Medical Use of Byproduct Material-Authorized User Clarification

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to clarify that individuals who do not need to comply with the training and experience requirements as described in the applicable regulations for the medical use of byproduct material (i.e., are "grandfathered") may serve as preceptors and work experience supervisors for individuals seeking recognition on NRC licenses for the same medical uses of byproduct material. The regulations that govern the medical use of byproduct material were amended in their entirety in 2002 and again in 2005. Currently, individuals who were identified on an NRC or Agreement State license or permit before the regulations were amended do not need to requalify by meeting the training and experience (T&E) requirements of the applicable regulations. When the regulations were revised, the NRC intended that those authorized individuals would also be able to serve as preceptors and work experience supervisors. However, the regulations as they are currently written do not specifically state that grandfathered individuals can be work experience supervisors and preceptors. This direct final rule amends the regulations to clarify that all individuals grandfathered under the applicable regulations may serve as preceptors and work experience supervisors for individuals seeking recognition on an NRC license for the same uses. Additionally, several minor administrative changes are included in this rulemaking.