Addendum to the 

Tenth (2006) Annual Report on 

Federal Agency Use of Voluntary 

Consensus Standards and 

Conformity Assessment 
 

Table of Contents for Supplemental Appendices 

Note: Appendices A, B, and C are contained in the full report to the Office of 

Management and Budget 

Appendix D – Individual, Unabridged Departmental Reports......................................... D-1

Department of Agriculture................................................................................................................ D-1

Department of Commerce................................................................................................................. D-7

Department of Defense ................................................................................................................... D-28

Department of Education ................................................................................................................ D-40

Department of Energy..................................................................................................................... D-43

Department of Health and Human Services.................................................................................... D-49

Department of Homeland Security ................................................................................................. D-69

Department of Housing and Urban Development........................................................................... D-78

Department of the Interior............................................................................................................... D-83

Department of Justice ..................................................................................................................... D-98

Department of Labor..................................................................................................................... D-101

Department of State ...................................................................................................................... D-107

Department of Transportation....................................................................................................... D-110

Department of the Treasury .......................................................................................................... D-120

Department of Veterans Affairs.................................................................................................... D-123

Appendix E – Individual, Unabridged Commission and other Agency Reports............. E-1

Access Board .....................................................................................................................................E-1

Agency for International Development..............................................................................................E-6

Consumer Product Safety Commission .............................................................................................E-9

Environmental Protection Agency ...................................................................................................E-14

Federal Communications Commission ............................................................................................E-49

Federal Trade Commission ..............................................................................................................E-54

General Services Administration .....................................................................................................E-57

Government Printing Office.............................................................................................................E-63

National Aeronautics and Space Administration .............................................................................E-66

National Archives and Records Administration...............................................................................E-71

National Science Foundation ...........................................................................................................E-75

Nuclear Regulatory Commission .....................................................................................................E-78

Appendix F – Federal Agency Activities Related to Use of Private Sector Standards....F-1

Appendix G – The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP) ........................ G-1

Appendix H – Publications Related to the National Technology Transfer and 

Advancement Act (NTTAA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A119........................................................................................................................................... H-1

i
 

Appendix D – Individual, Unabridged Departmental Reports 

Note: This appendix contains the unabridged reports submitted to NIST by the Cabinet 

level Departments as they were submitted to NIST. 

Department of Agriculture

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The United States Department of Agriculture follows various voluntary consensus 

standards adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies such as the 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The benefits of utilizing 

consistent standards are significant. For example, conforming to the international 

standards adopted by ISO has allowed USDA to interface more readily with other 

industry partners within and outside of the United States. They agree on 

specifications and criteria to be applied consistently in the classification of 

materials, in the manufacture and supply of products, in testing and analysis, 

with sharing data, in terminology and in the provision of services. In this way, the 

standards provide a reference framework, or a common technological language, 

between USDA and USDA stakeholders that facilitates trade and the transfer of 

technology. In utilizing these standards, the time and cost spent in translating 

and converting data are significantly reduced. Using and conforming to standards, 

embracing widely accepted methods, promotes credibility and acceptance of the 

USDA. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 1

1. Government Unique Standard: Name: WILDLAND FIRE FOAM Number: USDA 

Forest Service Specification 5100-307; July, 2000 Title: International 

Specification for Fire Suppressant Foam for Wild land Fires, Aircraft or Ground 

Application) (Incorporated: 2005) 

Voluntary Standard 

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NFPA 1150 - Standard on Fire-Fighting Foam Chemicals for Class A Fuels in 

Rural, Suburban, and Vegetated Areas. 

Rationale 

Foam fire suppressants contain foaming and wetting agents. The foaming 

agents affect the accuracy of an aerial drop, how fast the water drains from 

the foam and how well the product clings to the fuel surfaces. The wetting 

agents increase the ability of the drained water to penetrate fuels. Foam fire 

suppressants are supplied as wet concentrates. 

This standard was developed with international cooperation for Class A Foam 

used in wildland fire suppression situations and equipment. Standard created 

by the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with the Department of Interior 

(DOI), the State of California, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and 

the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) does have a standard for Class 

A Foam, (NFPA 1150 - Standard on Fire-Fighting Foam Chemicals for Class A 

Fuels in Rural, Suburban, and Vegetated Areas). The Forest Service has not 

chosen to utilize NFPA 1150 as it is designed specifically for application by 

municipal fire agencies in the wildland-urban interface, utilizing apparatus and 

situations that they are likely to encounter. The Forest Service’s GUS for foam 

products is specific to use by wildland fire equipment and situations that are 

unique, e.g. helicopter use of foams, remote storage situations, and varied 

quality of water sources in the wildland settings. The agency feels this standard 

more accurately reflects the needs and mission of the federal wildland fire 

suppression agencies. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 2

Voluntary Standard Government Standard

FIPS Pub 10-4: Countries, 

Dependencies, Areas of Special 

Sovereignty, and Their Principle 

Agency Developed Codes 

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Administrative Divisions 

FIPS Pub 5-2: Codes for the 

Identification of States, DC, and 

Outlying Areas of US and Associated 

Areas 

Agency Developed Codes 

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 279

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: N/A 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 34

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc 3-A SSI 

American Association of Cereal Chemists AACC 

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Oil Chemists Society AOCS 

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association 

AREMA 

American Society of Agricultural Engineers ASAE 

AOAC International AOAC 

Association of American Seed Control Officials AASCO 

Association of Official Analytical Chemists International AOAC 

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Association of Official Seed Analysts AOSA 

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies AOSCA 

ASTM International ASTM 

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX 

Industry-wide Cooperative Meat Identification Standards 

Committee 

ICMISC 

International Dairy Federation IDF 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission 

ISO/IEC 

International Plant Protection Convention/International 

Standards for Phytosanitary Measures 

IPPC/ISPM 

International Seed Testing Association ISTA 

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of 

Plants 

UPOV 

Meat and Poultry Business-to-Business Data Standards 

Organization 

mpXML 

Meat and Poultry Equipment Standards MPES 

National Conference of Weights and Measures NCWM 

National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation NACLA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Information Standards Organization NISO 

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST 

National Type Evaluation Program NTEP 

North American Plant Protection Organization/Regional 

Standards for Phytosanitary Measures 

NAPPO/RSPM 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD 

Project Management Institute PMI 

The Open Group TOG 

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe WP .29/GRSP UNECE 

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6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 72

Activities: 72

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

N/A 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

Generally, the OMB Circular A-119 policy is considered sufficient. However, the 

circular could be more effective by including an appendix with lists of the various 

voluntary consensus standards and standards bodies that exist. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No additional comments. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

RE: 10.7 - Agencies within USDA currently review their standards from 1 to 3 to 

five years, depending on the agency and its mission responsibilities. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

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10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1 

D-6
 

Department of Commerce

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Standards have been an integral part of the mission of the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, since its establishment 

in 1901. NIST staff contribute to the development of voluntary consensus 

standards by providing laboratory research for technical content and by 

participating on standards developing committees. This participation supports 

NIST's mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness. 

Reducing Standards-Related Barriers to Trade 

The National Center for Standards and Certification Information (NCSCI) is the 

U.S. source for standards and standards-related information at home and abroad. 

The Center provides information on U.S., foreign, regional, and international 

voluntary standards, mandatory government regulations, and conformity 

assessment procedures for nonagricultural products. Resources include an 

extensive collection of reference materials, including U.S. military and other 

Federal Government specifications, U.S. industry and national standards, 

international standards, and selected foreign national standards. NCSCI responds 

to requests for specialized standards information, provides contact points for 

translations of foreign standards and regulations, and disseminates information to 

U.S. industry concerning proposed foreign regulations and general standards 

issues. 

In fulfillment of U.S. obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) 

Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and the North American Free 

Trade Agreement (NAFTA), NCSCI serves as the U.S. national Inquiry Point and 

national Notification Authority. Signatories to the WTO TBT Agreement are 

required to notify the WTO Secretariat in Geneva of proposed technical 

regulations that could affect world trade and provide a 60-day comment period 

for review and comment by other WTO Members. Since July 1, 2005, NCSCI offers 

a web-based service, Notify U.S., to disseminate WTO summary notifications at 

D-7
 

no charge to U.S. entities (citizens, industries, organizations). Notify U.S. 

provides industry with an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign 

technical regulations that can affect their businesses and their access to 

international markets. NCSCI acquires the full texts of the proposed technical 

regulations from the relevant foreign inquiry points and distributes them via 

Notify U.S. to interested U.S. industries. Further details regarding Notify U.S. can 

be viewed at www.nist.gov/notifyus. 

NCSCI is the U.S. member of the International Organization for Standardization 

(ISO) Information Network (ISONET). NCSCI networks with other national 

standards organizations to exchange standards-related information and share 

access to foreign trade-related standards, technical regulations, and conformity 

assessment procedures. 

In 2006, NCSCI staff handled over 40,000 requests for standards (~1400+) and 

technical barriers to trade (~39,000+) information. NCSCI hosted or participated 

in training 18 U.S. and foreign visiting delegations interested in the operations of 

a WTO TBT Inquiry Point. 

The Standards in Trade (SIT) program, in operation since 1994, is a major activity 

of the NIST Standards Services Division’s Global Standards and Information Group 

(GSIG). The workshops are designed to provide timely information to foreign 

standards officials on U.S. practices in standards and conformity assessment. 

Participants are introduced to U.S. technology and principles in metrology, 

standards development and application, and conformity assessment systems. The 

workshop agenda includes briefing panels on strategies to enhance trade between 

the United States and the invited countries. 

NIST works closely with the private sector including small and medium sized 

companies to develop a one week program offering a comprehensive overview of 

the roles of the U.S. government, private sector, and regional and international 

organizations involved in standards development and conformity assessment 

practices that impact trade. SIT offers an excellent opportunity where U.S. 

stakeholders, including small and medium sized enterprises, make professional 

contacts of great value when trying to get their products exported to countries 

D-8
 

where standards related requirements have to be met. Since 2003 when Secretary 

Evans launched the Department of Commerce Standards Initiative, NIST has 

organized 15 SIT workshops. Workshops held in Fiscal Year 2006 were: 

Electrical Safety for Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, 

Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, March 27-31, 2006 

Standards and Codes in the Iraqi Construction and Housing Sector, July 17-21, 

2006 

More detailed information about the SIT program can be found at 

http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Global/training.cfm 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 83

D-9
 

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute ARI 

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS 

American Association of Physicists in Medicine AAPM 

American Concrete Institute ACI 

American Dental Association ADA 

American Gas Association AGA 

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Nuclear Society ANS 

American Society for Quality ASQ 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Vacuum Society AVS 

American Welding Society AWS 

Association for Information and Image Management AIIM 

Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities ABRF 

ASTM International ASTM 

Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms Technical Forum BLAS 

Biometrics Application Programming Interface Consortium BioAPI 

British Standards Institution BSI 

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI 

Committee on Data for Science and Technology CODATA 

Common Criteria Management Committee CCMC 

Consumer Electronics Association CEA 

Council for Optical Radiation Measurements CORM 

Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards CIRMS 

D-10
 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Engineering Sciences Data Unit International ESDU 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA 

Industrial Truck Association ITA 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation IAAC 

Inter-American Metrology System SIM 

International Association for the Properties of Water and 

Steam 

IAPWS 

International Cartographic Association ICA 

International Code Council ICC 

International Commission for Illumination CIE 

International Commission on Radiation Units and 

Measurements, Inc. 

ICRU 

International Committee for Information Technology 

Standards 

INCITS 

International Council for Science ICSU 

International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service IERS 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Imaging Industry Association I3A 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission 

ISO/IEC 

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, 

System and Structures/International Council for Research and 

Innovation in Building and Construction 

RILEM/CIB 

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, 

Systems and Structures 

RILEM 

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC 

D-11
 

Internet Engineering Task Force IETF 

Internet Software Consortium ISC 

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC 

Java Grande Forum JGF 

JEDEC - Solid State Technology Association JEDEC 

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Fluid Power Association NFLPA 

NCSL International NCSLI 

North American Open Math Initiative NAOMI 

Object Management Group OMG 

Open Applications Group OAGi 

Open DeviceNet Vendor Association ODVA 

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC 

Optical Internetworking Forum OIF 

Optical Society of America OSA 

Optical Storage Technology Association OSTA 

Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council OEOSC 

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards 

OASIS 

Pan-American Standards Commission COPANT 

Robotics Industries Association RIA 

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International SEMI 

Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization SISO 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers SMPTE 

Standards Engineering Society SES 

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA 

U.S. Product Data Association US PRO 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

Video Electronics Standards Association VESA 

D-12
 

World Wide Web Consortium W3C 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 403

Activities: 1241

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) 

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) provides thirdparty accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories. NVLAP's accreditation 

programs are established in response to Congressional mandates or administrative 

actions by the Federal Government or from requests by private-sector 

organizations. NVLAP is in full conformance with the standards of the 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International 

Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), including ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17011. 

NVLAP identifies its laboratories in its NVLAP-Accredited Laboratories Directory 

which is published online and updated monthly at www.nist.gov/nvlap. NVLAP is a 

signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and 

the Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) Mutual Recognition 

Arrangements. By participating in these cooperations, NVLAP facilitates the 

mutual recognition of accredited test and measurement results of its signatory 

partners, reducing the need for redundant testing and lowering costs to 

customers. 

MOU between NVLAP and the Navy 

NVLAP and the US Navy have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

for the laboratory accreditation relationship between the National Voluntary 

D-13
 

Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion 

Program (NNPP), also known as Naval Reactors. This MOU applies to the review 

and accreditation of testing facilities used to monitor ionizing radiation exposure 

in the NNPP. 

NVLAP will perform onsite assessments of the major shore-based NNPP facilities, 

to include the four naval shipyards and the two Department of Energy (DOE) 

laboratory sites. 

1. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 

2. Norfolk Naval Shipyard 

3. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility 

4. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility 

5. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory 

6. Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory 

The arrangement also includes the on-site assessments for the following 

secondary processing facilities that have direct linkage to one of the primary 

processors listed above. 

1. Kesselring Site Operations 

2. Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit 

3. Naval Reactors Facility 

4. Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department 

5. Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department 

6. Depot Maintenance Facility 

D-14
 

7. Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department 

8. Trident Refit Facility 

Termination of the PPT Laboratory Accreditation Program 

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) terminated the 

Chemical Calibration, Providers of Proficiency Testing Program (PPT). Reason for 

termination is as follows. 

The NVLAP PPT program was established in 1999 in response to the need for the 

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to externalize its Water 

Proficiency Evaluation Program and was designed as a competence based 

program, meaning laboratories are periodically assessed and found competent to 

prepare and analyze samples and to conduct studies. Laboratories are reevaluated every two years requiring a complete review of their competence and 

their performance on studies conducted. Laboratories are also required to 

participate in proficiency testing activities administered by the NIST Analytical 

Chemistry Division (ACD). While the NVLAP PPT Program was deemed acceptable 

at the time of its implementation in 1999, it did not meet the requirements of 

the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) 

Standard, which was published in 2003. 

The 2003 NELAC Standard requires that PT Providers be accredited by a 

Proficiency Testing Oversight Body (PTOB)/Proficiency Test Provider Accreditor 

(PTPA). Chapter 2 of the NELAC Standard sets out the requirements for the 

operation of a PTOB/PTPA. Specifically, clauses D.4 and D.5 of Chapter 2, 

Appendix D, require ongoing oversight of PT Providers and the development and 

maintenance of a comprehensive database for the purpose of statistical 

monitoring of Proficiency Testing Providers' study data. NVLAP does not have the 

resources to develop and maintain the required database or to perform the 

ongoing oversight. NVLAP, therefore, did not apply to serve as a PTOB/PTPA and 

did not wish to be recognized by NELAC as having an accreditation program that 

meets the requirements for service as a PTOB/PTPA. 

D-15
 

NELAC approved at least one PTOB/PTPA that satisfies the original need and that 

meets current requirements. This PTOB/PTPA's program was operational by June 

30, 2006. NVLAP maintained the accreditations of the current NVLAP-accredited 

Providers until September 30, 2006 to ensure continuity in coverage. 

New On-line system allows customers to apply to NVLAP using the web 

In July NVLAP launched the NVLAP Interactive Web Site (NIWS), a web-based 

system that allows laboratories to submit applications for accreditation over the 

Internet. Participation is currently open to testing laboratories enrolled in the 

Acoustical Testing and Electromagnetic Compatibility and Telecommunications 

laboratory accreditation programs. The system will be gradually expanded to 

include all NVLAP accreditation programs. The NIWS was developed in response to 

both customer requests received through NVLAP’s ongoing customer satisfaction 

survey process and the federal government mandate to provide customers with a 

way to electronically submit information. In response to the survey question, 

“How can NVLAP improve its accreditation service to you?” customers expressed 

their desire for a simplified application process utilizing on-line interactive forms 

that are pre-filled with data from the previous year’s accreditation. In addition to 

providing better customer service, the NIWS enables NVLAP to comply with the 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and the Government Paperwork 

Elimination Act (GPEA). 

The NIWS is expected to bring NVLAP closer to its customer laboratories and 

stakeholders by bringing e-government directly to them. By taking advantage of 

online automation, NVLAP is responding to the ever increasing expectations of an 

Internet-savvy public. Feedback is being collected from NIWS users to ascertain 

whether the system is user friendly and meets users’ needs for e-business 

transactions. 

New Accreditation Program for Homeland Security 

At the request of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 

NVLAP announced the establishment of an accreditation program for laboratories 

that perform testing of radiation detection instruments used in homeland security 

applications. This program will provide for the accreditation of laboratories that 

test radiation detection instruments using standards developed by the American 

D-16
 

National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Homeland Security Instrumentation 

(HSI) and Radiation Protection Instrumentation (RPI) groups. 

National Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation (NVCASE) Program 

The National Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation (NVCASE) 

Program enables U.S. industry to satisfy mandated foreign technical requirements 

using the results of U.S.-based conformity assessment programs that perform 

technical evaluations comparable in their rigor to practices in the receiving 

country. Under this program, the Department of Commerce, acting through the 

National Institute of Standards and Technology, evaluates U.S.-based conformity 

assessment bodies in order to be able to give assurances to a foreign government 

that qualifying bodies meet that government's requirements and can provide 

results that are acceptable to that government. The program provides a 

technically-based U.S. approval process for U.S. industry to gain foreign market 

access; the acceptability of conformity assessment results to the relevant foreign 

government will be a matter for agreement between the two governments. 

Additional information about the NVCASE Program can be found at 

http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Global/nvcase.cfm. 

Conformity Assessment Activities under Mutual Recognition 

Agreements/Arrangement (MRAs) 

The United States and the European Community Mutual Recognition Agreement 

(US - EU MRA) is a multi-sector bilateral government-to-government agreement 

between the United States and the 25 Member States of the European Union. 

Under this MRA, NIST is responsible for designating organizations in the US 

Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) for three product sectors: 1) 

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), 2) Telecommunications, and 3) Recreational 

Craft. After a lengthy review process, CABs that meet certain criteria are 

formally recognized and may operate as a CAB as described in the U.S. - EU MRA 

and the specific technical regulations of the EU governing the appropriate 

product sectors. The U.S.-EU MRA is an important regulatory and trade agreement 

which provides greater market access in a timelier manner for U.S. manufacturers 

exporting to Europe and European manufacturers exporting to the United States. 

Further information can be obtained at 

D-17
 

http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Global/mra.cfm. 

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement 

for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment is intended to 

streamline the Conformity Assessment Procedures for a wide range of 

telecommunications and telecommunications-related equipment and thereby to 

facilitate trade among the parties. It provides for the mutual recognition by the 

importing parties of CABs and mutual acceptance of the results of testing and 

equipment certification procedures undertaken by those bodies in assessing 

conformity of equipment to the importing Parties’ own Technical Regulations. 

Under Phase-I of the APEC Mutual Recognition Arrangement, NIST-designated 

CABs are able to produce test data in their facilities that are accepted as 

evidence that the tested product satisfies an APEC economy's appropriate 

technical requirements. CABs operating under Phase-II of the MRA are able to 

approve products as being in compliance with the technical and administrative 

requirements of the importing economy. The general and specific requirements 

that must be met in order to be nominated as a CAB under the APEC Tel MRA, as 

well as the text of the MRA, can be found at 

http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Global/mra.cfm. 

The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) Mutual Recognition 

Agreement is almost identical to the APEC Tel MRA in purpose and structure. The 

goal of the CITEL MRA is to facilitate trade among the 34 Member States of the 

Organization of American States. The conformity assessment activities under this 

Agreement have yet to become operational. When operational, NIST will serve as 

the Designating Authority of U.S. CABs. In the meantime, NIST continues to work 

towards implementation of the Agreement. More information on the CITEL 

Agreement can be found on http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Global/mra.cfm. 

NIST Committee Participation in Conformity Assessment Activities 

NIST's Standards Services Division (NIST/SSD) participates in the American 

National Standards Institute's (ANSI) International Conformity Assessment 

Committee (ICAC). This committee serves as the U.S. Technical Advisory Group 

(TAG) to ISO's Council Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO). SSD staff is 

D-18
 

also active on CASCO's ad hoc Regulators Interface group. 

NIST/SSD is a member of ANSI's Conformity Assessment Policy Committee (CAPC), 

which is the primary focal point for developing, coordinating, and maintaining 

ANSI's policies and accreditation activities. The committee makes policy 

recommendations to the ANSI Board related to conformity assessment and 

provides oversight for ANSI's conformity assessment programs. 

In the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) area, NIST/SSD personnel 

serve on the U.S. National Committee to the IECEE (IEC System for Conformity 

Testing and Certification of Electrical Equipment). The latter is a worldwide 

scheme that allows manufacturers to obtain a test certificate from an approved 

U.S. National Certification Body (NCB) and to use that test report to obtain 

certification marks in other participating countries. 

Additionally, NIST provides technical support to the Standards Related Measures 

(SRM) Committee under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The 

SRM Committee serves as a forum for the resolution of standards and conformity 

assessment issues that impact trade among the three NAFTA partners. NIST also 

provides technical support for the InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation 

(IAAC). Such arrangements/agreements are designed to harmonize conformity 

assessment practices and promote the global acceptance of conformity 

assessment results from qualified bodies to minimize the need for and cost of 

redundant conformity assessments. 

Coordination of Conformity Assessment Activities 

Under the NTTAA, NIST is responsible for coordinating conformity assessment 

activities with private sector technical standards activities and conformity 

assessment activities, with the goal of eliminating unnecessary duplication and 

complexity. Current NIST activities in this area include: 

1. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Conformity Assessment Activities - 

NIST’s Technology Services is working with the Department of Homeland Security 

Standards Executive and Homeland Security Institute staff to develop the DHS 

Science and Technology standards and conformity assessment infrastructure as 

D-19
 

well as requirements, standards, testing protocols, and conformity assessment 

methods. 

