49 CFR §245.120

1. (a)After FRA has approved a railroad's certification program, a railroad shall not permit or require a person to serve as a dispatcher on a particular territory unless that railroad determines that:
   1. (1)The person is a certified dispatcher; and
   2. (2)The person either:
      1. (i)Possesses the necessary territorial qualifications for the applicable territory pursuant to § 245.119; or
      2. (ii)Is assisted by a Dispatcher Pilot who is qualified on the territory.
2. (b)If a person is called to serve on a territory that they are not qualified on, the person must immediately notify the railroad that they are not qualified on the assigned territory.
3. (c)A person shall no longer be considered qualified on a territory if they have not worked on that territory as a dispatcher in the previous 12 months.
4. (d)Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program meeting 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.