81428 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 8, 2024 / Notices 

Dated: October 2, 2024. 

Ryan Majerus, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and 

Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive 

functions and duties of the Assistant 

Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. 

Appendix 

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary 

Decision Memorandum 

I. Summary 

II. Background 

III. Scope of the Order 

IV. Rescission of Administrative Review, In 

Part 

V. Discussion of the Methodology 

VI. Currency Conversion 

VII. Recommendation 

[FR Doc. 2024–23265 Filed 10–7–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

[Docket No.: 240924–0252] 

Existing Awards and Recognition 

Programs for Standards Development 

and Best Practices for Standards 

Workforce Development in Support of 

the Implementation of the United 

States Government National Standards 

Strategy for Critical and Emerging 

Technology (USG NSSCET) 

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST), Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for information. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Government 

National Standards Strategy for Critical 

and Emerging Technology (USG 

NSSCET) supports and complements 

existing private sector-led activities and 

plans, including the American National 

Standards Institute (ANSI) United States 

Standards Strategy (USSS), with a focus 

on critical and emerging technology 

(CET). The USG NSSCET 

Implementation Roadmap outlines 

immediate and long-term U.S. 

Government actions to reinforce the 

U.S. standards system. This Request for 

Information (RFI) solicits information to 

inform the Implementation Roadmap 

actions focused on increasing U.S. 

participation in standards development 

and educating the standards workforce. 

The RFI is also intended to maintain an 

open dialogue with the CET standards 

community on opportunities for 

continued coordination. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 9, 

2024. Submissions received after that 

date may not be considered in the 

analysis of this RFI. Public input on 

general USG NSSCET implementation 

coordination activities will be accepted 

on an on-going basis via 

www.standards.gov. 

ADDRESSES: Comments must be 

submitted via www.regulations.gov: 

• To submit electronic public 

comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking 

Portal. 

1. Go to www.regulations.gov and 

enter [NIST–2024–0003] in the search 

field. 

2. Click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon 

and complete the required fields. 

3. Enter or attach your comments. 

Comments containing references, 

studies, research, and other empirical 

data that are not widely published 

should include copies of the referenced 

materials. All submissions, including 

comments, attachments and other 

supporting materials, will become part 

of the public record and subject to 

public disclosure. Relevant comments 

will generally be available on the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. After the 

comment period closes, relevant 

comments will generally be available on 

www.standards.gov. NIST will not 

accept comments accompanied by a 

request that part or all of the material be 

treated confidentially because of its 

business proprietary nature or for any 

other reason. Therefore, do not submit 

confidential business information or 

otherwise sensitive, protected, or 

personal information, such as account 

numbers, Social Security numbers, or 

names of other individuals. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

questions about this notice please 

contact: Standards Coordination Office 

(SCO), NIST via email at sco@nist.gov or 

by phone at (301) 975–5633. Please 

direct all media inquiries to Richard 

Press in the NIST Public Affairs Office 

via email at richard.press@nist.gov or by 

phone at (301) 975–0501. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST is 

seeking information on behalf of the 

U.S. Department of Commerce and the 

U.S. Government to support the 

implementation of the May 2023 USG 

NSSCET (found at https://www.white

house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/ 

05/US-Gov-National-StandardsStrategy-2023.pdf), which complements 

existing private sector-led activities and 

plans, including the ANSI USSS, with a 

focus on CET. A full list of CETs 

identified by the National Science and 

Technology Council (NSTC) can be 

found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ 

wp-content/uploads/2022/02/02-2022- 

Critical-and-Emerging-TechnologiesList-Update.pdf. 

The U.S. standards development 

system is unique because it is built 

upon a wide variety of processes that 

are open, voluntary, decentralized, and 

led by the private sector. These 

processes feature participation by 

interested stakeholders with consensusbased decision-making. Finalized 

standards are primarily published by 

private sector standards organizations, 

not the U.S. Government. The USG 

NSSCET reinforces the U.S. 

Government’s support of a private 

sector-led system based on principles 

that are fundamental to the 

development of international standards: 

transparency, openness, impartiality 

and consensus, effectiveness and 

relevance, and coherence. 

The USG developed the USG NSSCET 

Implementation Roadmap (https:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/ 

uploads/2024/07/USG-NSSCET_

Implementation_Rdmap_v7_23.pdf), 

which provides immediate and longterm actions for the U.S. Government to 

reinforce its support for the U.S. 

standards system, to operationalize the 

strategy. Released in July 2024, the 

Implementation Roadmap is based on 

the findings from a broad stakeholder 

engagement campaign that included 

input from workshops, meetings, a USG 

NSSCET-focused RFI (88 FR 76187 

(Nov. 6, 2023), and a study conducted 

by the NIST Visiting Committee on 

Advance Technology (https://www.nist.

gov/system/files/documents/2024/04/ 

09/VCAT%20Subcommittee%20on%

20International%20Standards%20

Report%202024_FINAL_1.pdf). 

An area of focus during the 

stakeholder engagement conducted to 

inform the USG NSSCET 

Implementation Roadmap was the 

identification of barriers to increased 

participation in standards development. 

Engaging and recognizing early and 

mid-career standards development 

professionals through education and 

meaningful acknowledgment was a key 

theme identified by stakeholders. 