2. Radiation Detectors - NIST’s Technology Services, in cooperation with NIST’s 

Radiation Physics Division is working on developing a certification program for 

radiation detectors for DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Deterrent Office including 

accreditation for testing laboratories. A workshop to announce NVLAP laboratory 

accreditation program was held in January 2006. 

3. Body Armor - NIST’s Technology Services, in cooperation with NIST’s Office of 

Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), the Department of Justice’s National 

Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections 

Technology Center (NLECTC) developed a significant enhancement to the current 

body armor certification program and is revising NIJ's performance standard for 

the safety of law enforcement officers. NVLAP, at the request of NIJ, is 

developing a laboratory accreditation program to accredit body armor testing 

laboratories. 

4. Interoperable Public Safety Communications Equipment - NIST’s Technology 

Services, in cooperation with TIA Project 25, the NIST OLES, the Institute for 

Telecommunication Sciences, and DHS Project SAFECOM established the P25 

Conformity Assessment Working Group to get industry input and buy-in for the 

development of a complex conformity assessment program for public safety land 

mobile radios. The working group has developed a draft conformity assessment 

program concept based on peer review of testing competence, standardized test 

report forms, and the implementation of a supplier’s declaration of conformity in 

accordance with ISO/IEC 17050 Parts 1 and 2. 

5. Standards and Conformity Assessment Activities of the DHS Transportation 

Security Administration (TSA) and the Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) – 

NIST’s Technology Services is working with TSA and TSL to ensure the effective 

use of available private sector standards and the correct application of 

conformity assessment schemes in their Technical Requirements Documents which 

are used to identify equipment requirements to security equipment vendors. This 

work ensures that deployed equipment is effective and meets regulatory 

requirements in an efficient manner. Additionally NIST's Technology Services is 

D-20
 

working with NIST Radiation Physics to develop IEEE Standards for the 

performance of non-intrusive inspection equipment. 

6. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – Chinese Imports - NIST’s 

Technology Services consulted with CPSC Program Plan for China relative to 

standards and conformity assessment. NIST assisted in the development of text 

for the standards and conformity assessment sections of CPSC’s China Plan 

(http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/china/china.html) and participated in a public 

meeting at CPSC’s request. 

7. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Project on Electronics Recycling – 

NIST’s Technology Services is participating in an electronic recycling working 

group, with broad participation from stakeholders, to develop a standard and 

certification program for recycling of electronic waste. The EPA Office of Solid 

waste is supporting this work in an effort to avoid the need to regulate this 

sector. NIST has provided standards and conformity assessment guidance to EPA 

and the working group. 

8. EPA WaterSense Project – NIST’s Technology Services is currently providing 

consultation to EPA staff on the development of a conformity assessment plan for 

its WaterSense program. This certification program should be available in 2007. 

Finally, NIST/SSD has published a number of directories and reports on conformity 

assessment-related issues. NIST/SSD also maintains a Web site (http://ts.nist.gov) 

that provides a one-stop-shopping source for information on various conformity 

assessment issues. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

None at this time. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

DOC BUREAUS (EXCLUDING NIST) - SUMMARY OF STANDARDS-RELATED ACTIVITIES 

(2006) 

D-21
 

International Trade Administration (ITA) – The ITA participates in seven CODEX 

committees, two ISO technical committees, and one ICAO committee. ITA also 

participates in two potentially trade-related ISO activities that are administered 

by the ISO Technical Management Board (TMB). This year, ITA’s work in standards 

furthered the adoption and worldwide acceptance of processed food safety and 

international civil aviation standards. ITA also worked on two ISO issue areasremanufactured goods and social responsibility- that are administered by the 

TMB. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Standardization of 

data acquisition and data management practices are vital to the mission at NOAA. 

NOAA seeks to establish voluntary standards with selected industrial associations, 

academia, and national organizations of state and local governments (e.g., the 

American Association of State Climatologists), as well as through participation in 

professional societies (e.g., American Meteorological Society). All NOAA line 

organizations participate in standards development activities. In general, 

standards used in many NOAA activities are established in conjunction with other 

federal agencies (e.g., DOD, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee) either through joint 

participation in international organizations such as the World Meteorological 

Organization, or by means of bilateral and multilateral agreements with other 

nations. These standardization activities apply to all phases of environmental 

data acquisition, processing, and distribution. 

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) – The NTIA 

contributes to the development and application of national and international 

telecommunication standards by participating and holding leadership roles in 

various voluntary standards committees at the national and international levels 

(e.g., Telecommunications Industry Association, International Telecommunication 

Union). These standards enhance the quality and reliability of the domestic 

telecommunications infrastructure, promote healthy competition in 

telecommunications products and services, and expand international trade 

opportunities for U.S. telecommunications firms. 

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) - The USPTO participates and 

D-22
 

contributes to the resolution of identified requirements for international 

standards, primarily through the Standing Committee on Information Technologies 

of the World Intellectual Property Organization. USPTO staff also participates in 

standardization activities of the International Patent Classification Union. 

Bureau of the Census – DOC’s Bureau of the Census is active in the development 

of standards and specifications for: (1) the capture and storage of geographic 

information in computer-readable formats along with metadata documenting the 

characteristics of those data; and (2) the definitions of statistical, economic, and 

geographic terms. The Census Bureau participates in the following groups: 

Federal Geographic Data Committee -- various subcommittees and working 

groups; ANSI/NCITS-L1 Geographic Information Systems; ISO Technical Committee 

211; Ad hoc Baseline Committee on the U.S. International Boundary; U.S.G.S. 

Spatial Data Transfer Standards (SDTS) Technical Review Board; International 

Cartographic Association, U.S. National Committee for the International 

Cartographic Association, Commission on National and Regional Atlases; U.S.G.S. 

National Atlas of the United States Steering Committee; the Open GIS Consortium 

(OGC); and U.S. Board on Geographic Names. 

OTHER NIST STANDARDS ACTIVITIES 

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) – FY2006 

Under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), TITLE III of the 

E-Government Act of 2002, The Secretary of Commerce approves standards and 

guidelines that are developed by NIST for federal computer systems. This includes 

standards and guidelines needed to ensure the cost-effective security and privacy 

of sensitive information in federal computer systems. These standards and 

guidelines are issued by NIST as FIPS for use government wide. FIPS are issued 

when there are compelling federal government requirements such as for security 

and interoperability and there are no acceptable industry standards or solutions. 

When FIPS are considered necessary, NIST announces proposed FIPS in the Federal 

Register for public review and comment. 

During FY2006, NIST made the following FIPS announcements: 

D-23
 

A Federal Register notice on March 13, 2006, announced for public review and 

comment a proposed draft FIPS 186-3, Digital Signature Standard (DSS). The 

proposed standard would revise and supersede FIPS 186-2, which specifies three 

algorithms to generate and verify digital signatures. With advances in technology, 

it is prudent to consider larger key sizes. Draft FIPS 186-3 allows the use of 1024, 

2048, and 3072-bit keys. Other requirements have been added concerning the use 

of ANS X9.31 and ANS X9.62. In addition, the use of the RSA algorithm as specified 

in Public Key Cryptography Standard (PKCS) #1 (RSA Cryptography Standard) is 

allowed. 

A Federal Register notice dated March 31, 2006, announced the approval of FIPS 

200, Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information 

Systems. FIPS 200 is one of a series of security standards and guidelines that ITL is 

developing to help federal agencies implement their responsibilities under the 

Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). To be used with other 

publications already issued by ITL (FIPS 199 and NIST Special Publication 800-53), 

FIPS 200 specifies minimum security requirements for federal information and 

information systems and a risk-based process for selecting the security controls 

necessary to satisfy the minimum requirements. 

A Federal Register notice dated March 31, 2006, announced the approval of FIPS 

201-1, Standard for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and 

Contractors, revises two sections of the original standard, Section 2.2, PIV 

Identity Proofing and Registration Requirements, and Section 5.3.1, PIV Card 

Issuance. These revisions clarify the identity proofing and registration process 

that federal agencies should follow when issuing identity credentials. 

E-Gov Standards 

NIST, in cooperation with others responsible for implementing E-Gov services, has 

undertaken work to validate standards for E-Gov Initiatives and Lines of Business 

(LoB). NIST has worked with specific E-Gov Initiatives and LoB that are well 

advanced in their standard development, selection, and deployment of their 

standards-based implementations. These efforts have formed the foundation of 

knowledge of the specific standards and types of standards that have already 

been adopted and are, in many cases, already being used to successfully 

D-24
 

implement specific E-Gov services successfully. In the future NIST plans to review 

the ongoing selection and adoption of private sector standards by the E-Gov 

Initiatives and Lines of Business, identify specific standards that are needed for 

government wide use, develop a guidance document for recommended best 

practices for standards selection that can be used in the future by the E-Gov 

Initiatives and LoB, and develop recommendations on specific mechanisms to 

promulgate government policy for the standards associated with each E-Gov 

Initiative and LoB. 

Telemedicine Standards 

The mission of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is to promote access 

to medical care by consumers and health professionals via information and 

telecommunications technology. An important element of this mission is to 

advance the use of telemedicine through the development or identification of 

technology, clinical, and administrative standards related to the ongoing delivery 

of health and medical care. Telemedicine allows patients to gain access to 

healthcare professionals electronically, regardless of their location. It can provide 

faster, more affordable healthcare services, especially when telemedicine is 

integrated into the entire health and medical care a patient receives via the 

traditional in-person environment. 

Working to accomplish this mission, the NIST's Information Technology Laboratory 

and ATA are working together to define a portfolio of standards and guidelines to 

enable the development and advancement of the use of telemedicine. In 

December 2005, NIST along with National Library of Medicine and the American 

Telemedicine Association sponsored a workshop to explore the challenges and 

demands upon the US measurement system (USMS) by the new technologies and 

critical applications in medical imaging and telemedicine. About 80 

representatives from the telemedicine industry attended, resulting in 8 solid 

measurement needs submitted to the USMS office. As a result, NIST started an 

effort to develop a more cohesive telemedicine program at NIST. Later, a 

meeting between NIST senior management and the ATA was held, out of which an 

agreement to further develop their relationship was established. 

Homeland Security Standards 

D-25
 

The Chief of the Standards Services Division of NIST serves as co-Chair on the 

American National Standards Institute's Homeland Security Standards Panel (ANSIHSSP). The mission of the HSSP is to identify existing consensus standards, or, if 

none exist, assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and those sectors 

requesting assistance to accelerate development and adoption of consensus 

standards critical to homeland security. The ANSI-HSSP promotes a positive, 

cooperative partnership between the public and private sectors in order to meet 

the needs of the nation in this critical area. 

The 2006 HSSP plenary, held September 25-26, 2006 at New York University, 

focused on effective emergency preparedness. The meeting brought together 

nearly one hundred professionals, experts and leaders from the homeland security 

standards and conformity assessment community to address the various security 

issues facing the nation today. 

Dr. Bert Coursey, standards executive, U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, provided an update on the DHS 

standards technical program and its efforts in the areas of emergency 

preparedness and response. 

A panel session on assessment, accreditation and certification in private sector 

preparedness and business continuity provided insight into how several major 

corporations address emergency preparedness and how standards, especially 

NFPA 1600, play an important role in their efforts. 

Additional panel sessions examined public sector preparedness; credentialing for 

emergency responders and on-scene personnel; and the work of standards 

developers, such as ASTM International, the National Fire Protection Association 

(NFPA), and the International Code Council (ICC), in developing standards 

solutions for emergency preparedness. 

Meeting participants met in breakout sessions to identify existing standards work, 

where there are gaps, and possible action items for the ANSI-HSSP and the 

standards communities. The areas of focus for these breakouts were planning for 

a global pandemic; mass/public transportation security; and all-hazards planning, 

response and recovery. Additional potential areas for ANSI-HSSP future 

D-26
 

exploration were raised throughout the two days, such as accommodating the 

needs of persons with disabilities in emergency preparedness standards. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

D-27
 

Department of Defense

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The primary mission of the Department of Defense(DoD)is to support the 

warfighter in the most effective and efficient means possible. In meeting this 

mission, standards and standardization have been championed throughout DoD to 

reduce costs and improve operational effectiveness. The Department's 

standardization program is a comprehensive, integrated activity which links the 

acquisition, operational, and sustainment communities with the purpose of 

developing and managing process, products and services for the warfighter, the 

acquisition community, and the logistics community thus promoting 

interoperability, reducing total ownership costs and sustaining readiness. 

DoD standards and standardization activities serve these communities by 

providing material standardization products and services that enhance and 

facilitate understanding, communication and coordination which are integral to 

improving interoperabiity and logistics readiness and reduce total ownership 

costs. For example, the DoD standardization program enhances interoperability 

and logistics readiness through increased commonality of systems, components, 

and architectures. While, total ownership costs are reduced through 

standardization supported by advanced information and decision-support 

resources. 

The following DoD case study illustrates how standards and standardization have 

contributed to providing the warfighter with equipment and services in a timely 

and cost consciencous manner. 

Navy Integrated In-Service Reliabilty Program - Component reliablity is a "force 

multiplier" in sustaining warfighter readiness and reducing the cost of operations. 

Component in-service reliabily is a function of a component's inherent (designedin) reliablity and many other logistics-related factors such as maintenance, 

packaging, preservation and transportation. This case study describes how the 

Navy addressed the challenge of standardizing processes and tools to improve the 

D-28
 

in-service reliabity of its aricraft components. As a result of this effort, the Navy 

has increased fleet readiness and markedly reduced its flying-hour costs. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 

This agency reports voluntary consensus standards usage on a category basis 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 126

Voluntary Standard Government Standard

ANSI 40.1 GG-G-76E(1) 

ANSI-A135.4 A-A-2243 NOT 1 

ANSI-B18.2.1 MS18153D NOT 1 

ANSI-B18.2.1 MS18154D NOT 1 

ASME-Y14.100 MIL-STD-100G NOT 1 

ASME-Y14.14 MIL-STD-100G NOT 1 

ASME-Y14.34M MIL-STD-100G NOT 1 

ASME-Y14.35M MIL-STD-100G NOT 1 

ASTM-116 RR-F-221G NOT 1 

ASTM-1316 MIL-STD-371 NOT 1 

ASTM-2246 MS51961F NOT 3 

ASTM-A121 RR-F-221G NOT 1 

ASTM-A390 RR-F-221G NOT 1 

ASTM-A584 RR-F-221G NOT 1 

ASTM-A585 RR-F-221G NOT 1 

ASTM-A682/A682M QQ-S-777A(2) NOT 2 

ASTM-A684/A684M QQ-S-777A(2) NOT 2 

ASTM-A702 RR-F-221G NOT 1 

ASTM-B26/B26M QQ-A-601F(1) NOT 2 

ASTM-B633 QQ-Z-325C NOT 1 

D-29
 

ASTM-D-1974 PPP-B00636L NOT 1 

ASTM-D4522 FED-STD-148A(2) NOT 3 

ASTM-D5118 PPP-B00636L NOT 1 

ASTM-D5448/5448M MIL-STD-375 NOT 1 

ASTM-D5449/5449M MIL-STD-374 NOT 1 

ASTM-D5450/D5450M MIL-STD-373 NOT 1 

ASTM-E1316 MIL-STD-369 NOT 1 

ASTM-F 2215 MS19061C NOT 3 

ASTM-F 2215 MS19062B NOT 3 

ASTM-F 2215 MS19063C NOT 3 

ASTM-F2215 MIL-B-1083D SUP 1 NOT 3 

ASTM-F2215 MS19059C NOT 3 

ASTM-F2215 MS19060D NOT 3 

ASTM-F2215 MS19064C 

ASTM-F2215 MS3224A NOT 3 

ASTM-F2215 MS3226 NOT 3 

ASTM-F2430 MS500072C NOT 3 

ASTM-F2443 MS19065A NOT 3 

ASTM-F883 FF-P-001480(1) NOT 1 

IEEE/EIA 12207.0 MIL-STD-498 NOT 1 

IEEE/EIA 12207.1 MIL-STD-498 NOT 1 

IEEE/EIA 12207.2 MIL-STD-498 NOT 1 

NASM 1864 MS51864 (1) NOT 2 

NASM27039 MS27039F NOT 2 

SAE AS 10051 AND 10051 REV 3 NOT 2 

SAE AS 17845 MS17845F NOT 1 

SAE AS10380 AND 10380 REV 4 NOT2 

SAE AS171808 MS17108A NOT 2 

SAE-AMS3216 MIL-R-83248C NOT 2 

SAE-AMS3218 MIL-R-83248C NOT 2 

D-30
 

SAE-AMS6409 MIL-S-83135 NOT 5 

SAE-AMS6417 MIL-S-83135 NOT 5 

SAE-AMS7259 MIL-R-83248/2(1) NOT 4 

SAE-AMS7259 MIL-R-83248C NOT 2 

SAE-AMS7276 MIL-R-83248C NOT 2 

SAE-APR1199 MIL-STD-1498B NOT 1 

SAE-AS 25487 MS25487G NOT 2 

SAE-AS21378 MS21478A NOT 1 

SAE-AS24122 MS24122C NOT 3 

SAE-AS24208 MS24208E NOT 1 

SAE-AS25018 MS25018G NOT 1 

SAE-AS25488 MS25488F NOT 3 

SAE-AS3581 MIL-R-83248/2(1) NOT 4 

SAE-AS39029 MIL-C-39029D SUP 1A NOT 2 

SAE-AS39029/25 MIL-C-39029/25C NOT 3 

SAE-AS39029/26 MIL-C-39029/26C NOT 3 

SAE-AS39029/30 MIL-C-39029/30A NOT 3 

SAE-AS39029/32 MIL-C-39029/32B(1) NOT 2 

SAE-AS39029/4 MIL-C-39029/4F NOT 2 

SAE-AS39029/5 MIL-C-39029/5G NOT 2 

SAE-AS399029/29 MIL-C-39029/29B NOT 2 

SAE-AS51997 MS51997C (2) NOT 3 

SAE-AS7974/1 MIL-C-7974/1A NOT 1 

SAE-AS7974/2 MIL-C-7974/2 NOT 2 

SAE-AS7974/3 MIL-C-7973/3 NOT 1 

SAE-AS7974/4 MIL-C-7974D(1) SUP 1 NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714 MIL-T-81714E 

SAE-AS81714/1 MIL-T-81714/1F NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/10 MIL-T-81714/10F NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/11 MIL-T-81714/11F NOT 2 

D-31
 

SAE-AS81714/12 MIL-T-81714/12C NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/14 MIL-T-81714/14C NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/15 MIL-T-81714/15C NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/16 MIL-T-81714/16E NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/17 MIL-T-81714/17C NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/18 MIL-T-81714/18B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/19 MIL-T-81714/19 BNOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/2 MIL-T-81714/2F NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/20 MIL-T-81714/20B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/21 MIL-T-81714/21B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/22 MIL-T-81714/22B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/23 MIL-T-81714/23B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/24 MIL-T-81714/24B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/25 MIL-T-81714/25B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/26 MIL-T-81714/26B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/27 MIL-T-81714/27B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/28 MIL-T-81714/28B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/29 MIL-T-81714/29B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/3 MIL-T-81714/3F NOT 3 

SAE-AS81714/30 MIL-T-81714/30B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/31 MIL-T-81714/31B NOT 1 

SAE-AS81714/4 MIL-T- 81714/4F(2) NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/5 MIL-T-81714/5F NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/6 MIL-T-81714/6F NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/60 MIL-T-81714/60A NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/61 MIL-T-81714/61A NOT 3 

SAE-AS81714/63 MIL-T-81714?63(1) NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/65 MIL-T-81714/65(1) NOT 4 

SAE-AS81714/67 MIL-T-81714/67(1) NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/69 MIL-T-81714/69 NOT 3 

D-32
 

SAE-AS81714/8 MIL-T-81714/8F NOT 2 

SAE-AS81714/9 MIL-T-81714/9F NOT 2 

SAE-AS90328 MS90328G NOT 1 

SAE-AS90347 MS90347D NOT 1 

SAE-AS90362 MS90362C NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/1 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/10 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/2 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/3 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/4 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/5 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/6 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/7 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/8 NOT 1 

UL 153 W-L-314/9 NOT 1 

UL 184 A-A-2295 NOT 1 

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 9204

Other Technical Standards: 256

Rationale: The Department relies on all categories of non-government standards 

to meet mission essential requirements. Specifically, due to the prevalence of 

consortium standards in the information arena, the Defense Information Systems 

Agency relies on this document type to meet requirements. The number of Other 

Technical Standards used during FY2006 is an approximation. The Department 

does not officially collect this information. 

D-33
 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 110

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Aerospace & Defense Industries Association of Europe ASD 

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA 

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute ARI 

Air Movement and Control Association AMCA 

Aluminum Association AA 

AMCA International AMCA 

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA 

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation A2LA 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials 

AASHTO 

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC 

American Bearing Manufacturers Association ABMA 

American Concrete Institute ACI 

American Dental Association ADA 

American Gas Association AGA 

American Gear Manufacturers Association AGMA 

American Hardboard Association AHA 

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA 

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA 

American Institute of Steel Construction AISC 

American Institute of Timber Construction AITC 

American National Metric Council ANMC 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Petroleum Institute API 

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association 

AREMA 

American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT 

D-34
 

American Society for Quality ASQ 

American Society of Cinematographers ASC 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Sanitary Engineering ASSE 

American Water Works Association AWWA 

American Welding Society AWS 

American Wood Preservers Association AWPA 

APA - The Engineering Wood Association APA 

Association for Automatic Indentification & Mobility AIM 

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI 

ASTM International ASTM 

British Standards Institution BSI 

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA 

Canadian General Standards Board CGSB 

Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute CISPI 

Compressed Gas Association CGA 

Construction Specifications Institute CSI 

Cooling Technology Institute CTI 

Cordage Institute CI 

Data Interchange Standards Association, Inc. DISAI 

Deep Foundations Institute DFI 

Deutsches Institut fur Nomung - German Institute for 

Standardization 

DIN 

Electronic Commerce Code Management Association ECCMA 

Electronic Components Assemblies & Materials Association ECAMA 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Electrostatic Discharge Association EDA 

FM Global FMG 

D-35
 

Government Electronics & Information Technology Association GEITA 

Graphic Communications Association GCA 

Gypsum Association GYP 

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association HPVA 

High Frequency Industry Association HFIA 

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. HFESI 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA 

Information Technology Industry Council ITI 

Institute of Clean Air Companies ICAC 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Institute of Environmental Sciences & Technology IEST 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

Insulated Cable Engineers Association ICEA 

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials IAPMO 

International Code Council ICC 

InterNational Committee for Information Technology 

Standards 

INCITS 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC 

Joint Electron Device Engineering Council JEDEC 

Machinery Informaiton Management Open Systems MIMOSA 

Magnetic Materials Producers Association MMPA 

Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and 

Fittings Industry 

MSSVFI 

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE 

National Association of Relay Manufacturers NARM 

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Fluid Power Association NFLPA 

D-36
 

National Information Standards Organization NISO 

National Petroleum Management Association NPMA 

NCSL International NCSLI 

NSF International NSFI 

Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council OEOSC 

Parachute Industry Association PIA 

Pipe Fabrication Institiute PFI 

Plastic Pipe Institute PPI 

Plumbing and Draining Institute PDI 

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association PHCCA 

Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc. QCDS 

Rack Manufacturers Institute RMI 

Resistance Welders Manufacturers Association RWMA 

Rubber Manufacturers Association RMA 

Scientific Apparatus Makers Association SAMA 

Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National 

Association 

SMACNA 

Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization SISO 

Society of Allied Weight Engineers SAWE 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Standards Engineering Society SES 

Steel Door Institute SDI 

Steel Founders Society of America SFSA 

The Soap and Detergent Association SDA 

The Tire and Rim Association, Inc. TRAI 

Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association TTMA 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

Window and Door Manufacturers Association WDMA 

D-37
 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 1106

Activities: 4009

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

The Department does not collect this information. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

The Department questions the accuracy of the collected data. For example, since 

DoD no longer is able to collect participant information we were only able to 

report last year's figure to answer question 6. Therefore, OMB and Congress are 

receiving inaccurate data from at least one reporting activity. Therefore, it can 

be assumed that national standardization policy decisions may be made based on 

questonable information. 

