Alabama Administrative Code
Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
Chapter 420-3-26 - RADIATION CONTROL
Section 420-3-26-.02 - Licensing
Appendix D - Criteria Relating to Use of Financial Tests and Self-Guarantee for Providing Reasonable Assurance for Decommissioning by Nonprofit Colleges, Universities, and Hospitals

I. Introduction

An applicant or licensee may provide reasonable assurance of the availability of funds for decommissioning based on furnishing its own guarantee that funds will be available for decommissioning costs and on a demonstration that the applicant or licensee passes the financial test of Section II of this appendix. The terms of the self-guarantee are in Section III of this appendix. This appendix establishes criteria for passing the financial test for the self-guarantee and establishes the terms for a self-guarantee.

II. Financial Test

A. For colleges and universities, to pass the financial test a college or university must meet either the criteria in paragraph II.A.(1) or the criteria in paragraph II.A.(2) of this appendix.

(1) For applicants or licensees that issue bonds, a current rating for its most recent uninsured, uncollateralized, and unencumbered bond issuance of AAA, AA, or A as issued by Standard and Poor's (S&P) or Aaa, Aa, or A as issued by Moody's.

(2) For applicants or licensees that do not issue bonds, unrestricted endowment consisting of assets located within the United States of at least $50 million, or at least 30 times the total current decommissioning cost estimate (or the current amount required if certification is used), whichever is greater for all decommissioning activities for which the college or university is responsible as a self-guaranteeing licensee.

B. For hospitals, to pass the financial test a hospital must meet either the criteria in paragraph II.B. (1) or the criteria in paragraph II.B.(2) of this appendix:

(1) For applicants or licensees that issue bonds, a current rating for its most current uninsured, uncollateralized, and unencumbered bond issuance of AAA, AA, or A as issued by Standard and Poor's (S&P) or Aaa, Aa, or A as issued by Moody's.

(2) For applicants or licensees that do not issue bonds, all of the following tests must be met:

(Total revenues less total expenditures) divided by total revenues must be equal to or greater than 0.04.

(b) Long term debt divided by net fixed assets must be less than or equal to 0.67.

(c) (Current assets and depreciation fund) divided by current liabilities must be greater than or equal to 2.55.

(d) Operating revenues must be at least 100 times the total current decommissioning cost estimate (or the current amount required if certification is used) for all decommissioning activities for which the hospital is responsible as a self-guaranteeing license.

C. In addition, to pass the financial test, a licensee must meet all of the following requirements:

1. The licensee's independent certified public accountant must have compared the data used by the licensee in the financial test, which is required to be derived from the independently audited year-end financial statements, based on United States generally accepted accounting practices, for the latest fiscal year, with the amounts in such financial statement. In connection with procedure, the licensee shall inform the Agency within 90 days of any matters coming to the attention of the auditor that cause the auditor to believe that the data specified in the financial test should be adjusted and that the licensee no longer passes the test.

2. After the initial financial test, the licensee must repeat passage of the test within 90 days after the close of each succeeding fiscal year.

3. If the licensee no longer meets the requirements of Section I of this appendix, the licensee must send notice to the Agency of its intent to establish alternative financial assurance as specified in Agency rules. The notice must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year for which the year-end financial data show that the licensee no longer meets the financial data requirements. The licensee must provide alternate financial assurance within 120 days after the end of such fiscal year.

III. Self-Guarantee The terms of a self-guarantee which an applicant or licensee furnishes must provide that:

A. The guarantee shall remain in force unless the licensee sends notice of cancellation by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Agency. Cancellation may not occur unless an alternative financial assurance mechanism is in place.

B. The licensee shall provide alternative financial assurance as specified in Agency rules within 90 days following receipt by the Agency of a notice of cancellation of the guarantee.

C. The guarantee and financial test provisions must remain in effect until the Agency has terminated the license or until another financial assurance method acceptable to the Agency has been put in effect by the licensee.

D. The applicant or licensee must provide to the Agency a written guarantee (a written commitment by a corporate officer or officer of the institution) which states that the licensee will fund and carry out the required decommissioning activities or, upon issuance of an order by the Agency, the licensee will set up and fund a trust in the amount of the current cost estimates for decommissioning.

E. If, at any time, the licensee's most recent bond issuance ceases to be rated in any category of "A" or above by either Standard and Poor's or Moody's, the licensee shall provide notice in writing of such fact to the Agency within 20 days after publication of the change by the rating service.