[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 753-754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00035]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program--Revisions to 
the Personal Body Armor Laboratory Accreditation Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program 
(NVLAP) announces approval of revisions to its Personal Body Armor 
Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) for accreditation of 
laboratories performing tests on ballistic- and stab-resistant personal 
body armor. The program has been renamed as the Law Enforcement and 
Corrections Equipment LAP to better reflect the types of testing being 
performed within this accreditation program and to allow for future 
expansion of the program for testing of additional law enforcement and 
corrections equipment.

DATES: Handbook 150-24, 2021 edition, is applicable 30 days after 
publication on the NVLAP website, https://www.nist.gov/nvlap.

ADDRESSES: Laboratories may obtain a copy of NIST Handbook 150-24, 
NVLAP Law Enforcement and Corrections Equipment, by visiting the NVLAP 
website at https://www.nist.gov/nvlap or by sending a request to NVLAP 
by mail at NIST/NVLAP, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2140, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-2140 or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#533d253f3223133d3a20277d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="85ebf3e9e4f5c5ebecf6f1abe2eaf3">[email protected]</span></a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Rasinski, Program Manager, 
NIST/NVLAP, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2140, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2140, 
Phone: (301) 975-4016 or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3c48555153485445124e5d4f55524f57557c52554f48125b534a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8acb1b5b7acb0a1f6aab9abb1b6abb3b198b6b1abacf6bfb7ae">[email protected]</span></a>. Information 
regarding NVLAP and the accreditation process can be obtained from 
http://www.nist.gov/nvlap.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) administers NVLAP under regulations found in 15 CFR 
part 285. NVLAP provides an unbiased third-party evaluation and 
recognition of laboratory performance, as well as expert technical 
assistance to upgrade that performance, by accrediting calibration and 
testing laboratories found competent to perform specific calibrations 
or tests. NVLAP is comprised of a set of LAPs which are established on 
the basis of requests and demonstrated need. Each LAP includes specific 
calibration and/or test standards and related methods and protocols 
assembled to satisfy the unique needs for accreditation in the field of 
calibration, field of testing, product or service.
    The NVLAP Personal Body Armor LAP was established in 2006 at the 
request of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) National Institute of 
Justice (NIJ) Office of Science and Technology. The LAP was developed 
to accredit laboratories for body armor testing in support of the NIJ 
Compliance Testing Program (CTP). The LAP currently encompasses 
accreditation for ballistic-resistant body armor testing, stab-
resistant body armor testing, and autoloading pistol testing.
    The Chief of NVLAP may approve modifications to a specific LAP when 
a request to modify the LAP is received. Modifications may include 
addition of tests, types of tests or standards that are directly 
relevant to the LAP. NVLAP

[[Page 754]]

received a request to revise the name of its Personal Body Armor LAP to 
the Law Enforcement and Corrections Equipment LAP in order to better 
encompass the scope of this program. NVLAP also received a request to 
expand the technology tested under this program to include rifle 
testing, helmet testing and shield testing. On March 19, 2021, NIST 
published a notice in the Federal Register (86 FR 14876) requesting 
public comments on the potential change of name and future expansion of 
the accreditation program to include rifle testing, helmet testing and 
shield testing.
    A response to this notice was submitted from one entity, an 
accreditation organization. The comment submitted did not address the 
specific items of the proposal. The feedback from the organization 
related specifically to future consideration of the use of ISO/IEC 
17065, Conformity assessment--Requirements for bodies certifying 
products, processes and services in the NIJ CTP.
    The following is a summary and analysis of the comment received 
during the public comment period, and NIST's response to it:
    Comment: One commenter responded that they encouraged the adoption 
of ISO/IEC 17065 for the certification of products in the NIJ CTP.
    Response: The purpose of the NVLAP LAP is to determine competence 
of a laboratory performing the testing of the law enforcement and 
corrections equipment based on the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025, 
General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration 
laboratories. The comment encourages the further expansion of the NIJ 
program to include accreditation of certification bodies to ISO/IEC 
17065. As the comment is specific to the NIJ CTP and its operation, 
this was deemed outside of the scope of the NVLAP LAP.
    After considering the request, the Chief of NVLAP has determined 
that the revision of the LAP name to Law Enforcement and Corrections 
Equipment better reflects the types of testing that support the NIJ CTP 
and will allow for future expansion of the types of testing covered 
under this accreditation program. Therefore, the modification has been 
approved. Revised NIST Handbook 150-24 is available electronically from 
the NVLAP website at: https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/hb/2021/NIST.HB.150-24-2021.pdf.
    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b) & (c).

Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2022-00035 Filed 1-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P


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