The A-119 ICSP Working Group met twice and made recommendations to an OMB 

representative, ICSP members, and a Congressionl staff person. These 

recommendations were put forth in the hopes of making the A-119 report more 

relevant. One recommendation was to require government entities to report on 

standards related activities which aided in implementing the requirements 

contained in the overarching OMB budget document. The Working Group believed 

more textual data vice heavy reliance on numerical data would provide Congress 

a clearer indication of the importance of standards and standardization to the 

workings of the U.S. Government. To date, the working group recommendations 

have not gone beyond the discussion phase. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

D-38
 

The Department suggests NIST. OMB and Congress incorporate the ICSP A-119 

Working Group recommendations in the FY 07 report. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

D-39
 

Department of Education

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the principal statistical 

agency within the U.S. Department of Education uses standards to provide high 

quality, reliable, useful, and informative statistical information to public policy 

decision makers and to the general public. In particular, the standards that NCES 

follows are intended for use by NCES staff and contractors to guide them in their 

data collection, analysis, and dissemination activities. These standards are also 

intended to present a clear statement for data users regarding how data should 

be collected in NCES surveys, and the limits of acceptable applications and use. 

Beyond these immediate uses, NCES hope that other organizations involved in 

similar public endeavors will find the contents of some of NCES standards useful 

in their work. (Source: NCES Statistical Support Standards: NCES 2003-601) 

The Department of Education also uses standards in the implementation of 

Information Technology for the Department which ultimately enhances the 

delivery of Department Education services to citizens. The Department of 

Education uses Information Technology Standards to implement common enabling 

services and infrastructure services. These Information Technology standards used 

in the Department of Education’s Enterprise Architecture also fulfill OMB’s 

requirement for a Standards Profile. (Source: Department of Education Enterprise 

Standards and Guidelines Technology Standards Profile, Volume I: Enterprise 

Standards Profile Version 1.0) 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

D-40
 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 5

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

National Forum on Education Statistics NCES Forum 

Post Secondary Electronic Standards Organization PESC 

School Interoperability Framework Association SIFA 

Semantic Interoperability Commmunity of Practice SICOP 

XML Community of Practice xmlCOP 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 4

Activities: 6

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

none 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

D-41
 

no comments 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

no comments 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

no comments 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

D-42
 

Department of Energy

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

DOE uses VCSs extensively in managing, operating, and regulating our diverse 

sites, laboratories, operations, facilities, and activities – over a range that 

includes nuclear weapons and materials production, energy research, energy 

efficency, oil storage, hydroelectric power, accelerator operations, nuclear 

facility decommissioning, and fusion experiments. VCSs are consulted, referenced 

and applied in mission-related design, procurement, construction, operations, 

maintenance, emergency operations, and decommissioning efforts; in 

environment, safety and health management; in DOE research and development 

activities; in security and safeguards programs; and in overall business operations 

and management. 

Other areas where DOE and its contractors use VCSs at DOE facilities and 

activities that may not be fully documented and reported include: 

1) writing procedures; 

2) establishing safety criteria (e.g., for worker job task analyses, fire protection, 

nuclear criticality safety, nuclear facility safety); and 

3) citing supporting references in internal DOE Technical Standards. 

Examples/Case Studies: 

1. The Department of Energy (DOE) has historically used voluntary consensus 

standards (VCS) promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 

the development and implementation of fire safety and emergency response 

programs at its sites. DOE and its predecessor agencies (AEC, ERDA) have done so 

for a number of reasons. NFPA is universally recognized for the diverse expertise 

of the members of its technical committees. (DOE and its contractor employees 

are widely represented within these committees.) The scope of fire safety issues 

with the Department is vast. Attempting to address these issues solely with 

D-43
 

internal directives would be cost prohibitive. NFPA codes and standards, through 

the “Equivalency” principle, allows for the flexible and cost-effective 

implementation of requirements. DOE has saved literally hundreds of thousands 

of dollars in the inspection and testing of fire protection systems through the 

adaptation of this principle, as delineated in NFPA Standards 25 (superscript 1) 

and 72 (superscript 2), to site circumstances. 

1 Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based FireProtection Systems 

2 National Fire Alarm Code 

___________________________ 

2. This is not a specific case, however it is important to mention that because of 

DOE's use of VCSs, local contractors performing work for the Department's 

National Labs have been more successful when bidding for jobs than if DOE used 

only internally generated standards. We feel that VCSs are responsible because 

they provide more universally accepted approaches to getting work completed. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 1474

Other Technical Standards: 0

D-44
 

Rationale: This represents an increase of 44 additional standards being used this 

year (2006). 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 71

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute ARI 

Air Movement and Control Association AMCA 

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials 

AASHTO 

American Concrete Institute ACI 

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA 

American Institute of Steel Construction AISC 

American Iron and Steel Institute AISI 

American Medical Association AMA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Nuclear Society ANS 

American Petroleum Institute API 

American Public Health Association APHA 

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association 

AREMA 

American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT 

American Society for Quality ASQ 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Water Works Association AWWA 

American Welding Society AWS 

Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association ARMA 

D-45
 

Associated Air Balance Council AABC 

Association for Information and Image Management AIIM 

Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering AACEI 

ASTM International ASTM 

Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association CISCA 

Compressed Gas Association CGA 

Construction Safety Association of Ontario CSAO 

Cooling Technology Institute CTI 

Crane Manufacturing Association of America CMAA 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Institute of Makers of Explosives IME 

Institute of Transportation Engineers ITE 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

Insulated Steel Door Systems Institute ISDSI 

International Air Transport Association IATA 

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials IAPMO 

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA 

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO 

International Code Council ICC 

International Commission on Radiation Protection ICRP 

International Commission on Radiation Units and 

Measurements, Inc. 

ICRU 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

Metal Lath/Steel Framing Association, A Division of NAAMM MLSFA 

National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers NAAMM 

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP 

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

D-46
 

National Information Standards Organization NISO 

National Safety Council NSC 

National Window and Door Association NWDA 

NCSL International NCSLI 

Painting and Decorating Contractors of America PDCA 

Post-Tensioning Institute PTI 

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute PCI 

Resilient Floor Covering Institute RFCI 

Scaffolding, Shoring, and Forming Institute, Inc. SSFI 

Screen Manufacturers Association SMA 

Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National 

Association 

SMACNA 

Single Ply Roofing Institute SPRI 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Society of Fire Protection Engineers SFPE 

Steel Door Institute SDI 

Steel Joist Institute SJI 

Steel Window Institute SWI 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

Water Environment Federation WEF 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 820

Activities: 1195

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

D-47
 

This number is unchanged from previous years. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

OMB A-119 continues to be adequate. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

Because of declining budgets, it has become increasingly difficult to fund VCS 

participation by DOE and contractor personnel. As a result, it becomes less likely 

that the Department's needs are adequately addressed during VCS 

development/revision, particularly those that relate to important international 

standards. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; B

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

D-48
 

Department of Health and Human Services

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

As noted below, the individual agencies of DHHS believe the use of nongovernment standards, both voluntary consensus and non-consensus but 

government unique standards, are integral to the success of their missions. 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

Standards developed through interactions with various standard development 

bodies, including voluntary consensus standard organizations and or industry 

consortia can provide benefit to stakeholders in multiple ways. FDA interactions 

with these organizations have resulted in development of several standards that 

can affect various aspects (e.g., clinical, CMC, pharmacology/ toxicology clinical, 

statistical, inspectional, information technology, inspectional) for products FDA 

regulates and ultimately facilitate development, approval and improvements in 

new products, and appropriate regulation including compliance activities with 

existing products. Typically standards provide a generally acceptable path that 

developers and manufacturers can follow in product development and approval. 

Given the diversity of products, the suitability of the standard has to be reviewed 

in context with the specific application and product. The option almost always 

remains for developers and manufacturers to adapt general standards to specific 

products and/or to follow a more acceptable approach. 

Establishment and use of standards result in benefits to FDA that include: 

international standards that can be used by multiple regulatory regions; following 

our legal mandate to facilitate harmonization on an international level; often 

better utilization of limited internal resources; more direct participation by 

various stakeholders in development of standards 

FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) also has created unique 

opportunities to develop standards, by participating in standards development in 

a unique collaborative effort with service or material donations from multiple 

D-49
 

organizations including academic and corporate institutions. For example, CBER 

organized an Adenovirus Associated Reference Materials Working Group that 

developed an adenoviral virus reference material and adenoviral virus associated 

reference material. The reference material is used to define the particle and 

infectious units for adenovirus vectors used in gene therapy thus facilitating 

advancement in this developing field and helping to assure patient safety. 

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), in collaboration with 

the Office of Dietary Supplements in NIH, created a program for development and 

dissemination of analytical methods for dietary supplements, coordinating 

activities among Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, 

and the private sector. Methods validation efforts use an Interagency Agreement 

with FDA to fund a contract with AOAC International, and in the 5th year of a 5-

year plan, there are 52 methods in various stages of validation: 7 have undergone 

a full collaborative study, 4 of which (2 ephedra methods, ginkgo flavanols, betacarotene, glucosamine) have been approved as Official Methods of Analysis. 

CFSAN Colors and Cosmetics Analysis establishes methods for its own internal use; 

they may be derived from compendial, literature, or voluntary consensus 

standard methods; alternatively, they may be new protocols developed entirely 

in-house at FDA-CFSAN. However, even when they are published in the peerreview literature, they are not recommended to nor required of outside 

stakeholder groups. With respect to color additives, which must by law be listed 

at 21 CFR 73, 74, or 82, each color additive has an established identity and 

specifications in the listing regulation; Color Additive Certification Analytical 

Methods used within FDA are not requirements of the listing regulations, and any 

scientifically valid analytical method that is capable of yielding equivalent, 

reliable, and reproducible results to ensure compliance with the identity and 

specifications in listing regulation is acceptable to the agency. 

FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) - Although Campylobacter is a major 

bacterial cause of foodborne gastroenteritis and a target pathogen of the NARMS 

program, until recently there was no standardized in vitro antimicrobial 

susceptibility testing method available to accurately measure its susceptibility to 

antimicrobial agents. Such a method was needed in order to compare data among 

D-50
 

various national monitoring programs worldwide. FDA work with the Clinical and 

Laboratory Standards Institute Given resulted in the first standardized method for 

this organism, which is easily adaptable to routine laboratory use. The details of 

the broth method are published by the CLSI in their M45, M37 and M100 

documents in 2006. This method is being incorporated into national surveillance 

systems and clinical laboratories worldwide, and thus represents an 

internationally recognized standard. 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 

AHRQ funds and participates with the National Quality Forum (NQF) in the 

endorsement of standards for performance measures of quality among various 

providers. This effort brings all stakeholders together to make a determination 

founded in a membership-driven NTAA-compliant consensus process. In 2003, 

AHRQ incorporated NQF standards in its National Quality Report that was 

mandated by Congress and is in clearance within HHS. The AHRQ Director has a 

permanent seat on the Board of Directors of NQF and participates in the 

endorsement of the consensus driven standards (measures) through a voting 

process. AHRQ provides support to NQF and has submitted 39 hospital quality 

measures to NQF along with funding to evaluate the use of these measures in 

quality and efficiency enhancing actions, so that they might be considered for 

public reporting and pay-for-performance as well as for further development of 

research tools. 

AHRQ is a member and supports the meetings of the ANSI Health Informatics 

Standards Board, a board that coordinates the U.S. standards developing 

organizations for health information exchange. Other federal agencies, 

professional health organizations, and vendors are members. Duplication and 

overlap of health data standards domains and other issues are voluntarily resolved 

through ANSI HISB. 

AHRQ is a member and supports the meetings of the U.S. Technical Advisory 

Group to ISO Technical Committee 215, Health Informatics. The U.S. TAG 

formulates and reaches consensus on the U.S. position on health data issues taken 

at ISO TC 215 meetings. 

D-51
 

AHRQ supported the Institute of Medicine's letter report recommending eight 

functions be included in the definition of an electronic health record. These 

functions were used by Health Level 7 to produce a balloted standard on the 

functional definition of an EHR in September 2003. The ballot has reached 

consensus in 2004 and is beginning to be used by clinical information software 

vendors to disclose their support of specific functions defined in these standards. 

Specifically, the Conformance Committee for Health Information Technology 

(CCHIT) has used this standard to produce criteria for certifying ambulatory 

electronic health records (EHRs) in 2006 and will use it to develop criteria for 

certifying hospital EHRs in 2007. 

AHRQ participates as a liaison to the National Committee on Vital and Health 

Statistics (NCVHS), an advisory committee that advises the Secretary of HHS on 

health information policy. NCVHS recommended adoption of four ANSI standards 

to the Secretary for use in federal health program information exchange. On 

February 21, 2003, the Secretary adopted 5 messaging standards. In FY 2004, 

NCVHS will recommend a core set of terminology standards to the Secretary for 

adoption. The Secretary adopted 15 more clinical data standards in the Spring 

2004 for federal government sector use. In FY 2006-07, AHRQ supported the 

production and adoption of two more clinical domain data standards in the areas 

of imaging and of functional and health status. 

AHRQ participates in one of the administration's 24 e-Government initiatives-the 

Consolidated Health Informatics (CHI) initiative. In 2003, CHI recommended four 

messaging standards and one terminology standard to the Secretary of HHS for 

adoption. He adopted all five. CHI is working selecting voluntary consensus 

standards for a total of 24 domain areas. With the disbanding of CHI in 2006, 

AHRQ strongly supported the ANSI Health Information Technology Standards Panel 

at the meetings of its Board and its Panel, plus a major contributor to the 

Biosurveillance Technical Committee that produced recommended standards to 

meet the needs of the Biosurveillance use case sent to ANSI by America’s Health 

Information Community (AHIC), a federal advisory committee to the HHS 

Secretary, and by the Secretary’s Office of the National Coordinator for HIT (ONCHIT). 

Additionally, AHRQ supports the Secretary’s AHIC with participation in its 

D-52
 

meetings and its work groups. The Director of AHRQ is the co-chair of AHIC’s 

Quality Work Group. 

AHRQ supported the founding of the Health Level 7 Special Interest Group on 

Patient Safety to begin the process of developing standards for reporting patient 

safety events across the nation in a uniform format. 

AHRQ supports ASTM’s Continuity of Care Record (CCR) standard for health 

information to be exchanged among providers and given to patients following an 

office visit. AHRQ promotes the combination of ASTM’s CCR and HL7’s CSR to 

form a Clinical Document (CCD) of the two. 

AHRQ devoted $10 million of its $300 million budget in 2004 and 2005, with $4 

million in 2006, to the development and implementation of health care data 

standards to improve patient safety and quality of care. This includes funding 

FDA’s development of an electronic structured product labeling system, an 

electronic product listing of all products approved by FDA for sale in the US, a 

coding system for all drug components—active and inactive ingredients, and 

improvements in the National Drug Code; and funding for transmission of this 

information in electronic form to the National Library of Medicine (NLM). 

Additionally, AHRQ funded NLM to develop a system to post this information on its 

DailyMed web site quarterly and to map selected terminologies (ICD, CPT, 

MedDRA, others) to SNOMED. Also AHRQ funded NIST and CMS to develop webbased, publicly available systems for displaying the landscape of standards 

developing activities in the US and the data components of specific data 

standards. AHRQ supports the standards work of the Secretary’s Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. AHRQ is studying how patient 

safety event data reported by 24 states may use existing American National 

Standards (ANS) and what ANS standards need to be developed to make this 

information more uniform and accurate. AHRQ is working with federal partners to 

combine their expertise and standards used for patient safety event reporting. 

AHRQ supports the work of ONC-HIT’s Federal Health Architecture and the 

Secretary’s Office of Enterprise Architecture’s HHS Health Enterprise Architecture 

with participation of AHRQ experts in their numerous work groups. 

D-53
 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 

CMS recognizes the value of adopting standards and is committed to encouraging 

their adoption as they are approved by the Secretary of the Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS). Since most of CMS’ business processes depend to a 

large degree on contractor systems, as well as other industry stakeholder 

systems, it is vital that the standards creation and adoption process involves 

these entities and that careful analysis is done to minimize risk. 

CMS is working closely with the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for HIT 

(ONC) to determine how we can promote interoperability through a common set 

of standards. Additionally, CMS is a member of standards setting organizations 

such as HL7, NCPDP, and X12, and regularly participates in meetings of these as 

well as other organizations. A CMS representative serves as the lead staff member 

on the NCVHS Subcommittee on Standards and Security. We also work closely with 

the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) to harmonize 

standards. 

CMS is involved in standards development, adoption and implementation activities 

in the following areas: 

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Standards Adoption 

CMS has been actively involved in standards adoption as a regulator and health 

plan for over a decade. Besides writing regulations related to HIPAA, CMS has 

conducted extensive outreach to educate and promote the adoption of HIPAA 

transactions that standardize administrative transactions. CMS has also worked 

with its contractors to make the systems changes necessary to accommodate 

HIPAA compliant transactions. 

• E-Prescribing Standards – The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and 

Modernization Act of 2003 (the MMA) established a process for adopting eprescribing standards for use under the Medicare Part D prescription drug 

program. In November 2005, HHS adopted a set of foundation standards for eprescribing that took effect with the start of the Medicare Part D program on 

January 1, 2006. A pilot program testing additional e-prescribing standards also 

began on January 1, 2006, and will run through December 31, 2006. Results from 

D-54
 

the pilot will be the basis for the selection of final e-prescribing standards, which 

must be adopted by April 1, 2008. 

Importance of Standards 

The agency mission is “To ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and 

to promote quality care for beneficiaries.” The agency strategic action plan to 

accomplish that mission incorporates usage of national standards, not only for 

electronic data interchange (EDI) transaction, code set and identifier standards, 

but also for electronic prescribing, maintenance of beneficiary (and all patient) 

medical records, and interoperability of usage of standards to enable all facets of 

the health care industry to freely exchange medical information where warranted 

to avoid unnecessary duplicative tests, reduce medical errors, and allow 

beneficiaries and health care providers to make informed health care decisions. 

Use of Standards to Deliver Primary Services in Support of Our Mission 

CMS currently mandates use of electronic and paper transaction standards 

developed by ANSI accredited organizations and is totally phasing out use of 

government developed standards for interaction with health care providers, their 

agents and other health benefit plans. CMS is also highly involved with HHS 

efforts to standardize electronic retention and access to patient health records. 

CMS operates the system currently used to issue standard identifiers to all health 

care providers in the U.S. for use in transactions exchanged with all health care 

plans in the U.S. That same system will soon begin to issue unique identifiers to 

all health plans in the U.S. to facilitate interaction between plans. Both the 

provider and the plan unique identifiers were mandated under HIPAA. The agency 

does not intend to develop standards in the future for use in interaction with the 

public for Medicare. 

Examples and Case Studies of Our Standards Successes include: 

• Significant cost savings of electronic claims versus paper claims documented as 

result of enforcement of the Medicare electronic claim filing requirements, using 

national standards, as contained in the Administrative Simplification Compliance 

Act (ASCA). These savings contributed heavily toward the agency’s ability to 

accommodate a budget reduction of more than $100 million in fee-for-service 

claim processing costs. 

D-55
 

• Ended Medicare remittance advice Health Insurance Portability and 

Accountability Act (HIPAA) ANSI X12 835 (remittance advice) contingency period 

on October 1, 2006, eliminating cost of maintenance and support of non-standard 

electronic remittance advice formats, as well as enabling significant reduction in 

paper remittance advice notices with associated preparation and mail costs. 

• Began analysis of Medicare systems impact for implementation of the upcoming 

ICD-10 codes, new versions of the existing HIPAA transaction standards (ANSI ASC 

X12 837, 835, 270/271, 276/277; ANSI ASC National Council of Prescription Drug 

Programs [NCPDP]) and the about to be proposed new HIPAA standard for 

attachments such as medical records (X12 277/275 with ANSI ASC Health Level 

[HL] 7 coding) to identify potential costs and savings and to facilitate successful 

implementation. 

• Continued to work with national health care industry representatives involved 

in testing of the attachment format to be proposed as a new HIPAA standard for 

use by all U.S. health care plans to fine tune that implementation guide to best 

meet industry needs, facilitate use, and hopefully increase the savings to be 

eventually realized when that combined X12-HL7 standard is implemented 

nationally. 

National Institutes of Health/ National Library of Medicine (NLM) 

For more than four decades, NLM has conducted and supported groundbreaking 

research and development related to the representation, interpretation, and use 

of biomedical knowledge in electronic forms including electronic health records. 

Numerous reports by the Institute of Medicine and other experts in the health 

care industry have stated that health data standards are key to the development 

of a successful electronic health record system. In 2004, following 

recommendations of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics and 

the Institute of Medicine to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, NLM was 

designated the central coordinating body for clinical terminology standards within 

HHS. In this role, NLM is the official depository and distribution center for clinical 

terminologies, responsible for integrating them within the UMLS Metathesaurus, 

and responsible for the development and maintenance of mappings between 

designated standard clinical terminologies and important related terminologies, 

D-56
 

including the HIPAA code sets. 

