, a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result must be presumed to be an indication of offsite drug or alcohol use in violation of the FFD policy.

The first violation of the FFD policy involving a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result must, at a minimum, result in the immediate unfavorable termination of the individual's authorization for at least 14 days from the date of the unfavorable termination.

Any subsequent confirmed positive drug or alcohol test result, including during an assessment or treatment period, must result in the denial of authorization for a minimum of 5 years from the date of denial.

Paragraph (e) of this section does not apply to the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, except if the MRO determines that misuse of the prescription or over-the-counter drug represents substance abuse. Sanctions for misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs must be sufficient to deter misuse of those substances.

For individuals whose authorization was denied for 5 years under paragraphs (c), (d), (e)(2), or (f) of this section, any subsequent violation of the drug and alcohol provisions of an FFD policy must immediately result in permanent denial of authorization.

A licensee or other entity may not terminate an individual's authorization and may not subject the individual to other administrative action based solely on a positive test result from any initial drug test, other than positive initial test results for marijuana or cocaine metabolites from a specimen that is reported to be valid on the basis of either validity screening or initial validity testing performed at a licensee testing facility, unless other evidence, including information obtained under the process set forth in § 26.189, indicates that the individual is impaired or might otherwise pose a safety hazard. The licensee or other entity may not terminate an individual's authorization or subject an individual to any other administrative action under this section based on the results of validity screening or initial validity testing performed at a licensee testing facility indicating that a specimen is of questionable validity.

With respect to positive initial drug test results from a licensee testing facility for marijuana and cocaine metabolites from a valid specimen, licensee testing facility personnel may inform licensee or other entity management of the positive initial drug test result and the specific drugs or metabolites identified, and licensees or other entities may administratively withdraw the donor's authorization or take lesser administrative actions against the donor, provided that the licensee or other entity complies with the following conditions:

For the drug for which action will be taken, at least 85 percent of the specimens that were determined to be positive as a result of initial drug tests at the licensee testing facility during the past 12-month data reporting period submitted to the NRC under § 26.717 were subsequently reported as positive by the HHS-certified laboratory as the result of confirmatory testing;

There is no loss of compensation or benefits to the donor during the period of temporary administrative action;

Immediately on receipt of a negative report from the HHS-certified laboratory or MRO, any matter that could link the donor to the temporary administrative action is eliminated from the donor's personnel record and other records; and

Licensees and other entities may not disclose the temporary administrative action against an individual whose initial drug test result is not subsequently confirmed by the MRO as a violation of the FFD policy in response to a suitable inquiry conducted under the provisions of § 26.63, a background investigation conducted under the provisions of this chapter, or to any other inquiry or investigation.

To ensure that no records are retained, access to the system of files and records must be provided to personnel who are conducting reviews, inquiries into allegations, or audits under the provisions of § 26.41, and to NRC inspectors.

The licensee or other entity shall provide the donor with a written statement that the records specified in §§ 26.713 and 26.715 have not been retained with respect to the temporary administrative action and shall inform the donor in writing that the temporary administrative action that was taken will not be disclosed and need not be disclosed by the individual in response to requests for self-disclosure of potentially disqualifying FFD information.