Another key theme was the critical role 

of business and technology decisionmakers in helping drive engagement in 

standards development and the need to 

educate these leaders on why, how, and 

when to engage. NIST is now seeking 

information through this RFI to further 

inform how the U.S. Government 

addresses these key themes during 

implementation. 

The national interest in CET and 

associated areas of standardization 

demands a new and urgent level of 

coordination and effort. National policy 

priorities, as expressed in legislation 

and other statements of policy, will 

require new ways for public sector and 

private sector (i.e., industry, including 

start-ups and small- and medium-sized 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 8, 2024 / Notices 81429 

enterprises (SMEs), the academic 

community, and civil society 

organizations) stakeholders to cooperate 

in order to advance U.S. economic 

competitiveness and national security. 

In this RFI, NIST is seeking 

information about existing awards and 

recognition programs that can be 

leveraged by the U.S. Government and 

U.S. standards community to encourage 

and support standards participation and 

leadership in CET areas in alignment 

with the actions called out in the USG 

NSSCET Implementation Roadmap. 

NIST is also requesting information that 

will help inform the work of the U.S. 

Government and the U.S. standards 

community to educate and empower the 

standards workforce and business and 

technology decision-makers. Finally, 

NIST is seeking to maintain an open 

dialogue and sustained communication 

with the U.S. CET and standards 

communities regarding the ongoing 

implementation of the roadmap. 

Information gathered through this RFI 

and other stakeholder engagements will 

support key activities to optimize the 

USG NSSCET impact and further 

enhance the U.S. Government’s ability 

to support a private sector-led, open, 

consensus-based international standards 

system in which the U.S. Government is 

an active stakeholder and participant. 

NIST is requesting comments on the 

following questions and encourages 

responses from the public, including 

key stakeholders from the private sector 

(i.e., industry, including start-ups and 

SMEs, the academic community, 

professional societies, and civil society 

organizations), standards developing 

organizations (SDOs), and international 

standards community. 

The questions on awards and 

recognition, as well as on workforce 

development, address specific aspects of 

the USG NSSCET where further input 

from the stakeholder community will 

help the short- and long-term outcomes 

in the implementation roadmap. The 

inclusion of these two topics on this RFI 

is not intended to indicate a particular 

relationship between the two topics, nor 

are they intended to limit the topics that 

may be addressed by the public in 

response to this RFI. Responses to the 

open feedback question may include 

any topic believed to have implications 

for the ongoing implementation. 

When responding, commenters may 

address the practices of their 

organization(s) or a group of 

organizations with which they are 

familiar. Commenters may also provide 

information about the type, size, and 

location of the organization(s). Provision 

of such information is optional and will 

not affect NIST’s consideration. 

Existing Awards and Recognition 

Programs for Standards Development 

1. How can the U.S. Government and 

the U.S. standards community leverage 

existing awards and recognition 

programs or establish new programs to 

support standards participation and 

leadership in CET areas? 

2. What types of awards and 

recognition programs for standards 

development further standards 

engagement, especially with respect to 

CET? 

Best Practices for Standards Workforce 

Development 

1. What types of support could 

improve professional development for 

early-career professionals, mid-career 

professionals, or those who are new to 

standards development? 

2. What type of educational outreach 

to business and technology decisionmakers on why, how, and when to 

engage in standards development could 

increase their engagement? 

3. How can the U.S. Government and 

the U.S. standards community more 

effectively work together to share best 

practices for standards workforce 

development? 

Open Feedback on the Implementation 

of the USG NSSCET 

1. Please describe any additional 

observations of how the U.S. 

Government can effectively implement 

the vision set forth in the USG NSSCET 

and associated Implementation 

Roadmap. 

Alicia Chambers, 

NIST Executive Secretariat. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23174 Filed 10–7–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE162] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to a Marine 

Geophysical Survey in the Nauru Basin 

of Greater Micronesia in the Northwest 

Pacific Ocean 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental 

harassment authorization; request for 

comments on proposed authorization 

and possible renewal. 

SUMMARY: NMFS received a request from 

the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 

(SIO) for authorization to take marine 

mammals incidental to a marine 

geophysical survey in the Nauru Basin 

of greater Micronesia in the northwest 

(NW) Pacific Ocean. Pursuant to the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments 

on its proposal to issue an incidental 

harassment authorization (IHA) to 

incidentally take marine mammals 

during the specified activities. NMFS is 

also requesting comments on a possible 

one-time, 1-year renewal that could be 

issued under certain circumstances and 

if all requirements are met, as described 

in Request for Public Comments at the 

end of this notice. NMFS will consider 

public comments prior to making any 

final decision on the issuance of the 

requested MMPA authorization and 

agency responses will be summarized in 

the final notice of our decision. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than November 7, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service and should be 

submitted via email to 

ITP.wachtendonk@noaa.gov. Electronic 

copies of the application and supporting 

documents, as well as a list of the 

references cited in this document, may 

be obtained online at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-research-and-otheractivities. In case of problems accessing 

these documents, please call the contact 

listed below. 

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible 

for comments sent by any other method, 

to any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period. Comments, including all 

attachments, must not exceed a 25- 

megabyte file size. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted online at 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act without 

change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit confidential business 

information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rachel Wachtendonk, Office of 

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427– 

8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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