NLM is working with (and, in some cases, providing funding to) vocabulary 

developers, message standards development organizations, other Federal 

agencies, and users of standards to respond to these recommendations. NLM 

produces the UMLS Metathesaurus, which incorporates many different 

vocabularies, classifications, and code sets; funds the ongoing maintenance and 

distribution of LOINC (Logical Observations Identifiers Names and Codes); pays the 

annual license fee that permits U.S.-wide use of SNOMED CT within the UMLS 

Metathesaurus; and produces and distributes RxNorm both within the UMLS 

Metathesaurus and separately. LOINC, SNOMED CT, and RxNorm have all been 

designated as U.S. Government-wide clinical standards via the Consolidated 

Health Informatics (CHI) eGov project. Projects are currently under way to align 

the HL7 standard with CHI standard vocabularies and to create mappings between 

standard clinical vocabularies, HIPAA code sets, and other key vocabularies used 

in Federal health information systems. The initial projects are focused on 

creating maps between the core clinical vocabularies recommended by the NCVHS 

(SNOMED CT, LOINC, and RxNorm) and the required HIPAA code sets (CPT and 

ICD-9-CM). Availability of these mappings will facilitate development and 

implementation by health care providers of electronic health records that capture 

clinical data at the point of care and subsequently generate required HIPAA code 

set data for claims and other administrative transactions. 

In April 2004 President Bush issued an Executive Order creating the Office of the 

National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) within the 

Department of Health and Human Services to provide leadership for the 

development and nationwide implementation of an interoperable health 

information technology infrastructure. Harmonization of standard vocabularies to 

achieve a nonoverlapping, interlocking set is now a key HHS priority. Since the 

inception of ONC, NLM has coordinated with Dr. David Brailer, Dr. Robert 

Kolodner, and other representatives from the ONC to ensure NLM’s vocabulary 

harmonization and standards efforts are in sync with those of ONC and, more 

recently, the American Health Information Community (the Community). NLM 

serves on the Board of the Health Information Technology Standards Panel 

(HITSP), the ANSI-organized stakeholder group that is coordinating standards 

specification efforts around the breakthrough use cases approved by the 

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Community and is one of the NIH representatives on the recently formed AHIC 

Workgroup on Personalized Healthcare. 

National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute (NCI) 

The Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) is part of the 

Nanotechnology Alliance at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), within the 

National Institutes of Health (NIH). The intent of the NCL is to accelerate the 

transition of basic nanotechnology research into clinical applications. It seeks to 

establish and standardize a analytical methods for nanomaterial characterization 

and to facilitate clinical development and regulatory review of nanomaterials. 

The use of voluntary consensus standards (VCS) is, and will continue to be, 

critical in this endeavor. NCL is therefore taking a lead role in developing 

standard protocols for characterization of nanoparticles, which then enable 

appropriate assessment of the biological activity of these products. 

Indian Health Service 

Standards are an integral part of the effective operations of the Indian Health 

Service (IHS). Health-related standards, such as Health Level Seven, allow 

interoperability among health information systems improving the standard of 

patient care for the American Indian/Alaskan Native populations, the primary 

mission of the IHS. Other standards provide for the efficient transmission of 

insurance data for revenue generation and interoperability among disparate 

systems for information sharing, such as immunization data. IHS adopted and uses 

standards for security and privacy of patient and employee data, for 

communication of biomedical diagnostic and therapeutic information for digital 

imaging, for technical specifications used in telemedicine and technical services, 

for national drug codes, and for reporting medical services and procedures. 

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2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 4

1. Government Unique Standard: FDA Dosage Form and Route of Administration 

(Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

HL7 Dosage Form and Route of Administration 

Rationale 

FDA uses some government-unique standards such as 'dosage form' and 'route of 

administration' in lieu of voluntary consensus standards. FDA had considered 

using HL7's 'dosage form' and 'route of administration' voluntary standards, but 

rejected such voluntary standards for several reasons, including (1) precoordination of disparate terms, (2) cumbersome and untimely terminology 

maintenance, and (3) inadequate terminology coding and versioning. The 

government-unique standards (developed by FDA and jointly maintained by FDA 

and NCI) for 'dosage form' and 'route of administration' adequately address all 

of these HL7 'deficiencies'. These particular government-unique standards were 

chosen as a CHI standard and mandated throughout the federal government, 

which is yet another compelling reason why FDA chose to continue to use them. 

2. Government Unique Standard: FDA Guidelines on Asceptic Processing (2004) 

(Incorporated: 2004) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 13408-1 Asceptic Process ing of Health Care Products, Part 1, General 

Requirements 

Rationale 

FDA is not using the ISO standard because the applicability of these 

requirements is limited to only portions of aseptically manufactured biologics 

and does not include filtration, freeze-drying, sterilization in place, cleaning in 

place, or barrier-isolator technology. There are also significant issues related 

to aseptically produced bulk drug substance that are not included in the 

document 

D-59
 

3. Government Unique Standard: FR Notice dated June 17, 1994 Tentative Final 

Monograph for Health Care Antiseptic Drug Products; Proposed Rule 

(Incorporated: 1997) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM Standard E1115 - Test Method for Evaluation of Surgical Hand Scrub 

Formulations 

Rationale 

Sensitivity and bias of the ASTM Standard has not been established. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM Standard E1173-93 - Standard Test Method of an Evaluation of 

Preoperative, precatheterization, or Preinjection Skin Preparations 

Rationale 

Sensitivity and bias of the ASTM Standard has not been established. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM Standard E1174-00 - Standard Test method for the Evaluation of the 

Effectiveness of Health Care Personnel or Consumer Handwash Formulations 

Rationale 

Sensitivity and bias of the ASTM Standard has not been established. 

4. Government Unique Standard: Government eligibility inquiry and response 

standards (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

X12 270/271 standards 

Rationale 

Pending completion of a system to support real-time use of the X12 270/271, 

CMS has permitted providers and our contractors to continue to use 

government eligibility inquiry and response standards. Use of these GUSs is not 

in lieu of, but in addition to the X12 270/271 standards to avoid industry 

disruption prior to full transition to use of the HIPAA X12 270/271 standards 

with Medicare via the Internet and an Intranet. 

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3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 1

Voluntary Standard Government Standard

ISO 3166 for country codes Federal Information Processing 

Standards Publication 10-4 

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 965

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 127

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc 3-A SSI 

Accredited Standards Committee X12 X12 

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

Adeno Associated Virus Reference Standard Working Group AAVSWG 

American Academy of Pediatrics AACP 

American Association for Clinical Chemistry AACC 

American Association of Blood Banks AABB 

American Association of Physicists in Medicine AAPM 

American Association of Tissue Banks AATB 

American Backflow Prevention Association ABPA 

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American Bureau of Shipping ABS 

American Chemical Society ACS 

American College of Surgeons ACOS 

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH 

American Health Information Community AHIC 

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA 

American Institute of Ultrasound Manufacturers AIUM 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Public Health Association APHA 

American Red Cross ARC 

American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation ASBMT 

American Society for Healthcare Engineering ASHE 

American Society for Reproductive Medicine ASRM 

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers ASABE 

American Society of Agricultural Engineers ASAE 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE 

American Society of Sanitary Engineering ASSE 

American Water Works Association AWWA 

Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory 

Animal Care International 

AAALAC 

Association for Electronic Health Care Transactions AFEHCT 

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI 

Association of Food and Drug Officials AFDO 

Association of Official Analytical Chemists International AOAC 

ASTM International ASTM 

Baking Industry Sanitary Standards Committee BISSC 

Canadian Standards Association CSA 

Certification Commission for Health Information Technology CCHIT 

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Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI 

Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium CDISC 

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX 

College of American Pathologists CAP 

Conference for Food Protection CFP 

Congress of International Organizations of Medical Sciences CIOMS 

Consolidated Health Informatics CHI 

Cosmetic Ingredient Review CIR 

Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association CTFA 

Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards CIRMS 

Designated Standards Maintenance Organizations Board DSMO 

European Directorate for Quality of Medicines EDQM 

External RNA Controls Consortium ERCC 

Eye Bank Association of America EBAA 

Federal Facilities Council FFC 

Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapies FACS 

Fresh Produce Association of America FPA 

Global Harmonization Task Force GHTF 

Health Level Seven HL7 

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society HIMSS 

Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributers ICMAD 

Industrial Safety and Equipment Association ISEA 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

International Association for Food Protection IAFP 

International Association of Cancer Registrars IACR 

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials IAPMO 

International Blood Group Reference Laboratory IBRGL 

International Commission for Illumination CIE 

International Commission on Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for 

VICH 

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Veterinary Use 

International Commission on the Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human 

Use 

ICH 

International Committee for Cosmetic Harmonization and 

International Cooperation 

CHIC 

International Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 

Alternative Methods 

ICCVAM 

International Council for Commonality in Blood Banking 

Automation 

ICCBBA 

International Dairy Foods Association IDFA 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission 

ISO/IEC 

International Regulatory Alternatives Group IRAG 

International Society for Analytical Cytology ISAC 

International Society for Blood Transfusion ISBT 

International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery ISCVS 

International Society for Cell Therapy ISCT 

International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners ISOPP 

International Society on Thrombosis and Homeostasis ISTH 

International Union Against Cancer UICC 

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC 

Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference ISSC 

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives JECFA 

Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes LOINC 

National Cancer Registrar Association NCRA 

National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics NCVHS 

National Conference for Interstate Milk Shipments NCIMS 

National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation NACLA 

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National Coordinating Council for Cancer Surveillance NCCCS 

National Council for Prescription Drug Program NCPDP 

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP 

National Dialog on Cancer NDC 

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA 

National Environmental Health Association NEHA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Institute for Biological Sciences and Controls NIBSC 

National Marow Doner Program NMDP 

National Skill Standards Board NSSB 

National Uniform Billing Committee NUBC 

National Uniform Claim Committee NUCC 

North American Association of Central Cancer Registries NAACCR 

NSF International NSFI 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD 

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards 

OASIS 

Pan American Health Organization PAHO 

Pasteurized Milk Ordinance PMO 

Portable Sanitation Association International PSIA 

Produce Marketing Association PMA 

Reason and Status Code Maintenance Committee RSCMC 

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of

North America 

RESNA 

Research Institute for Fragrance Materials RIFM 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Society of Cosmetic Chemists SCC 

Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data SEND 

Strategic National Implementation Process SNIP 

U.S. Adopted Names Council USANC 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

D-65
 

United Fresh Furit and Vegetable Association UFFVA 

United States Adopted Names USAN 

United States Pharmacopoeia USP 

Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange WEDI 

World Health Organization WHO 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 763

Activities: 1033

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

FDA conformance activities are conducted under applicable regulations and 

guidances. Standards may become part of conformance activities as they may 

provide an acceptable approach to be in compliance with applicable laws and 

regulations. Also, FDA laboratories which conduct official product testing are, or 

are in the process of becoming, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited. They have conducted 

staff training, are in the process of writing a Laboratory Quality Assurance Manual 

centrally documenting Center policies and procedures related to the official 

testing of regulated biological products, are implementing a quality management 

software tool to assist in the effort, under direction of quality assurance 

managers hired to coordinate the implementation of an ISO 17025-based quality 

system. 

CMS conformity assessment activities include: 

• Sampled remittances (835 transactions) generated by Medicare Part A 

contractors to determine the use of Claim Adjustment Reason Code ‘A7’. This 

code value represents a forced-balance situation with the claim and should be 

rarely used. 

• Participated in conference calls with multiple coordination of benefit (COB) 

D-66
 

health care trading partners to resolve differences in opinion about correct 

application of requirements included in the HIPAA COB standard. 

• Participated in conference calls twice monthly with our contractors to discuss 

their application of the HIPAA standards, modifications that may be needed in 

implementation for compliance purposes and to assure cross-contractor 

standardized application of the standards. 

IHS 

The IHS partners with the Veterans Health Administration for many of the health 

information technology used in its facilities, thereby maintaining continuity of 

standards between the two agencies and collaboration of appropriate data. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

FDA 

The FY 2005-2006 years reporting format that provided rational and help text was 

more user friendly than previous years. However, it is difficult to accurately 

determine answers to some questions. For example, with question #4, it is 

difficult to determine all voluntary consensus standards that may be relevant to 

mission. 

CDC 

All areas of CDC work extensively with outside partner organizations for routine 

work. The Circular wording constrains our reporting to just that activity with 

Standard Development Organizations as formally defined by the circular. The 

effect of this constraint is an under-reporting of our activity with outside 

partners. Complete reporting of our activities with outside partners, however, 

would be burdensome and impossible to obtain as essentially all professional staff 

interacts with a diverse group of partners on a daily basis. If the main intent of 

the circular is to report the use of outside SDO developed standards for 

commerce, the data in this report reflects that information. If the intent of the 

Circular is to reflect government interactions with all non-government 

organizations involved in policy decisions our data reflects severe underreporting. 

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9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

None. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

The Indian Health Service conforms to standards developed by the Joint 

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) for health care 

facilities. Other sources of reporting for use of voluntary consensus standards are 

through the exploration and documentation of the IHS Enterprise Architecture 

and the collection and reporting of the Government Paperwork Reduction Act 

(GPRA) results. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

D-68
 

Department of Homeland Security

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a number components and 

programs that use standards. While some of the Department’s programs use 

standards in a manner that is consistent with the OMB Circular, e.g. purchasing 

equipment for Customs and Border Patrol officers, the Department does use 

standards for procurement somewhat indirectly. Part of the Department’s mission 

to develop and implement systems to develop a national capability for domestic 

preparedness and response. DHS executes these missions through programs that 

provide assistance to state and local governments. The assistance empowers state 

and local procurement officials to acquire technology and DHS manages the risk 

by developing qualified equipment lists and conformity assessment systems which 

utilizes VCS. For example, the Office of Grants and Training (G&T) is responsible 

for preparing the nation against terrorism by assisting states, local and tribal 

jurisdictions, and regional authorities as they prevent, deter, and respond to 

terrorist acts. G&T provides a broad array of assistance to America's first 

responders through funding, coordinated training, exercises, equipment 

acquisition, and technical assistance. G&T administers the Homeland Security 

Grants Program (HSGP), which awards more than $1.6 billion to enhance the 

ability of states, territories, and urban areas to prepare for, prevent, and respond 

to terrorist attacks and other major disasters. HSGP funds can be used for 

preparedness planning, equipment acquisition, training, exercises, management, 

and administration in order to obtain resources that are critical to building and 

sustaining capabilities that are aligned with the Interim National Preparedness 

Goal and respective State and Urban Area Homeland Security Strategies. G&T 

maintains an Authorized Equipment List (AEL) which provides identify allowable 

equipment categories purchases under the HSGP. The AEL references VCS adopted 

by the Department. 

The National Communication System administratively falls under the DHS 

Preparedness Directorate. The NCS, the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) 

and the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) are the three elements under 

the Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security and Telecommunications. The mission 

D-69
 

of the National Communications System (NCS) is to assist the President, the 

National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the Director of the 

Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Director of the Office of 

Management and Budget in (1) the exercise of telecommunications functions and 

responsibilities including both wartime and non-wartime emergency functions, 

and (2) the coordination and planning for and provisioning of national security 

and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications for the Federal 

government under all circumstances, including crisis or emergency, attack & 

recovery and reconstitution. The NCS seeks to ensure that the national 

telecommunications infrastructure is: 

1. Is responsive to the NS/EP needs of the President and the Federal 

departments, agencies and other entities, including telecommunications in 

support of national security leadership and continuity of government; 

2. Is capable of satisfying priority telecommunications requirements under all 

circumstances through the use of commercial, government and privately owned 

telecommunications resources; 

3. Incorporates the necessary hardness, redundancy, mobility, connectivity, 

interoperability, restorability and security to obtain, to the maximum extent 

practicable, the survivability of national security and emergency preparedness 

telecommunications in all circumstances, including conditions of crisis or 

emergency; and 

4. Is consistent, to the maximum extent practicable, with other national 

telecommunications policies. 

Because the priority telecommunications services provided by the NCS rely on the 

public infrastructure, Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) play an important role 

in fulfilling the Agency’s mission. Pursuant to the Federal Standardization 

Program of the General Services Administration, and in consultation with other 

appropriate entities of the Federal government including the NCS Committee of 

Principals, the Manager of the NCS manages the Federal Telecommunications 

Standards Program, ensuring that existing and/or evolving industry standards 

support NS/EP capabilities. 

The NCS offers a wide range of NS/EP communications services that support 

qualifying federal, state, and local government, industry, and non-profit 

organization personnel in performing their NS/EP missions. Services include: 

(1) Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) 

GETS is a White House-directed emergency phone service provided by the 

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National Communications System (NCS) in the Information Analysis and 

Infrastructure Protection Division of the Department of Homeland Security. GETS 

supports federal, state, local, and tribal government, industry, and nongovernmental organization (NGO) personnel in performing their NS/EP missions. 

GETS provides emergency access and priority processing in the local and long 

distance segments of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). GETS is 

used in an emergency or crisis situation when the PSTN is congested and the 

probability of completing a call over normal or other alternate 

telecommunication means has significantly decreased. GETS was developed as a 

result of NCS participation in the Alliance for Telecommunication Industry 

Solutions (ATIS) and is based on U.S. industry standards. 

(2) Wireless Priority Service (WPS) 

WPS is a White House-directed NCS NS/EP program that provides priority access 

to cellular networks. The FCC approved WPS for NS/EP requirements on a call-bycall priority basis. The NCS executes the program on behalf of the Executive 

Office of the President. Only individuals in NS/EP key leadership positions are 

authorized to use WPS. The nationwide WPS capability was developed with 

industry; it is the result of an Industry Requirements (IR) process that defined 

specific WPS requirements. The active and cooperative participation of all 

stakeholders, including major wireless equipment vendors and service providers, 

successfully produced these IR documents. 

(3) Telecommunication Service Priority (TSP) 

TSP provides NS/EP users priority authorization of telecommunications services 

that are vital to coordinating and responding to crises. The TSP Program provides 

service vendors with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandate for 

prioritizing service requests by identifying those services critical to NS/EP. A 

telecommunications service with a TSP assignment is assured of receiving full 

attention by the service vendor before a non-TSP service. It is another example of 

how the NCS works with VCS committees to fulfill it mission. 

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is part of DHS and is committed to developing and 

adopting nationally and internationally recognized standards as a means to 

improve maritime safety and marine environmental protection, and to promote 

an internationally competitive U.S. maritime industry. One of the goals of our 

Standards program is to develop a comprehensive set of nationally recognized, 

internationally compatible standards through active participation in national 

standards organizations. While the adoption of industry standards enables the 

D-71
 

Coast Guard to fulfill its regulatory functions more efficiently, this capability 

would be useless without the existence of meaningful standards. Recognizing this 

reality early on, the Coast Guard aggressively pursued membership on a full range 

of standards-organizations. Today we support at least 30 non-government 

organizations and actively participate on over 100 standards-committees. This 

active participation enables us to raise genuine issues of public safety and 

preservation of the marine environment. Additionally, where industry has not 

established suitable safety requirements, we catalyze their development. 

Becoming an integral part in this process has enabled the Coast Guard to avoid 

drafting unnecessarily detailed regulations and in some cases avoiding regulation 

completely. It has also helped us to evolve from a regulatory process which reacts 

to disaster to a more orderly process which recognizes technical innovation and 

progressive ideas aimed at preventing disaster. 

To date we have adopted over 450 industry standards, saving over 25,000 pages 

of federal regulations and the associated regulation maintenance, while 

specifying standards already familiar to the industry regulated. We estimate that 

our participation on standards committees saves us over $1.5M annually and 

increases our inspection and technical force 100 times. 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Office of Security 

Technology/Chief Technology Officer Systems Engineering Branch (SEB) was 

established to define requirements for and guide the engineering of systems 

utilized by TSA and to ensure these systems meet the needs of the end-users and 

stakeholders. The SEB is an inherent part of TSA-CTO programs and projects, and 

works in partnership with them to help guide engineering execution, evaluate 

technical results, and prescribe corrective actions to keep projects on course. 

The SEB focuses on the system as a whole and emphasizes total operation. 

Concern is placed not only with the engineering design of the system, but also 

with external factors, such as VCS and/or GUS, that can significantly influence 

the design 

The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) uses consensus standards to form 

the foundation for the detailed and specific performance specifications used in 

DNDO acquisition programs. Consensus standards are helpful for advising state 

and local radiological-nuclear detection equipment users in their acquisition 

decisions, especially those funded by grants. 

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) Integration Center (NIC) of the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency uses voluntary consensus in its 120 

D-72
 

Resource Typing Definitions, which are part of the NIMS compliance criteria and 

will assist all federal, state, territory, tribal and local jurisdictions locate, 

request and track resources to assist neighboring jurisdictions when their local 

capability is overwhelmed. The VCS are used in the typing definitions to help 

categorize and classify the performance and capabilities of personnel, teams and 

equipment. 

