(a) The narcotics investigation division shall consist of those agents transferred into the new division according to § 38-6-203 [deleted as obsolete], and an additional sixteen (16) agents. The division shall also include four (4) special agents in charge, two (2) secretaries, and one (1) executive secretary. The director, with the approval of the governor, may increase the number of persons employed in the narcotics investigation division, to any number as may be found feasible and necessary.

(b) The assistant director and agents appointed shall be citizens of the United States and the state of Tennessee, and of good moral character. The agents and assistant director are required to satisfactorily complete a course of study at a United States department of justice federal drug enforcement agency operated school. If the federal drug enforcement agency ceases to operate these schools, the agents and assistant director shall satisfactorily complete a course of study, that includes current national drug trends and investigations, selected and approved by the TBI.

(c) The narcotics investigation division may enter into agreements with bureaus, departments, or judicial drug task forces within the state of Tennessee or of other states or of the United States for the exchange or temporary assignment of agents for special undercover assignments and for performance of specific duties. The assistant director, at the direction of the director of the Tennessee bureau of investigation, is authorized to assign agents of the bureau to that duty and to request and accept agents from the other bureaus or departments for that duty.

(d) At any time during the employment with the narcotics investigation division, the assistant director, at the direction of the director of the Tennessee bureau of investigation, may request an agent, employee, or other person working with the division, to submit to a mandatory drug test. Refusal to submit to take such drug test shall be grounds for dismissal.

(e) All such agents shall be assigned to the narcotics investigation division; provided, that the director may, when necessary, temporarily reassign such agents to perform other duties within the bureau.