Finally, the Science and Technology Directorate has an Office of Standard whose 

mission is to develop and coordinate the adoption of national standards and 

appropriate evaluation methods to meet homeland security mission needs. The 

Office of Standards works closely with Standards Development Organization to 

establish capabilities to support the Department’s need for VCS. The Office of 

Standards has created a Standards Council and standards adoption process that 

helps identify and socialize VCS for DHS. The Director of the Office is also the 

Department’s Standards Executive. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 9

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 49

D-73
 

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

3rd Generation Partnership Project 3GPP 

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS 

American Association for Budget and Program Analysis AABPA 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials 

AASHTO 

American Boat and Yacht Council ABYC 

American Bureau of Shipping ABS 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association 

AREMA 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Naval Engineers ASNE 

American Towing Tank Conference ATTC 

American Welding Society AWS 

Association of Diving Contractors International ADCI 

ASTM International ASTM 

Chlorine Institute CI 

Compressed Gas Association CGA 

Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards CIRMS 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Health Physics Society HPS 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

International Association of Drilling Contractors IADC 

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities IALA 

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA 

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO 

D-74
 

InterNational Committee for Information Technology 

Standards 

INCITS 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

International Radio Consultative Committee IRCC 

International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress ISOSC 

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

Internet Engineering Task Force IETF 

Joint Aeronautical Commander's Group JACG 

Marine Technology Society MTS 

National Cargo Bureau, Inc NCB 

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP 

National Defense Industrial Association NDIA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Marine Electronics Association NMEA 

National Marine Manufacturers Association NMMA 

NSF International NSFI 

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services RTCM 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers SNAME 

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA 

Telemanagement Forum TMF 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 35

Activities: 100

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7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

The Coast Guard considers the use of VCS in all its rulemakings, uses VCS in its 

rulemakings whenever appropriate, and provides for public comment on such 

decisions. Further the Coast Guard continuously reviews its regulations to update 

outdated, obsolete or unnecessary standards. Recent rulemakings either 

underway or in the early stages of development in this regard include standards 

for certain marine equipment, and fire protection and fire extinguishing 

equipment 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

We encourage government-wide use of risk-based methodologies in standards 

development and assessments. The Coast Guard uses risk-based methodologies to 

determine the level and degree of standardization needed. Using risk-based 

methods in a top down systems engineering approach the Coast Guard can 

determine the relative safety hazards and determine the effective level of 

standardization needed. Using risk-based methods on specially designed cargo 

vessels, we saved over $2m per vessel. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

While DHS fully recognizes the value and significance of VCS to its programs and 

initiatives, it is difficult to provide precise numbers especially when it comes to 

individuals and activities. In general, exact information is difficult to gather for 

the agency. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

D-76
 

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

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Department of Housing and Urban Development

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Generally, standards play a supporting role in the achievement of the HUD 

mission. In most cases, we are able to use standards developed in conjunction 

with other related users. Because there are only modest differences between 

HUD-assisted and market-based development, standards such are building codes 

that are developed for the entire construction industry are appropriate. In some 

cases, HUD is responsible for the standards. This is the case with the Government 

Standard: 24 CFR 3280 – Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, 

where HUD publishes and enforces the construction standard for manufactured 

housing. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 2

1. Government Unique Standard: 24 CFR 200.935 - Administrator qualifications 

and procedures for HUD building products and certififcation programs 

(Incorporated: 2000) 

Voluntary Standard 

ANSI A119.1 N - Recreation Vehicles 

Rationale 

HUD Building-Product Standards & Certification Programs. HUD was required by 

legislation to “establish Federal construction and safety standards for 

manufactured homes and to authorize manufactured home safety research and 

development”. Recently, HUD retained a private consensus body (NFPA) to 

update and modernize the Manufactured Home Standards. At the conclusion of 

the development process, NFPA will submit the revised standard to HUD for 

regulatory adoption. 

D-78
 

2. Government Unique Standard: 24 CFR 3280 - Manufactured Home Construction 

and Safety Standards (Incorporated: 2000) 

Voluntary Standard 

ANSI A119.1 - Recreation Vehicles and NFPA 501C - Standard on Recreational 

Vehicles 

Rationale 

HUD-Unique Manufactured Home Construction & Safety Standards. HUD was 

required by legislation to “establish Federal construction and safety standards 

for manufactured homes and to authorize manufactured home safety research 

and development”. Recently, HUD retained a private consensus body (NFPA) to 

update and modernize the Manufactured Home Standards. At the conclusion of 

the development process, NFPA will submit the revised standard to HUD for 

regulatory adoption. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 300

Other Technical Standards: 2

Rationale: VCS used by the department is estimated as these standards may be 

referenced or included in other requirements. Standard: 24 CFR 200.935 – 24 CFR 

200.955 – Administrator qualifications and procedures for HUD building products 

and certification programs [Incorporated: 2000] Voluntary Standard HUD uses 

voluntary consensus standards together with program administrators who are 

qualified to validate manufacturers’ certifications that particular building 

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products or materials meet applicable HUD standards. The use of voluntary 

consensus standards alone without the conformity assessments, would not provide 

the assurances that the products conform to HUD requirements. Rationale: The 

Technical Suitability of Products Program was established under Section 521 of 

the National Housing Act of 1965 to provide a mechanism for rapid technical 

acceptance of new and innovative materials, components and complete structural 

systems for use in construction of housing under HUD mortgage insurance 

programs. HUD requires administrators who oversee certifications of building 

products to use voluntary consensus standards it has identified for evaluating the 

performance and conformity of certain products to those standards. Standard: 24 

CFR 3280 – Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards [Incorporated: 

2000]Voluntary Standard Rationale: HUD – Manufactured Home Construction and 

Safety Standards. HUD was required by legislation to establish Federal 

Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards that comport with the 

purposes of the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards 

Act. As a result of recent changes in the Act, HUD is now required to consider 

recommendations for revising the Standards that are developed by the 

Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) through its consensus 

standards development process. While the NFPA 501 standard has served as the 

basis for a number of the revisions recommended by the MHCC to the Secretary, 

the MHCC has modified or did not accept other provisions of the NFPA 501 

standard, because those requirements did not fully conform to all purposes of the 

Act. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 5

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

American Lumber Standards Committee ALSC 

ASTM International ASTM 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC 

International Code Council ICC 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

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6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 4

Activities: 5

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

All of HUD's 28 conformity assessment (CA) programs, under the HUD BuildingProducts Standards & Certification Programs, are in compliance with the ISO 

guidelines & procedures. These are the same standards used by ANSI and other 

nationally recognized third-party certification agencies. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

This policy continues to be effective in replacing Federal Standards with publicdomain standards. This has resulted in more timely, up-to-date, and technically 

accurate standards. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

Question 10.7 - HUD does not have a formal system for a review of standards for 

the purpose of updating them. This activity occurs on an as-needed basis when 

resources are available. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

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10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

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Department of the Interior

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Many of the bureaus in DOI participate in federal standards bodies, such as the 

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). While the membership is from 

federal agencies, the standards that are developed are often elevated to the 

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and to the International Standards 

Organization (ISO) and will, therefore, receive wider review. The benefit of 

agreeing to these standards is that there is a consistency of geospatial metadata 

to accompany mapping products. Under Executive Order 12906, federal agencies 

make those standards accessible to the public through websites. The result is that 

the public has a greater understanding of federal standards and can use those 

standards in their mapping activities. In addition, non-federal participation in 

FGDC workgroups allows the federal agencies to determine if their standards can 

accommodate local governments and commercial interests. 

The Bureau of Land Management is also a member of the North American Weeds 

Management Association, which includes federal agencies and national and local 

governments in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The NAWMA has developed 

consensus standards that are now used by the three countries as they attempt to 

control the eradication of invasive species throughout North America. The result 

has been the development of consensus standards that can be used both for 

governments to manage land but by the commercial world as well (e.g., cropland 

management). 

The nature of the US Geological Survey (USGS) scientific research and monitoring 

makes the use of voluntary consensus standards a required tool. Their science 

programs collaborate with partners and cooperators in the public and private 

sectors locally, nationally, and internationally. Thus, agreement on the use of 

standards is essential to their mission. 

The USGS National Geospatial Programs Office (NGPO) hosts the Federal 

Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Secretariat. OMB Circular A-16 establishes 

the FGDC as the interagency coordinating body for developing the National 

Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) as the “technology, policies, standards, human 

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resources, and related activities necessary to acquire process, distribute, use, 

maintain, and preserve spatial data.” 

The geodata.gov portal provides “one-stop” access to registered geographic 

information and related online access services within the United States. It serves 

as a public gateway for access to geospatial information and data. Geographic 

data, imagery, applications, documents, web sites and other resources have been 

catalogued for discovery in this portal. The metadata records were submitted to 

the portal by government agencies, individuals, and companies or harvested from 

geospatial clearinghouses. Registered map services using OpenGIS® Specifications 

allow casual users to build online maps using data from many sources. Registered 

data access and download services also exist for use by those interested in 

downloading and analyzing the data using GIS or viewer software. Also, 

organizations can publish data and search for partners for data collection and 

acquisition. 

Metadata records for the geodata.gov are prepared following the FGDC Digital 

Content Standard for Geospatial Metadata (FGDC CSDGM). FGDC CSDGM was 

developed when there were no equivalent voluntary consensus content standards 

for geospatial metadata and is the foundation for many other countries’ 

geospatial metadata standards. Since that time, an International Standard, ISO 

19115, Geographic information – Metadata, has been approved by ISO and 

adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). FGDC is 

coordinating development of a North American profile with the Canadian General 

Standards Board. The North American profile will supersede FGDC Digital Content 

Standard for Geospatial Metadata (FGDC CSDGM). FGDC has also supported 

development of a standalone crosswalk application to convert FGDC CSDGM to ISO 

19139 Metadata Schema. The benefit of the crosswalk is that it will maintain the 

value of existing metadata assets. 

Bureau of Reclamation - Industry standards are incorporated into Reclamation 

Construction Specifications when possible. General Contractors are more familiar 

with industry standards and therefore, usage should result in more economic bid 

packages. 

Standards are used in the management of construction contracts. Most 

construction specifications reference one or more set of standards, and 

Construction Services personnel must be familiar with the standards in order to 

ensure contract compliance. Contractors are more familiar with voluntary 

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consensus standards and their use allows improved collaboration and cooperation 

with the private sector as well as the successful completion of construction 

contracts resulting in properly functioning facilities. 

The regulatory and consensus industry standards are also critical to establishing a 

scientific basis and validity for the engineering controls, administrative controls, 

exposure assessments, medical surveillance and personal protective equipment 

necessary to protect personnel, contractors and the public from safety and health 

hazards in Reclamation. 

The use of standards is the base requirement for the accurate communication of 

technical concepts. The use of standards is vital to ensure the results of facility 

inspections; the descriptions of potential concerns; both the development and 

results of investigation; the entire evaluation and design process; the creation of 

understandable contract specification; and the assurance of contract quality and 

control. Without the use of a well thought out standards system all technical 

language would be open to interpretation and potentially compromise a facility’s 

continued safe and productive function. 

The geotechnical, water resources, environmental, and other scientific 

communities in Reclamation have a vast array of nomenclature; sampling and 

testing methodology, sampling and testing procedures; and reporting and 

documentation alternatives from which to choose. Reclamation has selected 

specific sources, in some cases developed its own unique standard sources, to 

ensure a thorough understanding of Reclamation data. This has allowed 

Reclamation personnel to communicate and work effectively with other 

Reclamation staff and representatives from other governmental agencies and the 

public with maximum efficiency and minimal misunderstanding. 

Reclamation relies on consensus standards for geospatial activities related to 

Metadata for data documentation, maintenance, and data transfer; and also data 

acquisition and development. Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) through the 

International Standards Organization (ISO), the Federal Geographic Data 

Committee (FGDC), American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), as well as 

state and local agencies have reduced the cost of geospatial data acquisition and 

development. Costs to coordinate efforts have risen in respect to the increased 

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business needs activity, but are expected to drop as standards are adopted by all 

agencies over the next 5 years. 

Office of the Special Trustee -Congress passed the American Indian Trust Fund 

Management Reform Act of 1994 (P. L. 103-412, title IV, Sec. 401, Oct. 25, 1994, 

108 Stat. 4249) and American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004. Specific 

provisions within the Acts outline some of the Secretary’s fiduciary 

responsibilities to the beneficiaries. 

The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) is committed to 

fulfilling its trust responsibilities to individual Indians and Tribes effectively and 

efficiently. To fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to beneficiaries and to provide the 

right information to the right people in a timely manner a primary banking trust 

services data standard environment is essential. 

The adoption of voluntary consensus standards has afforded OST the ability to 

maintain a verifiable system of records that is capable, at a minimum, of 

identifying: (1) the location, the beneficiary, any legal encumbrances (i.e., 

leases, permits, etc.) the user of the resource, the rents and monies paid, if any 

and the value of trust or restricted lands and resources; (2) dates of collections, 

deposits, transfers, disbursements, amount of earnings, investment instruments, 

and closing of all trust fund accounts (3) documents pertaining to actions taken to 

prevent or compensate for any diminishment of the Indian trust assets; and (4) 

documents that evidence the Department’s actions regarding the management 

and disposition of Indian trust assets. 

Minerals Management Service - 1 The Minerals Management Service’s mission is to 

manage the minerals resources on the Outer Continental Shelf and Federal and 

Indian minerals revenues to enhance public and trust benefits, promote 

responsible use, and realize fair value. In support of this mission, we have 

adopted the use of voluntary consensus standards to promote improved 

collaboration and cooperation with the private sector and the oil and gas 

industries we regulate on the Outer Continental Shelf as well as applying 

innovative and improved technology. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) - Examples of Standards Success: 

o A total of 56 data standards have been formally adopted for Service-wide use 

and implementation, and several other standards are in progress. A Service data 

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steward is identified for each standard. This person is responsible for maintaining 

both the content of the data standard and any applicable source data that is 

linked from the standard’s web page. A complete list of the FWS data standards is 

available at http://www.fws.gov/stand/. 

o In October 2006, the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES), Version 1.1, 

was formally adopted by the Service. The DCMES Version 1.1 has been formally 

endorsed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the 

National Information Standards Organization (NISO): 

• ISO 15836-2003(E): http://www.niso.org/international/SC4/n515.pdf 

• NISO Z39.85-2001: http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-85.pdf 

o The FWS is the nation’s leading wetlands conservation and restoration agency 

within the federal government. For the past two decades, FWS national wetlands 

standards have been widely used within and outside of the government for 

wetlands classification, mapping and data reporting purposes (i.e., non-regulatory 

purposes). The Service’s National Standards and Quality Components for 

Wetlands, Deepwater and Related Habitat Mapping, 2004, references the 

following ANSI standard: American National Standard ANSI/ASQC E4. 1994. 

Specifications and guidelines for quality systems for environmental data 

collection and environmental technology programs. 

o The FWS has adopted the Department of the Interior’s Certification and 

Accreditation Guide, November 2004, which provides a standardized approach for 

the certification and accreditation (C&A) of all Interior IT systems. The Guide 

complies with OMB, NIST, and other applicable Federal and Departmental laws, 

policies, and regulations. 

o The FWS Analytical Control Facility (ACF), Division of Environmental Quality 

(DEQ), uses the ANSI Z87.1 Standard (product standard) for personal protective 

equipment. The ACF also uses the Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS) 

(industry standard) for proper labeling of hazardous chemical being used in the 

laboratory. Use of these standards ensures the safety of employees who provide 

analytical support on wildlife refuge investigations in support of the FWS mission. 

o The Coastal Barrier Resources Act program utilizes data standards in its 

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execution of the Digital Mapping Pilot Project as directed by the Coastal Barrier 

Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-514 Sec. 6(b)(4)). This pilot 

project supports the Service’s mission goal of resource protection through the 

strategy of improving the information base, information management, and 

technical assistance. 

o The FWS Endangered Species Program primarily uses Government Standards as 

published in ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) to maintain 

consistent nomenclature when referring to listed or candidate species, and 

published by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 

Fauna and Flora (CITES) standard when referring to foreign species protected 

under the CITIES international agreement between Governments. It is extremely 

important that FWS adheres to these nomenclature standards to ensure 

consistency in reporting activities related to T&E species and to ensure there is 

no confusion on the part of the public sector and other Federal government 

entities. 

FWS Beneficial Outcomes: 

o Personnel recognize the importance of using voluntary consensus standards in 

the successful implementation of the Service Mission. Standards allow us to 

consistently produce and share information within our Programs and Regions, as 

well as with our shareholders, partners, and the public sector. 

o The implementation and use of adopted FWS data standards has resulted in less 

duplication of effort and a significant improvement in the ability to share and 

exchange data among FWS systems and with other DOI bureaus, in particular the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 

o The Department of the Interior developed the C&A Guide in response to the EGovernment Act (Public Law 107-347), Title III, Federal Information Security 

Management Act (FISMA), which emphasizes the need for organizations to 

develop, document, and implement organization-wide programs to provide 

information security for the information systems that support operations and 

assets. The FWS has officially adopted this policy and is working to incorporate its 

requirements in all IT systems. 

o Standards implementation promotes uniform acquisition and production of 

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nationally consistent wetlands data, resulting in significant cost/time savings; 

improved collaboration and cooperation with the public and/or private sectors; 

helps avoid duplication of private sector activities; promotes innovation and 

application of better technology; and increased goodwill for the Federal 

government. 

o Use of both the ANSI Z87.1 and HMIS standards results in improved safety and 

less lost time/cost due to fewer injuries in the laboratory. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 5

1. Government Unique Standard: 1. FWS Geospatial Metadata Standard (adopts 

the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), Version 2.0 

FGDC-STD-001-1998. 2. Nomenclature of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants (FWS Dta Set Standard, Working Draft); prposed standard to adopt 

the Service's official list of scientific names, common names, and taxonomic 

group names for all species of wildlife and plants t (Incorporated: 2005) 

Voluntary Standard 

1. International Organization for Standardization (ISO, ISO 19115:2003, 

Published Standard on Geographic Information - Metadata 

2. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)of Wild 

Fauna nd Flora, Checklist of CITES Species; provides the official alphabetical 

list of CITES species, their scientific synonyms, their common names in English, 

French, and Spanish, etc. 

3. 

Rationale 

1. The Federal Geographic Committee (FGDC) developed the Content Standard 

for Digital Geospatial Metada (CSDGM) in response to Executive Order 12906, 

which require3d all Federal agencies to document spatial data in a consistent 

manner to facilitate sharing data and to reduce duplication of effort. The FWS 

officially adopted the FGDC CSDGM, Version 2.0, in August 1998. ISO 19115, an 

D-89
 

abstract standard, specified general content for the metadata, but does not 

specify format for the metadata. The FGDC is working to harmonize the ISO 

19115 metadata standard with the CSDGM Version 2.0. 

2. Different Serice programs maintain species lists in compliance with several 

conservation laws and treaties, including the Endangered Species Act, 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Lacey Act, and Convention on International Trade in 

Endangered Species (CITES). In other words, there is no single species list that 

meets the needs of all Service programs. The list of scientific and common 

names for this data set is published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

Title 50--Wildlife and Fisheries, Part 17--Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants. These values, along with the associated species and population 

codes, are contained in the Service's official Threatened and Endangered 

Species System (TESS) database. 

3. Service personnel must comply with the adopted FWS data standard unless it 

confllicts with their primary responsibilities. for example, the FWS 

International Affairs Program is responsible for implementing CITE, a treaty 

with 153 member countries. In this capacity, the FWS is bound by resolution to 

use the ISO country codes in its permit numbers rather than the FIPS codes to 

ensure consistency in reporting. 

2. Government Unique Standard: Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater 

Habitats of the United States (FGDC-STD-004) (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

None to record. 

Rationale 

Use of FGDC standards are required under OMB Circular and Executive Order 

12906. 

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3. Government Unique Standard: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial 

Metadata Part 1: Biological Data Profile (FGDC-STD-001.1-1999 (Incorporated: 

2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

None to record. 

Rationale 

Use of FGDC standards are required under OMB Circular and Executive Order 

12906. 

4. Government Unique Standard: Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standard, Part 

2, Geodetic Control Netowrks (FGDC-STD-007.2-1998) (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

None to record. 

Rationale 

Use of FGDC standards are required under OMB Circular and Executive Order 

12906. 

5. Government Unique Standard: Vegetation Classification Standard (FGDC-STD005) (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

None to record. 

Rationale 

Use of FGDC standards are required under OMB Circular and Executive Order 

12906. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 2

Voluntary Standard Government Standard

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ISO 3166-1:1997, Codes for the 

representation of names of countries 

and their subdivisions 

FWS Data Element Standard: 

Geopolitical Entity Name and Code 

(Adopts FIPS PUB 10-4) 

Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc 

(OGC) 

Federal Geographic Data Committee 

(FGDC) 

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 326

Other Technical Standards: 85

Rationale: The complete list of standards that Bureau of Reclamation uses can be 

found at http://intra.usbr.gov/%7Etcg/NonUSBR/: The national standards used by 

Reclamation meeting Reclamation's organizational requirements and provide 

Reclamation with adequate public safety and public steward controls required by 

a Federal Government agency. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 32

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Advisory Committee for water Information ACWI 

American Concrete Institute ACI 

American Institute of Steel Construction AISC 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Petroleum Institute API 

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing ASPRS 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

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American Water Works Association AWWA 

American Welding Society AWS 

ASTM International ASTM 

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 

Wild Fauna and Flora 

CITES 

Cultural Resources Standards with State Historic Preservation 

Offices 

SHPO 

Data Management Association DAMA 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC 

Ground Water Protection Council GWPC 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Interagency Trails Data Standards ITDS 

International Air Transport Association IATA 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE 

National Digital Elevation Program NDEP 

National Environmental Methods Index NEMI 

National Trust Banking Industry NTBI 

National Water-Quality Monitoring Council NWQMC 

North American Weeds Management Association NAWMA 

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC 

Pacific Northwest Reginal Geospatial Information Council PNW-RGIC 

Petrotechnical Open Standards Consortium, Inc. POSC 

Project Management Institute PMI 

The National Digital Orthophoto Program NDOP 

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association URISA 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 114

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Activities: 101

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

Most DOI organizations are a member of the Federal Geographic Data Committee 

(FGDC) with representation on the Standards Working Group, the Coordinating 

Committee, and ad hoc subcommittees developing standards for geospatial data. 

The Bureua of Land management is one of four major national land management 

agencies that have established data standards for trails information. While these 

can be included as Government Unique Standards, the membership in this 

standards working group included not only the National Park Service, BLM, US 

Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, but also representatives from trails 

organizations. Over 150 participants have furnished comments on the Trails 

standards and the final standards will be used in the Recreation.gov effort, of the 

Presidential E-Government initiatives. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

Bureau of Land Mangement: It is difficult to apply policy retroactively and it is 

not clear what policy implementation documents have been released from NIST or 

from OMB directing agencies to conform to the NTTAA. It might be useful to 

solicit comments during the year on proposals for strengthening the NTTAA. 

Guidance on appropriate types of cooperative activities would be helpful, so 

agencies can get involved in those efforts to develop and adopt consensus 

standards. 

USGS: Since its issuance, Circular A-119 has worked in a straightforward manner 

to encourage the use of voluntary consensus standards. We have no 

recommendations for changes to the Circular. 

Minerals Management Service: As a direct result of OMB Circular A-119, MMS 

continues to increase our presence in voluntary standards groups – both domestic 

and international. We believe that A-119 continues to work in a straightforward 

manner to encourage the use of voluntary consensus standards. The MMS has not 

D-94
 

requested any exemptions, nor are we contemplating making such a request. We 

have no recommendations for changes to the Circular. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

Fish and Wildlife Service Comments: 

In FY 2006, the FWS offered several suggestions to improve the quality of agency 

responses in the future. These are being repeated in FY 2007, with the hope that 

future requests for annual reports will include the following information: 

1. Clear guidance on what type of technical standards should be reported. For 

example: 

• Question 1 - respondents are asked to describe the importance and use of 

“standards” in general, while the Help Text asks for examples and beneficial 

outcomes of VCS in particular. It’s not clear if respondents should report success 

stories on the use of all technical standards – or only those that pertain to the use 

of VCS. 

• Question 3 – respondents are asked to list the VCS substituted for GUS, but it’s 

not clear where respondents list new VCS that do not meet this criterion. 

• Question 4 asks for the total number of VCS and Other Technical Standards -- 

document titles are not requested. Without titles, respondents can not identify or 

track the “new or discontinued uses” that occurred during the previous reporting 

year. 

2. The NIST and/or OMB should identify high priority VCS for implementation by 

Federal agencies, especially standards that pertain to E-Gov initiatives and IT 

security requirements. 

3. The NIST and/or OMB should identify high priority VCS for implementation by 

Federal agencies, especially standards that pertain to E-Gov initiatives and IT 

security requirements. 

4. Definitions and good examples of VCS and GUS, as well as a list of bona fide 

organizations (standards bodies) that develop both types of standards. Previous 

reports identify Federal organizations as VCS bodies (e.g., FGDC and NIST). 

5. The URL for the NIST Standards.gov web site (http://standards.gov/) should be 

provided to all agencies/bureaus for links to the Act, OMB Circular A-119, 

standards web sites, and NTTAA reports to OMB for previous years. 

6. A digital version of the NTTAA Questions in a format that is usable to 

D-95
 

respondents for distribution and data entry purposes (i.e., a form in Word or PDF 

that can be used for data entry). 

NOTE: In addition to the above information, agency (DOI) bureaus (e.g., FWS, 

USGS, BLM, MMS) should be given access to the NIST Agency Reporting Tool for 

the purpose of entering their own information. The current procedure is both 

cumbersome and inefficient and puts the burden of reporting on one person at 

the Department level. Last but not least, better guidance and quality control (on 

the information received) is needed to obtain accurate data from all Federal 

agencies 

USGS would be interested in a NIST—sponsored online forum to discuss the 

interpretation of NTTAA and OMB Circular A-119 

From Bureau of Land Management: The current report is difficult to categorize in 

terms of efforts of federal agencies to engage in cooperative efforts with nongovernmental organizations in order to develop standards. This seems to be a 

very worthwhile endeavor but does not seem to be emphasized in any of the OMB 

Circular A-119 reporting. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

D-96
 

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

D-97
 

Department of Justice

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Department, in its primary mission roles, does not specify products requiring 

voluntary consensus standards. Because of the nature of the Departments 

missions, DOJ participates in the development of government standards for law 

enforcement information representation. The Department developed the National 

Information Exchange Model (NIEM) as a critical standard to facilitate the Law 

Enforcement Information Sharing Program. NIEM serves as a government standard 

for information that lacks voluntary consensus standards. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 0

D-98
 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 1

Activities: 1

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

N/A 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

The Department of Justice offers no recommended changes to Circular A-119. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No additional comments 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

No additional comments 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; C

D-99
 

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; D

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

D-100
 

Department of Labor

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Department of Labor (DOL) develops and promulgates safety and health 

standards which are the minimum requirements for the protection of employees 

in the United States. 

DOL consults, and routinely relies on Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) 

whenever a Federal standard is written or updated. Since the VCS are on a 

shorter update cycle than Federal standards, the VCS provide a more current view 

of industry standards and practices than the Agency can efficiently or 

economically achieve. 

Furthermore, safety compliance officers use VCS during inspection and 

investigations when there are no Federal standards that apply to a certain 

circumstance. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 6

1. Government Unique Standard: 29 CFR 1926.1002 Roll-Over Protective 

Structures (Incorporated: 2006) (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

SAE J1194-1999 

Rationale 

Many consensus standards were relied upon for various provisions in the final 

rule. The primary VCS that applies directly to ROPS is SAE J1194-1999 which 

incorporates by reference several other VCSs. If SAE J1194-1999 was adopted 

into the OSHA provisions, the regulated community would have to consult not 

only the primary VCS but all of the VCSs that are incorporated into it as well. 

OSHA believes it is less burdensome for the regulated community to use one 

OSHA standard rather than require the purchase and use of several VCSs. 

D-101
 

2. Government Unique Standard: Electric Motor-Drive Equipment Rule 

(Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

IEEE Standard 242-1986 Recommended Practice for Protection and Coordination 

of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems (IEEE Buff Book) and NFPA 70 - 

national Electric Code 

Rationale 

The MSHA rule is a design-specific standards. The NFPA and IEEE standards 

were used as a source for the rule; however, the exact requirements of the 

rule were tailored to apply specifically to electric circuits and equipment used 

in the coal mining industry. 

3. Government Unique Standard: Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, and Fire 

Prevention Plans, 29 CFR 1910, Subpart E (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

Life Safety Code, NFPA 101-2000 

Rationale 

The OSHA standard addresses only workplace conditions whereas the NFPA Life 

Safety Code goes beyond workplaces. However, in the final rule OSHA stated 

that it had evaluated the NFPA Standard 101, Life Safety Code, (NFPA 101-

2000) and concluded that it provided comparable safety to the Exit Route 

Standards. Therefore, the Agency stated that any employer who complied with 

the NFPA 101-2000 instead of the OSHA Standard for Exit Routes would be in 

compliance. 

4. Government Unique Standard: Fire Protection for Shipyards, 29 CFR Part 

1915, Subpart P (Incorporated: 2004) 

Voluntary Standard 

NFPA 312-2000 Standard for Protection of Vessels During Construction, Repair, 

and Lay-Up 

D-102
 

NFPA 33-2003 Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible 

Materials 

Rationale 

Many consensus standards were relied on for various provisions in OSHA's final 

rule, including 15 consensus standards that are incorporated by reference. 

However, OSHA and its negotiated rulemaking committee determined that 

there was no, one consensus standard available that covered all the topics in 

the rule. 

5. Government Unique Standard: Sanitary Toilets in Coal Mines, 30 CFR 71, 

Subpart E (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

Non-Sewered Waste Disposal Systems--Minimum Requirements, ANSI Z4.3-1987 

Rationale 

The ANSI standard was not incorporated by reference because certain design 

criteria allowed in the ANSI standard, if implemented in an underground coal 

mine, could present health or safety hazards. For instance, combustion or 

incinerating toilets could introduce an ignition source which would create a fire 

hazard. For certain other design criteria found in the ANSI standard, sewage 

could seep into the groundwater, or overflow caused by rain or run-off could 

contaminate portions of the mine. 

6. Government Unique Standard: Steel Erection Standards (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

ANSI A10.13 - Steel Erection; ASME/ANSI B30 Series Cranes Standards 

Rationale 

Many consensus standards were relied upon for various provisions in the final 

rule, but there was no one consensus standard available that covered all of the 

topics covered by OSHA's final rule. 

D-103
 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 16

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA 

American Ladder Institute ALI 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE 

American Welding Society AWS 

Association for Machine Technology AMT 

ASTM International ASTM 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

D-104
 

National Safety Council NSC 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 50

Activities: 91

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

No comment at this time. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

No comment at this time. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No comment at this time. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

D-105
 

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; D

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

D-106
 

Department of State

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Department of State represents the U.S. at the International 

Telecommunication Union (ITU) where international telecommunication standards 

are agreed. This role is performed by the Bureau of Economic & Business Affairs, 

International Communications & Information Policy. The Department of State 

coordinates this work internally in the Government with other Agencies such as 

the FCC, Dept of Commerce/NTIA, and Dept of Homeland Security/NCS, and 

externally with US industry through the International Telecommunication Advisory 

Committee, a Federal Advisory Committee. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: DoS in this regard participates in developing international 

telecommunication standards rather than using them. The entire effort is in 

development of Voluntary Consensus Standards (Recommendations). 

D-107
 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 1

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 8

Activities: 16

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

n/a 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

n/a to standards development 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

n/a 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

D-108
 

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; C

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

D-109
 

Department of Transportation

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and its operating administrations 

rely upon an active consensus rulemaking program to support the Department's 

strategic goals: safety; reduced congestion; global connectivity; environmental 

stewardship; security, preparedness and response; and organizational excellence. 

In addition, DOT relies upon a consensus process with various stakeholders to 

advance innovative transportation technologies and operations, and to improve 

the state of transportation practice in all modes of transportation. Voluntary 

consensus standards, and the technical interchanges that occur during the process 

of developing and revising codes and standards, are an important element of 

meeting DOT's mission objectives. 

Among several case studies of standards success in 2006, two stand out: 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): FRA utilizes an active consensus 

rulemaking program centered on the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), 

which includes among its members industry associations such as the Association of 

American Railroads (AAR) and the American Public Transportation Association 

(APTA). Since these organizations issue their own Standards and Recommended 

Practices, it is often expeditious to reference these standards to move more 

rapidly toward consensus in the RSAC. 

In addition, these organizations are often cooperative in revising their standards 

to fit FRA regulatory references. Use of recognized external standards can also 

provide a path to agreement, since judgments involved in writing the standards 

have been made by individuals with a broader outlook than the railroad safety 

applications being studied by the RSAC. 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA): PHMSA’s Office 

of Pipeline Safety relies on more than 80 standards from ten standards-developing 

organizations as the technical basis for ensuring the safe, secure, and 

D-110
 

environmentally sound construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of the 

nation’s more than two million miles of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, and 

liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. 

PHMSA’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) incorporate consensus standards 

from about 30 domestic and international consensus standards organizations. 

These include welding standards, pressure vessel design and construction, 

requirements applicable to specific hazardous materials, and international 

transportation standards. In total, the HMR incorporate over 100 consensus 

standards. The agency is represented on more than 20 national consensus 

standards bodies. Standards incorporated by reference are part of the HMR and 

impose the same requirements for compliance on the regulated community as do 

the HMR. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 3

1. Government Unique Standard: 63 FR 17976; April 13, 1998 - Product Safety 

Signs and Labels (Incorporated: 1998) 

Voluntary Standard 

ANSI Z535.4 - ANSI Requirements for Color Coded Header Messages for the 

Different Levels of Hazard 

Rationale 

NHTSA explained in the NPRM that the American National Standard Institute 

(ANSI) has a standard4 for product safety signs and labels (ANSI Z535.4) that 

identifies a hierarchy of hazard levels ranging from extremely serious to 

moderately serious and specifies corresponding hierarchies of signal words, 

i.e., “danger,” “warning,” and “caution,” and of colors. For the header, the 

ANSI standard specifies a red background with white text for “danger,” an 

orange background with black text for “warning,” and a yellow background 

with black text for caution.” 

The ANSI standard specifies that pictograms should be black on white, with 

occasional uses of color for emphasis, and that message text should be black on 

D-111
 

white. The agency noted in the NPRM that when it earlier updated the 

requirements for air bag warning labels to require the addition of color and 

pictograms, it had chosen not to adopt the colors specified in the ANSI 

standard. NHTSA chose to use yellow instead of orange in the background of 

the heading for the air bag warning label, even though the word “warning” was 

used, because of overwhelming focus group preference for yellow. Only two of 

the 53 participants preferred orange. Participants generally stated that yellow 

was more eye-catching than orange. Participants also noted that red (stop) and 

yellow (caution) had meaning to them, but not orange. 

NHTSA asked for comment on three color options for the revised utility vehicle 

rollover warning label. Proposed label 1 used the ANSI color format with the 

heading background in orange with the words in black. The remainder of the 

label had a white background with black text and drawings. Proposed label 2 

used a color scheme like the air bag warning labels, which is the same as the 

ANSI color format except that the background color for the heading in the label 

is yellow. Proposed label 3 employed the color scheme used in the focus groups 

- the heading area had a red background with white text. The graphic areas 

had a yellow background with black and white drawings. The text area had a 

black background with yellow text. 

Despite focus group preference for the signal word “danger,” the agency 

proposed the use of the word “warning” as more appropriate to the level of 

risk. The agency also noted that the word “warning” is used in the air bag 

warning label. 

Recognizing that it might encounter additional conflicts between focus group 

preferences and the ANSI standard in future rulemakings, NHTSA requested 

comments in the NPRM on the extent to which any final choice regarding colors 

and signal words should be guided by the focus group preferences instead of 

the ANSI standard. NHTSA also requested comments on the broader issue of the 

circumstances in which it would be appropriate for agency rulemaking decisions 

to be guided by focus group results or other information when such information 

is contrary to a voluntary consensus standard such as the ANSI standard. 

D-112
 

At this time (February 22, 1999), a final decision is still pending regarding its 

proposal to upgrade the rollover warning label. As to the general questions it 

posed in the NPRM, NHTSA recognizes that ANSI’s mission differs somewhat 

from that of the agency’s focus groups with respect to the labeling of 

hazardous situations. ANSI’s mission is to develop and maintain a standard for 

communicating information about a comprehensive hierarchy of hazards, while 

the focus groups’ mission is to design an effective label for a specific hazard. 

The agency recognizes further that, given the difference in their missions, their 

conclusions about the appropriate manner of communication might differ on 

occasion. 

Since agency labeling decisions are highly dependent on the facts regarding the 

specific hazard being addressed, NHTSA anticipates making case-by-case 

determinations of the extent to which it should follow voluntary standards 

versus information from focus groups and other sources. NHTSA will rely on its 

own expertise and judgement in making determinations under the NTTAA and 

the statutory provisions regarding vehicle safety standards. 

2. Government Unique Standard: Air Bag Warning Label (1997) (Incorporated: 

1997) 

Voluntary Standard 

ANSI ISO 

Rationale 

The Air Bag Warning Label uses yellow as the background color, instead of 

orange, in accordance with an ANSI standard and uses a graphic developed by 

Chrysler Corporation to depict the hazards of being too close to an air bag, 

instead of the graphic recommended by the ISO. These decisions were based on 

focus group testing sponsored by the agency which strongly indicated that 

these unique requirements would be far more effective with respect to safety 

than the industry standards. 

D-113
 

3. Government Unique Standard: Brake Performance, 49 CFR 393.52 - FMCSA's 

Performance-Based Brake Testers (PBBTs) Requirement (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

SAE J667 - Brake Test Code Inertia Dynamometer (cancelled February 2002) 

SAE J1854 - Brake Force Distribution Performance Guide - Trucks and Buses 

Rationale 

FMCSA used government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus 

standards when it implemented its final rule to allow inspectors to use 

performance-based brake testers (PBBTs) to check the brakes on large trucks 

and buses for compliance with federal safety standards and to issue citations 

when these vehicles fail (67 FR 51770, August 9, 2002). The FMCSA evaluated 

several PBBTs during a round robin test series to assess their functional 

performance and potential use in law enforcement. The standard, a specific 

configuration of brake forces and wheel loads on a heavy-duty vehicle, was 

used to evaluate the candidate PBBTs and their operating protocols. The 

agency’s rationale for use of the government-unique standards was to verify 

that these measurements and new technology could be used by law 

enforcement as an alternative to stopping distance tests or on-road 

deceleration tests. PBBTs are expected to save time and their use could 

increase the number of commercial motor vehicles that can be inspected in a 

given time. Only PBBTs that meet specifications developed by the FMCSA can 

be used to determine compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Regulations. The final rule represents a culmination of agency research that 

began in the early 1990s. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

D-114
 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 12

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: DOT began to use 14 new VCS in FY 2006, while eliminating two as no 

longer required. This brings the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards in 

use by DOT to 393. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 48

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA 

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators AAMVA 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials 

AASHTO 

American Gas Association AGA 

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Petroleum Institute API 

American Public Transportation Association APTA 

American Pyrotechnics Association APA 

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association 

AREMA 

American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Trucking Association ATA 

Association of American Railroads AAR 

Association of Public Health Laboratories APHL 

ASTM International ASTM 

D-115
 

Canadian General Standards Board CGSB 

Canadian Standards Association CSA 

Chlorine Institute CI 

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance CVSA 

Compressed Gas Association CGA 

Gas Technology Institute GTI 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Institute of Transportation Engineers ITE 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America ITSA 

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA 

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO 

International Commission on Occupational Health ICOH 

International Maritime Organization IMO 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and 

Fittings Industry 

MSSVFI 

NAFTA Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee NAFTA 

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE 

National Association of State Fire Marshals NASFM 

National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors NBBPVI 

National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices NCUTCD 

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

North American Transport of Dangerous Goods Standards NATDGS 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD 

Recreation Vehicle Industry Association RVIA 

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of

North America 

RESNA 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Transportation Research Board TRB 

Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association TTMA 

D-116
 

United Nations Committee on the Transport of Dangerous 

Goods 

UNTDG 

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe WP .29/GRSP UNECE 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 206

Activities: 350

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

FRA: Under 15 CFR Part 287.4(i): FRA’s conformity assessment activities are 

visible internationally through expanded efforts in the area of safe, uniform 

international transport of hazardous materials by participation in the Canadian 

General Standards Board Tank Car Committee and the ASME Transportation 

Pressure Vessel Committee, as well as continuing to participate in the North 

American Transport of Dangerous Goods Standard (NATDGS) Working Group and 

the AAR Tank Car Committee. 

Under 15 CFR Part 287.4(j): Participation in the voluntary consensus standards 

bodies listed above as well as in numerous committees and sub-committees of 

those bodies gives FRA access to the developmental stages of private sector 

conformity assessment standards to ensure that the agency viewpoint is 

considered in the development of these standards. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

DOT believes that Circular A-119 is working effectively. The use of voluntary 

standards saves time and money for regulatory agencies, and for regulated 

entities and industries. Due to the effective implementation of the standardsrelated sections of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act 

D-117
 

(NTTAA), there is a low volume of government-unique standards being used in lieu 

of voluntary consensus standards within DOT, especially when compared with the 

status when NTTAA was passed in 1996. 

DOT recommends that OMB Circular A-119 be maintained to require NTTAA 

reporting only on instances of government-unique standards being used in lieu of 

voluntary consensus standards. The Circular should continue the policy that there 

is no requirement to report on government-unique standards developed where a 

voluntary consensus standard is unavailable, per sections 6g and 9a of the 

Circular. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

DOT offers no additional comments. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

The DOT operating administrations have pursued different approaches to the 

management of voluntary consensus standards with their stakeholders, including 

reporting standards. 

Standards referenced in the Code of Federal Regulations are periodically 

reviewed as part of the Section 610 reviews, and as a part of the continuing 

rulemaking process, including petitions for rulemaking. Some operating 

administrations also have an internal regulatory effectiveness review function, 

which provides a further opportunity to review both voluntary consensus and 

agency-unique standards. These avenues allow for both ad-hoc and periodic 

reviews. 

Standards incorporated into regulations for purposes of international 

harmonization are generally reviewed and updated every two years. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

D-118
 

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

D-119
 

Department of the Treasury

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The mission of the Department of the Treasury is to promote the conditions for 

prosperity and stability in the United States and encourage prosperity and 

stability in the rest of the world. 

The mission statement highlights Treasury’s role as the steward of U.S. economic 

and financial systems, and as an influential participant in the international 

economy. Treasury’s commitment to citizens is to create economic and 

employment opportunities for all by raising the rate of sustainable growth. To the 

extent this objective is linked to the world economy, Treasury will seek to 

influence global financial and economic issues whenever possible to promote 

global economic growth and stability. 

The Department of the Treasury is the primary federal agency responsible for the 

economic and financial prosperity and security of the Unites States, and as such is 

responsible for a wide range of activities including advising the President on 

economic and financial issues, promoting the President’s growth agenda, and 

enhancing corporate governance in financial institutions. 

The Department uses all applicable federal, Treasury, and generally accepted 

standards in carrying out its mission. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

D-120
 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 1

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 1

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards 

OASIS 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 3

Activities: 1

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

None. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

No comments to offer at this time. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

D-121
 

No comments to offer at this time. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

Treasury periodically reviews its use of standards for purposes of updating such 

use, but not on a regular schedule. The nature and timing of standards reviews 

are determined by business needs and federal and Treasury requirements. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

D-122
 

Department of Veterans Affairs

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Federal regulations prescribe standards that must be used (e.g., OSHA monitoring 

sampling standards and EPA laboratory standards). Regardless of what may be 

developed by conformity assessment, VA is not relieved of its obligation to use 

standards prescribed by regulations. When not obligated to use prescribed 

regulatory or other (e.g., JCAHO, FDA, EPA, and OSHA standards, VA 

organizations must retain the flexibility to use the standard that best meets its 

programmatic needs. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 20

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

D-123
 

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA 

American Institute of Timber Construction AITC 

American National Metric Council ANMC 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE 

ASTM International ASTM 

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA 

Federal Facilities Council FFC 

Government Electronics & Information Technology Association GEITA 

InterNational Committee for Information Technology 

Standards 

INCITS 

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare 

Organizations 

JCAHO 

NAFTA Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee NAFTA 

National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics NCVHS 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH 

National Institute of Building Sciences NIBS 

National Petroleum Management Association NPMA 

Society of Toxicological Pathologists STP 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 4

Activities: 20

D-124
 

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

The VA does not engage in conformity assessments activities. VA strives to use 

industry based standards and commercial off-the-shelf products. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

The Department of Veterans Affairs, has no comments or recommendations for 

changes at this time. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No comment 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

The Veterans Health Administration accepts and conforms to standards developed 

by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) for 

Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities. Voluntary consensus standard 

requirements are utilized in the regulatory, contractual and grants 

determinations executed by the Veterans Affairs. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

D-125
 

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; A

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

D-126
 

Appendix E – Individual, Unabridged Commission and other Agency Reports 

Note: This appendix contains the unabridged Commission and other agency reports as 

they were submitted to NIST. 

Access Board

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Access Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal 

agencies with responsibility for accessible design and is charged with 

responsibility to develop and maintain design guidelines for accessibility of the 

built environment, transportation vehicles, and telecommunications equipment. 

It also develops standards for accessible electronic and information technology in 

the Federal sector. The Access Board uses Voluntary Consensus and Nonconsensus Standards (VCS) and (NCS) that are developed in the private sector in 

its rulemaking to fulfill its responsibilities under the following civil rights laws and 

other laws: the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Architectural Barriers 

Act of 1968, Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Section 508 

of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998. 

By using VCS and NCS in the guidelines and standards we promulgate, the Access 

Board increases the potential for compliance with regulations based on our 

agency’s rules. Because accessibility requirements in federal law are enforced by 

private law suits, suits by federal agencies or voluntary compliance efforts, 

entities that are subject to state or local laws referencing the same VCS and NCS 

have greater potential for avoiding federal enforcement actions and thereby 

reducing costs to the government as well as to the covered entities, themselves. 

Federal agencies with enforcement authority, including the Access Board, do not 

have the capacity to inspect plans and specifications, buildings or product 

designs, prior to construction, occupancy or product development. Therefore, law 

enforcement by federal agencies is complaint-driven and usually after the fact. 

The design and construction industry uses VCS and NCS to establish and enforce 

state and local accessibility requirements in building codes. Where state and local 

E-1
 

building codes and federal civil rights laws intersect and are harmonized, there is 

potential for a state or local enforcement system to provide a “safety net” for 

covered entities, including designers, owners, operators and individuals with 

disabilities. The state or local building code enforcement system also provides 

individuals with disabilities opportunities to advocate for more vigorous 

enforcement at the local level and to identify errors at a time when they are 

most amenable to remediation. For individuals with disabilities and their 

organizations, drawbacks associated with VCS and NCS involve the costs of the 

standards, themselves, and the costs of participation in their development which 

can be substantial when compared to Government Unique Standards (GUS). 

However, the benefit of increased overall compliance with federal accessibility 

criteria can be significant. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 1

1. Government Unique Standard: 36 CFR Part 1194 Electronic and Information 

Technology Accessibility Standards (December, 2000) (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

ANSI/IEEE Standard for Hearing Aid Compatibility with Wireless Devices 

Rationale 

A provision in the Section 508 Standards requires that interference to hearing 

technologies be reduced to the lowest possible level that allows a user of 

hearing technologies to utilize a telecommunications product. Individuals who 

are hard of hearing use hearing aids and other assistive listening devices, but 

they cannot be used if products introduce noise into the listening aids because 

of electromagnetic interference. The ANSI/IEEE Standard for Hearing Aid 

Compatibility with Wireless Devices was not completed in time for reference by 

the agency in its final rule published in FY 2000. However, the agency will 

consider using the Standard in FY 20007. In the meantime, because the 

requirement in the agency rule is a performance standard, the agency 

considers compliance with the VCS to meet the agency Standard. 

E-2
 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 7

Other Technical Standards: 1

Rationale: The agency references the International Building Code which is not 

ANSI Accredited 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 6

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

ASTM International ASTM 

International Code Council ICC 

National Spa and Pool Institute NSPI 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 5

Activities: 8

E-3
 

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

The Access Board works with model codes organizations and with voluntary 

consensus standards bodies to ensure harmonization of its guidelines to the 

maximum extent practicable. As the Access Board refreshes its guidelines and 

standards, it will closely examine all relevant VCS for use. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

N/A 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

N/A 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

The agency does not have an established Standards review cycle. Because the 

agency may reference any number of VCS or NCS in its agency guidelines and 

standards, it will review candidate VCS and NCS when it revises its agency rules. 

Revision of agency rules is not done on a predictable schedule. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

E-4
 

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; A

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0 

E-5
 

Agency for International Development

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

0. The Agency doesn't use NTTAA standards to deliver its primary services in 

support of its mission. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 0

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 0

E-6
 

Activities: 0

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

N/A 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

Not applicable to USAID requirements 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

0 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; C

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

E-7
 

E-8
 

Consumer Product Safety Commission

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is responsible for protecting the 

American public from unreasonable risks of injury and death from 15,000 types of 

consumer products. Since its inception in 1973, the Commission has promoted the 

development of voluntary product safety standards to help it accomplish this 

mission. From 1990 through 2006, the Commission staff supported the 

development of 352 voluntary standards while the Commission issued 36 

mandatory standards, almost a ten-to-one ratio of voluntary to mandatory 

standards. 

An example of the importance of voluntary standards in the achievement of the 

Commission's mission is found in the case of baby walkers. Baby walkers used to 

account for more injuries than any other type of nursery product. In 1992, an 

estimated 25,700 children younger than 15 months of age were treated in U.S. 

hospital emergency rooms for baby walker injuries, most related to falls down 

stairs. CPSC staff worked with ASTM International and the baby walker industry 

and a new ASTM International safety standard was published in 1997. This 

standard includes performance requirements to address stair falls. Manufacturers 

have complied with this standard by using "gripping strips" under the walker base 

to stop the walker at the edge of a step. By 2005, the estimated number of baby 

walker injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms had dropped dramatically 

from 25,700 to 2,600, a 90% reduction. Moreover, a recent CPSC staff 

effectiveness study published in the Journal of Safety Research concluded that 

the stair-fall requirements of the voluntary standard reduced the baby walker 

injury rate by over 60 percent. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 2

1. Government Unique Standard: CPSC CFR Parts 1213, 1500, and 1513 

(Incorporated: 2000) 

E-9
 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM F1427-96 

Rationale 

The CPSC rule goes beyond the provisions of the ASTM voluntary standard to 

provide increased protection to children from the risk of death and serious 

injury from entrapment. 

2. Government Unique Standard: FR/Vol. 68, No. 75/Friday, April 18, 2003, pp. 

19142-19147, Metal-Cored Candlewicks Containing Lead and Candles With Such 

Wicks (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

Voices of Safety International (VOSI) standard on lead in candle wicks 

Rationale 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that the VOSI standard is 

technically unsound, and thus would not result in the elimination or adequate 

reduction of the risk, and that substantial compliance with it is unlikely. See 

FR/Vol. 68, No. 75/Friday, April 18, 2003, pp. 19145-19146, paragraph H2, 

Voluntary Standards for further information on this finding. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 29

Other Technical Standards: 0

E-10
 

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 12

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

ASTM International ASTM 

Canadian Standards Association CSA 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

International 2-Up ATV Manufacturers Association I2AMA 

International Aquatics Foundation IAF 

International Safety Equipment Association ISEA 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

Specialty Vehicle Institute of America SVIA 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

Window Covering Manufacturers Association WCMA 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 24

Activities: 66

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

None 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

E-11
 

During FY 2006, the Commission staff efforts to enhance voluntary safety 

standards development were complemented by the overall Federal policy set 

forth in the Circular. There are no recommendations for changes in the Circular 

at this time. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), as amended, requires the 

Commission to defer to issued voluntary standards, rather than promulgate 

mandatory standards, when the voluntary standards will eliminate or adequately 

reduce the risk of injury addressed and it is likely that there will be substantial 

compliance with the voluntary standards. In addition, the Commission is required, 

after any notice or advance notice of proposed rulemaking, to provide technical 

and administrative assistance to persons or groups who propose to develop or 

modify an appropriate voluntary standard. Additionally, the Commission is 

encouraged to provide technical and administrative assistance to groups 

developing product safety standards and test methods, taking into account 

Commission resources and priorities. 

Since its inception in 1973, the Commission has promoted the development of 

voluntary product safety standards. Policy statements in support of voluntary 

standards were published by the CPSC in 1975 and 1978. These policy statements 

were updated in 1988 and 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1031). Staff directives on 

implementation of portions of these policy statements were promulgated in 1989 

and updated in October 2001 and July 2006. Since the principles set forth in the 

OMB Circular A-119 were published, the Commission has consistently supported 

them. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

In October 2004, the CPSC launched a six month pilot program to provide the 

public with information on voluntary standards and to provide advance notice on 

CPSC staff positions for public review and comment for a limited number of 

voluntary standard activities. The primary goal of the program was to make the 

E-12
 

staff's activities more transparent and to obtain the benefit of public review and 

input before finalizing CPSC staff positions. In August 2005, following the staff's 

recommendation, the Commission voted unanimously to continue the program 

and expand it to include links on the CPSC Web site with information pertaining 

to all CPSC staff voluntary standards activities. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; A

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

E-13
 

Environmental Protection Agency

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

EPA references voluntary standards as technical methods or testing procedures in 

relevant regulatory actions. Regulations typically set emission or exposure limits 

(sometimes called regulatory standards) in order to achieve levels of 

environmental and health protection according to the laws mandated to the 

Agency. EPA incorporates into regulations testing methods and procedures for 

determining compliance to such limits. In accord with the National Technology 

Transfer and Advancement Act EPA uses test methods and other protocols (known 

as technical standards) developed by private sector consensus organizations 

whenever such standards exist, their use is applicable to the given regulation, 

and they are not otherwise prohibited by law. 

EPA regulations specifically implement legal mandates, whereas consensus 

standards do not. Regulations and consensus standards are not interchangeable, 

but EPA may substitute consensus-developed test procedures for governmentdeveloped procedures when the Agency determines it is appropriate. 

EPA also uses voluntary consensus standards in partnership or voluntary programs 

developed by the Agency with stakeholder input from industry, state and local 

governments, NGOs, community groups and others. Agency voluntary programs 

are a way for EPA to enhance the basic mandates and goals for environmental and 

health protection through non-regulatory means. 

STANDARDS SUCCESS EXAMPLE 

In this reporting period, one of the Agency's standards success stories is the 

development of the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). 

This is a project to make it easy for purchasers to select and buy greener 

computers, laptops and monitors. The critia was developed with input from over 

100 stakeholders and finalized through the consensus process run by IEEE (a U.S. 

based standards development organization) into the IEEE 1680 American National 

Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. 

E-14
 

Purchasers of EPEAT rated products will result in reductions of more than: 

13 million pounds of hazardous materials 

3 million pounds of non-hazardous materials 

600,000 MWh of energy. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 50

1. Government Unique Standard: 40 CFR 89 - Control of Emissions from New and 

In-Use Non-Road Compression Ignition Engines (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 8178 - Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines, Exhaust Emission 

Measurement 

Rationale 

Procedures would be impractical because they rely too heavily on reference 

testing conditions. Agency decides instead to continue to rely on procedures 

outlined in 40 CFR Part 90. 

2. Government Unique Standard: 40 CFR 90 - Control of Emission from Non-Road 

Spark Ignition Engines at or below 19KV (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 8178 - Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines, Exhaust Emission 

Measurement 

Rationale 

Procedures would be impractical because they rely too heavily on reference 

testing conditions. Agency decides instead to continue to rely on procedures 

outlined in 40 CFR Part 90. 

3. Government Unique Standard: 40 CFR 92 - Control of Air Pollution from 

Locomotives and Locomotive Engines (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

E-15
 

ISO 8178 - Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines, Exhaust Emission 

Measurement 

Rationale 

Procedures would be impractical because they rely too heavily on reference 

testing conditions. Agency decides instead to continue to rely on procedures 

outlined in 40 CFR Part 90. 

4. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 1 – Traverse Points, Stationary 

Sources (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-00, Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot Tube 

Method) 

Rationale 

1. The standard appears to lack in quality control and quality assurance 

requirements. It does not include the following: (1) Proof that openings of 

standard pitot tube have not plugged during the test; (2) if differential 

pressure gauges other than inclined manometers (e.g., magnehelic gauges) are 

used, their calibration must be checked after each test series; and (3) the 

frequency and validity range for calibration of the temperature sensors. 2. 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-91 (1995), Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot 

Tube Method) 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

5. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 10 - Carbon Monoxide, NDIR 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

E-16
 

ASTM D3162 (1994) Standard Test Method for Carbon Monoxide in the 

Atmosphere (Continuous Measurement by Non-dispersive Infrared 

Spectrometry) 

Rationale 

This ASTM standard, which is stated to be applicable in the range of 0.5-100 

ppm CO, does not cover the range of EPA Method 10 (20-1,000 ppm CO) at the 

upper end (but states that it has a lower limit of sensitivity). Also, ASTM D3162 

does not provide a procedure to remove carbon dioxide interference. 

Therefore, this ASTM standard is not appropriate for combustion source 

conditions. In terms of non-dispersive infrared instrument performance 

specifications, ASTM D3162 has much higher maximum allowable rise and fall 

times (5 minutes) than EPA Method 10 (which has 30 seconds). 

Voluntary Standard 

CAN/CSA Z223.21-M1978, Method for the Measurement of Carbon Monoxide: 3—

Method of Analysis by Non-Dispersive Infrared Spectrometry 

Rationale 

1. This standard is lacking in the following areas: (1) Sampling procedures; (2) 

procedures to correct for the carbon dioxide concentration; (3) instructions to 

correct the gas volume if CO2 traps are used; (4) specifications to certify the 

calibration gases are within 2 percent of the target concentration; (5) 

mandatory instrument performance characteristics (e.g., rise time, fall time, 

zero drift, span drift, precision); (6) quantitative specification of the span 

value maximum as compared to the measured value: The standard specifies 

that the instruments should be compatible with the concentration of gases to 

be measured, whereas EPA Method 10 specifies that the instrument span value 

should be no more than 1.5 times the source performance standard. 2. Is too 

general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with EPA 

regulatory requirements. 

6. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 101 - Mercury Emissions, ChlorAlkali Plants (Air) (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D6216-98 - Standard Practice for Opacity Monitor Manufacturers to 

Certify Conformance with Design and Performance Specifications. 

E-17
 

Rationale 

The EPA is incorporating ASTM D6216 (manufacturers certification) by 

reference into EPA Performance Specification 1, Sect. 5 & 6 in another 

rulemaking. ASTM D6216 does not address all the requirements specified in PS1. 

7. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 101a - Mercury Emissions 

Sewer/Sludge Incinerator (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D6216-98 - Standard Practice for Opacity Monitor Manufacturers to 

Certify Conformance with Design and Performance Specifications. 

Rationale 

The EPA is incorporating ASTM D6216 (manufacturers certification) by 

reference into EPA Performance Specification 1, Sect. 5 & 6 in another 

rulemaking. ASTM D6216 does not address all the requirements specified in PS1. 

8. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 10A – Carbon Monoxide for 

Certifying CEMS (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

CAN/CSA Z223.21-M1978, Method for the Measurement of Carbon Monoxide: 3—

Method of Analysis by Non-Dispersive Infrared Spectrometry. 

Rationale 

1. It is lacking in the following areas: (1) Sampling procedures; (2) procedures 

to correct for the carbon dioxide concentration; (3) instructions to correct the 

gas volume if CO2 traps are used; (4) specifications to certify the calibration 

gases are within 2 percent of the target concentration; (5) mandatory 

instrument performance characteristics (e.g., rise time, fall time, zero drift, 

span drift, precision); (6) quantitative specification of the span value maximum 

as compared to the measured value: The standard specifies that the 

instruments should be compatible with the concentration of gases to be 

E-18
 

measured, whereas EPA Method 10 specifies that the instrument span value 

should be no more than 1.5 times the source performance standard. 2. Is too 

general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with EPA 

regulatory requirements. 

9. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 12 – Inorganic Lead, Stationary 

Sources (Incorporated: 2000) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D4358-94 (1999), Standard Test Method for Lead and Chromium in Air 

Particulate Filter Samples of Lead Chromate Type Pigment Dusts by Atomic 

Absorption Spectroscopy 

Rationale 

These ASTM standards do not require the use of glass fiber filters as in EPA 

Method 12 and require the use of significantly different digestion procedures 

that appear to be milder than the EPA Method 12 digestion procedure. For 

these reasons, these ASTM standards cannot be considered equivalent to EPA 

Method 12. Also, the subject ASTM standards do not require the use of 

hydrogen fluoride (HF) as in EPA Method 29 and, therefore, they cannot be 

used for the preparation, digestion, and analysis of Method 29 samples. 

Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber filter, whereas these 

three ASTM standards require cellulose filters and other probable nonglass fiber 

media, which cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 29. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM E1741-95 (1995), Standard Practice for Preparation of Airborne 

Particulate Lead Samples Collected During Abatement and Construction 

Activities for Subsequent Analysis by Atomic Spectrometry 

Rationale 

These ASTM standards do not require the use of glass fiber filters as in EPA 

Method 12 and require the use of significantly different digestion procedures 

that appear to be milder than the EPA Method 12 digestion procedure. For 

these reasons, these ASTM standards cannot be considered equivalent to EPA 

Method 12. Also, the subject ASTM standards do not require the use of 

hydrogen fluoride (HF) as in EPA Method 29 and, therefore, they cannot be 

used for the preparation, digestion, and analysis of Method 29 samples. 

E-19
 

Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber filter, whereas these 

three ASTM standards require cellulose filters and other probable nonglass fiber 

media, which cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 29. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM E1979-98 (1998), Standard Practice for Ultrasonic Extraction of Paint, 

Dust, Soil, and Air Samples for Subsequent Determination of Lead 

Rationale 

These ASTM standards do not require the use of glass fiber filters as in EPA 

Method 12 and require the use of significantly different digestion procedures 

that appear to be milder than the EPA Method 12 digestion procedure. For 

these reasons, these ASTM standards cannot be considered equivalent to EPA 

Method 12. Also, the subject ASTM standards do not require the use of 

hydrogen fluoride (HF) as in EPA Method 29 and, therefore, they cannot be 

used for the preparation, digestion, and analysis of Method 29 samples. 

Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber filter, whereas these 

three ASTM standards require cellulose filters and other probable nonglass fiber 

media, which cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 29. 

10. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 15 - Hydrogen Sulfide/Carbon 

Disulfide/Carbon Sulfide (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME C00031 or PTC 19-10-1981 - Part 10 Flue and Exhaust Gas Analyses 

Rationale 

Too broad to be useful in regulatory sense. Covers Methods 3, 6, 7, and 15 with 

variants. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D4323-84 (1997) - Standard Test Method for Hydrogen Sulfide in the 

Atmosphere by Rate of Change of Reflectance 

Rationale 

ASTM D4323 only applies to concentrations of H2S from 1 ppb to 3 ppm without 

dilution. Many QC items are missing, such as calibration drift and sample line 

losses. The calibration curve is determined with only one point. 

E-20
 

11. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 1650 - Organic Halides, Absorbable 

(AOX) (Incorporated: 1998) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO, DIN, SCAN, and Standard Methods (SM 5320) 

Rationale 

EPA decided to use EPA Method 1650. This Method was developed by drawing 

on various procedures contained in the methods of voluntary consensus 

standards bodies and other standards developers, such as ISO, DIN, SCAN, and 

Standard Methods (SM 5320). However, none of these more narrowly focused 

voluntary consensus standards contained the standardized quality control and 

quality control compliance criteria that EPA requires for data verification and 

validation in its water programs. Therefore, EPA found none of these VCS 

standing alone to meet EPA’s needs. 

12. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 17 - Particle Matter (PM) In Stack 

Filtration (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME C00049 

Rationale 

EPA looked at this standard for both Pulp and Paper Hazardous Air Pollutant 

rules and for the Small Municipal Waste Combustion rule. Contains sampling 

options beyond which would be considered acceptable for Method 5. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3685/3685M-95 - Standard Test method for Sampling and Determination 

of Particle Matter in Stack Gases 

Rationale 

EPA looked at this standard for both Pulp and Paper Hazardous Air Pollutant 

rules and for the Small Municipal Waste Combustion rule. Contains sampling 

options beyond which would be considered acceptable for Method 5. 

13. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 18 - VOC/GC (Incorporated: 1999) 

E-21
 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D6060-96 (in review 2000) - Practice for Sampling of Process Vents with a 

Portable Gas Chromatography 

Rationale 

This standard lacks key quality control and assurance that is required for EPA 

Method 18. For example: lacks acceptance criteria for calibration, details on 

using other collection media (e.g. solid sorbents), and reporting/ 

documentation requirements. 

14. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 180.1 - Turbidity Nephelometric 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 7027 - Water Quality Determination of Turbidity 

Rationale 

EPA has no data upon which to evaluate whether the separate 90 degrees 

scattered or transmitted light measurement evaluations according to the ISO 

7027 method would produce results that are equivalent to results produced by 

the other methods. 

15. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 2 – Velocity and S-type Pitot 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM 3796-90 (1998), Standard Practice for Calibration of Type S Pitot Tubes 

Rationale 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-00, Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot Tube 

Method) 

Rationale 

1. The standard appears to lack in quality control and quality assurance 

requirements. It does not include the following: (1) Proof that openings of 

E-22
 

standard pitot tube have not plugged during the test; (2) if differential 

pressure gauges other than inclined manometers (e.g., magnehelic gauges) are 

used, their calibration must be checked after each test series; and (3) the 

frequency and validity range for calibration of the temperature sensors. 2. 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-91 (1995), Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot 

Tube Method) 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3464-96 (2001), Standard Test Method Average Velocity in a Duct Using 

a Thermal Anemometer 

Rationale 

Applicability specifications are not clearly defined, e.g., range of gas 

composition, temperature limits. Also, the lack of supporting quality assurance 

data for the calibration procedures and specifications, and certain variability 

issues that are not adequately addressed by the standard limit EPA's ability to 

make a definitive comparison of the method in these areas. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10780:1994, Stationary Source Emissions-- Measurement of Velocity and 

Volume Flowrate of Gas Streams in Ducts 

Rationale 

The standard recommends the use of an L-shaped pitot, which historically has 

not been recommended by EPA. The EPA specifies the S-type design, which has 

large openings that are less likely to plug up with dust. 

16. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 21 - Volatile Organic Compound 

(VOC) Leaks (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM E1211-97 - Standard Practice for Leak Detection and Location Using 

Surface-Mounted Acoustic Emission Sensors 

E-23
 

Rationale 

This standard will detect leaks but not classify the leak as VOC, as in EPA 

Method 21. In addition, in order to detect the VOC concentration of a known 

VOC leak, the acoustic signal would need to be calibrated against a primary 

instrument. Background noise interference in some source situations could also 

make this standard difficult to use effectively. 

17. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 23 – Dioxin and Furan (PCDD and 

PCDF) (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

European Committee for Standardization (CEN) EN 1948-3 (1997), 

Determination of the Mass Concentration of PCDD'S/PCDF'S--Part 3: 

Identification and Quantification 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

18. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 24 – Surface Coatings, Volatile 

Matter Content (Incorporated: 1998) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 11890-1 (2000) part 1, Paints and Varnishes--Determination of Volatile 

Organic Compound (VOC) Content-Difference Method 

Rationale 

Measured nonvolatile matter content can vary with experimental factors such 

as temperature, length of heating period, size of weighing dish, and size of 

sample. The standard ISO 11890-1 allows for different dish weights and sample 

sizes than the one size (58 millimeters in diameter and sample size of 0.5 

gram) of EPA Method 24. The standard ISO 11890-1 also allows for different 

oven temperatures and heating times depending on the type of coating, 

whereas EPA Method 24 requires 60 minutes heating at 110 degrees Celcius at 

all times. Because the EPA Method 24 test conditions and procedures define 

E-24
 

volatile matter, ISO 11890-1 is unacceptable as an alternative because of its 

different test conditions. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 11890-2 (2000) Part 2, Paints and Varnishes--Determination of Volatile 

Organic Compound (VOC) Content-Gas Chromatographic Method 

Rationale 

ISO 11890-2 only measures the VOC added to the coating and would not 

measure any VOC generated from the curing of the coating. The EPA Method 24 

does measure cure VOC, which can be significant in some cases, and, 

therefore, ISO 11890-2 is not an acceptable alternative to this EPA method. 

19. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 25 – Gaseous Nonmethane Organic 

Emissions (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

EN 12619:1999 Stationary Source Emissions--Determination of the Mass 

Concentration of Total Gaseous Organic Carbon at Low Concentrations in Flue 

Gases--Continuous Flame Ionization Detector Method 

Rationale 

The standards do not apply to solvent process vapors in concentrations greater 

than 40 ppm (EN 12619) and 10 ppm carbon (ISO 14965). Methods whose upper 

limits are this low are too limited to be useful in measuring source emissions, 

which are expected to be much higher. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 14965:2000(E) Air Quality--Determination of Total Nonmethane Organic 

Compounds--Cryogenic Preconcentration and Direct Flame Ionization Method 

Rationale 

The standards do not apply to solvent process vapors in concentrations greater 

than 40 ppm (EN 12619) and 10 ppm carbon (ISO 14965). Methods whose upper 

limits are this low are too limited to be useful in measuring source emissions, 

which are expected to be much higher. 

E-25
 

20. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 25A – Gaseous Organic 

Concentration, Flame Ionization (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

EN 12619:1999 Stationary Source Emissions--Determination of the Mass 

Concentration of Total Gaseous Organic Carbon at Low Concentrations in Flue 

Gases--Continuous Flame Ionization Detector Method 

Rationale 

The standards do not apply to solvent process vapors in concentrations greater 

than 40 ppm (EN 12619) and 10 ppm carbon (ISO 14965). Methods whose upper 

limits are this low are too limited to be useful in measuring source emissions, 

which are expected to be much higher. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 14965:2000(E) Air Quality--Determination of Total Nonmethane Organic 

Compounds--Cryogenic Preconcentration and Direct Flame Ionization Method 

Rationale 

The standards do not apply to solvent process vapors in concentrations greater 

than 40 ppm (EN 12619) and 10 ppm carbon (ISO 14965). Methods whose upper 

limits are this low are too limited to be useful in measuring source emissions, 

which are expected to be much higher. 

21. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 26 – Hydrogen Chloride, Halides, 

Halogens Emissions (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

EN 1911-1,2,3 (1998), Stationary Source Emissions-- Manual Method of 

Determination of HCl--Part 1: Sampling of Gases Ratified European Text--Part 

2: Gaseous Compounds Absorption Ratified European Text-- Part 3: Adsorption 

Solutions Analysis and Calculatio 

Rationale 

Part 3 of this standard cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 26 or 

26A because the sample absorbing solution (water) would be expected to 

capture both HCl and Cl2 gas, if present, without the ability to distinguish 

between the two. The EPA Methods 26 and 26A use an acidified absorbing 

E-26
 

solution to first separate HCl and Cl2 gas so that they can be selectively 

absorbed, analyzed, and reported separately. In addition, in EN 1911 the 

absorption efficiency for Cl2 gas would be expected to vary as the pH of the 

water changed during sampling. 

22. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 26A – Hydrogen Halide and 

Halogen, Isokinetic (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

EN 1911-1,2,3 (1998), Stationary Source Emissions-- Manual Method of 

Determination of HCl--Part 1: Sampling of Gases Ratified European Text--Part 

2: Gaseous Compounds Absorption Ratified European Text-- Part 3: Adsorption 

Solutions Analysis and Calculatio 

Rationale 

Part 3 of this standard cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 26 or 

26A because the sample absorbing solution (water) would be expected to 

capture both HCl and Cl2 gas, if present, without the ability to distinguish 

between the two. The EPA Methods 26 and 26A use an acidified absorbing 

solution to first separate HCl and Cl2 gas so that they can be selectively 

absorbed, analyzed, and reported separately. In addition, in EN 1911 the 

absorption efficiency for Cl2 gas would be expected to vary as the pH of the 

water changed during sampling. 

23. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 28 (Section 10.1) – Wood Heaters, 

Certificate and Auditing (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME Power Test Codes, Supplement on Instruments and Apparatus, part 5, 

Measurement of Quantity of Materials, Chapter 1, Weighing Scales 

Rationale 

It does not specify the number of initial calibration weights to be used nor a 

specific pretest weight procedure. 

Voluntary Standard 

E-27
 

ASTM E319-85 (Reapproved 1997), Standard Practice for the Evaluation of 

Single-Pan Mechanical Balances 

Rationale 

This standard is not a complete weighing procedure because it does not include 

a pretest procedure. 

24. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 29 – Metals Emissions from 

Stationary Sources (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D4358-94 (1999), Standard Test Method for Lead and Chromium in Air 

Particulate Filter Samples of Lead Chromate Type Pigment Dusts by Atomic 

Absorption Spectroscopy 

Rationale 

These ASTM standards do not require the use of glass fiber filters as in EPA 

Method 12 and require the use of significantly different digestion procedures 

that appear to be milder than the EPA Method 12 digestion procedure. For 

these reasons, these ASTM standards cannot be considered equivalent to EPA 

Method 12. Also, the subject ASTM standards do not require the use of 

hydrogen fluoride (HF) as in EPA Method 29 and, therefore, they cannot be 

used for the preparation, digestion, and analysis of Method 29 samples. 

Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber filter, whereas these 

three ASTM standards require cellulose filters and other probable nonglass fiber 

media, which cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 29. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM E1741-95 (1995), Standard Practice for Preparation of Airborne 

Particulate Lead Samples Collected During Abatement and Construction 

Activities for Subsequent Analysis by Atomic Spectrometry 

Rationale 

These ASTM standards do not require the use of glass fiber filters as in EPA 

Method 12 and require the use of significantly different digestion procedures 

that appear to be milder than the EPA Method 12 digestion procedure. For 

these reasons, these ASTM standards cannot be considered equivalent to EPA 

Method 12. Also, the subject ASTM standards do not require the use of 

hydrogen fluoride (HF) as in EPA Method 29 and, therefore, they cannot be 

E-28
 

used for the preparation, digestion, and analysis of Method 29 samples. 

Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber filter, whereas these 

three ASTM standards require cellulose filters and other probable nonglass fiber 

media, which cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 29. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM E1979-98 (1998), Standard Practice for Ultrasonic Extraction of Paint, 

Dust, Soil, and Air Samples for Subsequent Determination of Lead 

Rationale 

These ASTM standards do not require the use of glass fiber filters as in EPA 

Method 12 and require the use of significantly different digestion procedures 

that appear to be milder than the EPA Method 12 digestion procedure. For 

these reasons, these ASTM standards cannot be considered equivalent to EPA 

Method 12. Also, the subject ASTM standards do not require the use of 

hydrogen fluoride (HF) as in EPA Method 29 and, therefore, they cannot be 

used for the preparation, digestion, and analysis of Method 29 samples. 

Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber filter, whereas these 

three ASTM standards require cellulose filters and other probable nonglass fiber 

media, which cannot be considered equivalent to EPA Method 29. 

Voluntary Standard 

CAN/CSA Z223.26-M1987, Measurement of Total Mercury in Air Cold Vapour 

Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometeric Method 

Rationale 

It lacks sufficient quality assurance and quality control requirements necessary 

for EPA compliance assurance requirements. 

25. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 2C – Velocity and Flow Rate, 

Standard Pitot (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-00, Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot Tube 

Method) 

Rationale 

1. The standard appears to lack in quality control and quality assurance 

requirements. It does not include the following: (1) Proof that openings of 

E-29
 

standard pitot tube have not plugged during the test; (2) if differential 

pressure gauges other than inclined manometers (e.g., magnehelic gauges) are 

used, their calibration must be checked after each test series; and (3) the 

frequency and validity range for calibration of the temperature sensors. 2. 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

26. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 3 – Molecular Weight Carbon 

Dioxide, Oxygen (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME C00031 or PTC 19-10-1981--part 10, "Flue and Exhaust Gas Analyses" 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-00, Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot Tube 

Method) 

Rationale 

1. The standard appears to lack in quality control and quality assurance 

requirements. It does not include the following: (1) Proof that openings of 

standard pitot tube have not plugged during the test; (2) if differential 

pressure gauges other than inclined manometers (e.g., magnehelic gauges) are 

used, their calibration must be checked after each test series; and (3) the 

frequency and validity range for calibration of the temperature sensors. 2. 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

27. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 306 - Chromium Emissions, 

Electroplating and Anodizing (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

E-30
 

ASTM D4358-94 (1999) - Standard Test Method for Lead and Chromium in Air 

Particulate Filter Samples of Lead Chromate Type Pigment Dusts by Atomic 

Absorption Spectroscopy 

Rationale 

This MACT standard (Petroleum Refineries) only cites Method 29. Therefore, 

the following EPA comment is only applicable for Method 29 not Method 12 and 

306: Method 29 requires the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) in its process of 

digestion of the sample. ASTM D4358-94 (1999) does not require the use of HF; 

therefore, it cannot be used in the preparation, digestion, and analysis of 

Method 29 samples. Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber 

filter, whereas the subject ASTM standard requires cellulose filters and other 

probable non-glass fiber media, and this further negates their use as Method 29 

equivalent methods. (Same comment as provided for ASTM E1741 and ASTM 

E1979). 

28. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 306a - Chromium Emissions, 

Electroplating -- Mason Jar (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D4358-94 (1999) - Standard Test Method for Lead and Chromium in Air 

Particulate Filter Samples of Lead Chromate Type Pigment Dusts by Atomic 

Absorption Spectroscopy 

Rationale 

This MACT standard (Petroleum Refineries) only cites Method 29. Therefore, 

the following EPA comment is only applicable for Method 29 not Method 12 and 

306: Method 29 requires the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) in its process of 

digestion of the sample. ASTM D4358-94 (1999) does not require the use of HF; 

therefore, it cannot be used in the preparation, digestion, and analysis of 

Method 29 samples. Additionally, Method 29 requires the use of a glass fiber 

filter, whereas the subject ASTM standard requires cellulose filters and other 

probable non-glass fiber media, and this further negates their use as Method 29 

equivalent methods. (Same comment as provided for ASTM E1741 and ASTM 

E1979). 

E-31
 

29. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 320 – Vapor Phase Organic and 

Inorganic Emissions, FTIR (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D6348-98, Determination of Gaseous Compounds by Extractive Direct 

Interface Fourier Transform (FTIR) Spectroscopy 

Rationale 

Suggested revisions to ASTM D6348-98 were sent to ASTM by the EPA that, 

would allow the EPA to accept ASTM D6348-98 as an acceptable alternative. 

The ASTM Subcommittee D22-03 is currently undertaking a revision of ASTM 

D6348- 98. Because of this, we are not citing this standard as a acceptable 

alternative for EPA Method 320 in the final rule today. However, upon 

successful ASTM balloting and demonstration of technical equivalency with the 

EPA FTIR methods, the revised ASTM standard could be incorporated by 

reference for EPA regulatory applicability. In the interim, facilities have the 

option to request ASTM D6348-98 as an alternative test method under 40 CFR 

63.7(f) and 63.8(f) on a case-by-case basis. 

30. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 3A – Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen 

Concentrations, IAP (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D5835-95, Standard Practice for Sampling Stationary Source Emissions for 

Automated Determination of Gas Concentration 

Rationale 

1. They lack in detail and quality assurance/quality control requirements. 

Specifically, these two standards do not include the following: (1) Sensitivity of 

the method; (2) acceptable levels of analyzer calibration error; (3) acceptable 

levels of sampling system bias; (4) zero drift and calibration drift limits, time 

span, and required testing frequency; (5) a method to test the interference 

response of the analyzer; (6) procedures to determine the minimum sampling 

time per run and minimum measurement time; and (7) specifications for data 

recorders, in terms of resolution (all types) and recording intervals (digital and 

E-32
 

analog recorders, only). 2. Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently 

detailed to assure compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

CAN/CSA Z223.2-M86(1986), Method for the Continuous Measurement of 

Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and Oxides of 

Nitrogen in Enclosed Combustion Flue Gas Stream 

Rationale 

1. It does not include quantitative specifications for measurement system 

performance, most notably the calibration procedures and instrument 

performance characteristics. The instrument performance characteristics that 

are provided are nonmandatory and also do not provide the same level of 

quality assurance as the EPA methods. For example, the zero and 

span/calibration drift is only checked weekly, whereas the EPA methods 

requires drift checks after each run. 2. Is too general, too broad, or not 

sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10396:1993, Stationary Source Emissions: Sampling for the Automated 

Determination of Gas Concentrations 

Rationale 

1. They lack in detail and quality assurance/quality control requirements. 

Specifically, these two standards do not include the following: (1) Sensitivity of 

the method; (2) acceptable levels of analyzer calibration error; (3) acceptable 

levels of sampling system bias; (4) zero drift and calibration drift limits, time 

span, and required testing frequency; (5) a method to test the interference 

response of the analyzer; (6) procedures to determine the minimum sampling 

time per run and minimum measurement time; and (7) specifications for data 

recorders, in terms of resolution (all types) and recording intervals (digital and 

analog recorders, only). 2. Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently 

detailed to assure compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 12039:2001, Stationary Source Emissions-- Determination of Carbon 

Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Oxygen--Automated Methods 

Rationale 

This ISO standard is similar to EPA Method 3A, but is missing some key features. 

In terms of sampling, the hardware required by ISO 12039:2001 does not 

E-33
 

include a 3-way calibration valve assembly or equivalent to block the sample 

gas flow while calibration gases are introduced. In its calibration procedures, 

ISO 12039:2001 only specifies a two-point calibration while EPA Method 3A 

specifies a three-point calibration. Also, ISO 12039:2001 does not specify 

performance criteria for calibration error, calibration drift, or sampling system 

bias tests as in the EPA method, although checks of these quality control 

features are required by the ISO standard. 

31. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 3B – Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, 

Carbon Monoxide, Emission Rate Correction Factor (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-00, Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot Tube 

Method) 

Rationale 

1. The standard appears to lack in quality control and quality assurance 

requirements. It does not include the following: (1) Proof that openings of 

standard pitot tube have not plugged during the test; (2) if differential 

pressure gauges other than inclined manometers (e.g., magnehelic gauges) are 

used, their calibration must be checked after each test series; and (3) the 

frequency and validity range for calibration of the temperature sensors. 2. 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-91 (1995), Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot 

Tube Method) 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

32. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 4 – Moisture Content in Stack Gases 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

E-34
 

ASTM D3154-00, Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot Tube 

Method) 

Rationale 

1. The standard appears to lack in quality control and quality assurance 

requirements. It does not include the following: (1) Proof that openings of 

standard pitot tube have not plugged during the test; (2) if differential 

pressure gauges other than inclined manometers (e.g., magnehelic gauges) are 

used, their calibration must be checked after each test series; and (3) the 

frequency and validity range for calibration of the temperature sensors. 2. 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3154-91 (1995), Standard Method for Average Velocity in a Duct (Pitot 

Tube Method) 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM E337-84 (1996), Standard Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a 

Psychrometer (the Measurement of Wet- and Dry-Bulb Temperatures) 

Rationale 

They are too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure 

compliance with EPA regulatory requirements. 

33. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 5 – Particulate Matter, Stationary 

Sources (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME PTC-38-80 R85 or C00049, Determination of the Concentration of 

Particulate Matter in Gas Streams 

Rationale 

It lacks sufficient quality assurance and quality control requirements necessary 

for EPA compliance assurance requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

E-35
 

ASTM D3685/D3685M-98, Test Methods for Sampling and Determination of 

Particulate Matter in Stack Gases 

Rationale 

It lacks sufficient quality assurance and quality control requirements necessary 

for EPA compliance assurance requirements. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 9096:1992, Determination of Concentration and Mass Flow Rate of 

Particulate Matter in Gas Carrying Ducts-- Manual Gravimetric Method 

Rationale 

It lacks sufficient quality assurance and quality control requirements necessary 

for EPA compliance assurance requirements. 

34. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 515.1 - Chlorinated Acids in Water 

by CC/ECD (Incorporated: 1998) 

Voluntary Standard 

Standard Methods 6640B 

Rationale 

Standard Methods 6640B for acid herbicides was tentatively deemed 

impractical for EPA’s needs because its sample preparation and quality control 

procedures were not similar enough to EPA Method 515.1 to ensure that there 

would not be underreporting of acid herbicide contamination. EPA plans to 

offer to work with the Standard Methods committee to resolve this issue prior 

to the next publication. 

35. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 515.4 – Chlorinated Acids in DW by 

LL Fast CG/ECD (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D5317-98 -- Standard Test Method For Determination of Chlorinated 

Organic Acid Compounds in Water by Gas Chromatography With an Electron 

Capture Detector 

Rationale 

E-36
 

ASTM D5317-98 specifies acceptance windows for the initial demonstration of 

proficiency for laboratory fortified blank samples that are as small as 0 percent 

to as large as 223 percent recovery for picloram, with tighter criteria for other 

regulated contaminants. Therefore, this method permits unacceptably large 

control limits, which include 0 percent recovery. 

Voluntary Standard 

Standard Method 6640 B for the chlorinated acids 

Rationale 

The use of this voluntary consensus standard would have been impractical due 

to significant shortcomings in the sample preparation and quality control 

sections of the method instructions. Section 1b of Method SM 6640 B states that 

the alkaline wash detailed in section 4b2 is optional. The hydrolysis that occurs 

during this step is essential to the analysis of the esters of many of the 

analytes. Therefore, this step is necessary and cannot be optional. In addition, 

the method specifies that the quality control limits for laboratory-fortified 

blanks are to be based upon plus or minus three times the standard deviation 

of the mean recovery of the analytes, as determined in each laboratory. 

Therefore, this method permits unacceptably large control limits, which may 

include 0 percent recovery. 

36. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 531.2 – NMethylcarbamoylozimes/ates, Aqueous In/HPLC (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

Standard Method 6610, 20th Edition 

Rationale 

Standard Method 6610, 20th Edition has recently been approved for compliance 

monitoring. Standard Method 6610, 20th Supplemental Edition permits the use 

of a strong acid, hydrochloric acid (HCL), as a preservative. The preservatives 

in all of the other approved EPA and Standard Methods procedures for these 

analytes are weak acids that adjust the pH to a specific value based upon the 

pKa of the preservative. The use of HCL would require accurate determinations 

of the pH of the sample in the field and could be subject to considerable error 

and possible changes in pH upon storage. Although not specifically observed for 

oxamyl or carbofuran during the development of similar methods, structurally 

E-37
 

similar pesticides have been shown to degrade over time when kept at pH 3. 

Therefore, approval of this method is impractical because it specifies the use 

of a strong acid (HCL) when positive control of the pH is critical. 

Voluntary Standard 

Standard Method 6610, 20th Supplemental Edition 

Rationale 

Standard Method 6610, 20th Edition has recently been approved for compliance 

monitoring. Standard Method 6610, 20th Supplemental Edition permits the use 

of a strong acid, hydrochloric acid (HCL), as a preservative. The preservatives 

in all of the other approved EPA and Standard Methods procedures for these 

analytes are weak acids that adjust the pH to a specific value based upon the 

pKa of the preservative. The use of HCL would require accurate determinations 

of the pH of the sample in the field and could be subject to considerable error 

and possible changes in pH upon storage. Although not specifically observed for 

oxamyl or carbofuran during the development of similar methods, structurally 

similar pesticides have been shown to degrade over time when kept at pH 3. 

Therefore, approval of this method is impractical because it specifies the use 

of a strong acid (HCL) when positive control of the pH is critical. 

37. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 5i - Low Level Particulate Matter, 

Stationary Sources (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D6331-98 

Rationale 

This standard does not have paired trains as specified in method 5 and does not 

include some quality control procedures specified in the EPA method and which 

are appropriate to use in this rule. 

38. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 6 - Sulphur Dioxide Emissions 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME C00031 or PTC 19-10-1981 - Part 10 Flue and Exhaust Gas Analyses 

E-38
 

Rationale 

Too broad to be useful in regulatory sense. Covers Methods 3, 6, 7, and 15 with 

variants. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 11632:1998 - Stationary Source Emissions - Determination of the Mass 

Concentration of Sulfur Dioxide - Ion Chromatography 

Rationale 

ISO 11632:1998 - Stationary Source Emissions - Determination of the Mass 

Concentration of Sulfur Dioxide - Ion Chromatography 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 7934:1998 - Stationary Source Emissions - Determination of the Mass 

Concentration of Sulfur Dioxide - Hydrogen Peroxide/Barium Perchlorate/ 

Thorin Method 

Rationale 

This standard is only applicable to sources with 30 mg/m3 SO2 or more. In 

addition, this method does not separate SO3 from SO2 as does EPA Method 6; 

therefore, this method is not valid if more than a negligible amount of SO3 is 

present. Also, does not address ammonia interferences. 

39. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 6c - Sulpher Dioxide Emissions 

Stationary by IAP (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D5835-95 - Standard Practice for Sampling Stationary Source Emissions for 

Automated Determination of Gas Concentration 

Rationale 

Similar to Methods 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance and quality control requirements. Very similar to ISO 10396. 

Voluntary Standard 

CAN/CSA Z223.2-M86 - (1986) Method for the Continuous Measurement of 

Oxygen, Carbon Doixide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and Oxides of 

Nitrogen in Enclosed Combustion Flue Gas Streams 

Rationale 

E-39
 

Too general. This standard lacks in detail and quality assurance/quality control 

requirements. Appendices with valid quality control information are not a 

required part of this method. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10396:1993 - Stationary Source Emissions: Sampling for the Automated 

Determination of Gas Concentrations 

Rationale 

Duplicates Method 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance plus quality control requirements. Similar to ASTM D5835. 

40. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 7 - Nitrogen Oxide Emissions 

Stationary Sources (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASME C00031 or PTC 19-10-1981 - Part 10 Flue and Exhaust Gas Analyses 

Rationale 

Too broad to be useful in regulatory sense. Covers Methods 3, 6, 7, and 15 with 

variants. 

41. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 7e - Nitrogen Oxide, Instrumental 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D5835-95 - Standard Practice for Sampling Stationary Source Emissions for 

Automated Determination of Gas Concentration 

Rationale 

Similar to Methods 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance and quality control requirements. Very similar to ISO 10396. 

Voluntary Standard 

CAN/CSA Z223.2-M86 - (1986) Method for the Continuous Measurement of 

Oxygen, Carbon Doixide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and Oxides of 

Nitrogen in Enclosed Combustion Flue Gas Streams 

Rationale 

E-40
 

Too general. This standard lacks in detail and quality assurance/quality control 

requirements. Appendices with valid quality control information are not a 

required part of this method. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10396:1993 - Stationary Source Emissions: Sampling for the Automated 

Determination of Gas Concentrations 

Rationale 

Duplicates Method 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance plus quality control requirements. Similar to ASTM D5835. 

42. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method ALT 004 (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D5835-95 - Standard Practice for Sampling Stationary Source Emissions for 

Automated Determination of Gas Concentration 

Rationale 

Similar to Methods 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance and quality control requirements. Very similar to ISO 10396. 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10396:1993 - Stationary Source Emissions: Sampling for the Automated 

Determination of Gas Concentrations 

Rationale 

Duplicates Method 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance plus quality control requirements. Similar to ASTM D5835. 

43. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method CTM 022 (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D5835-95 - Standard Practice for Sampling Stationary Source Emissions for 

Automated Determination of Gas Concentration 

Rationale 

Similar to Methods 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance and quality control requirements. Very similar to ISO 10396. 

Voluntary Standard 

E-41
 

ISO 10396:1993 - Stationary Source Emissions: Sampling for the Automated 

Determination of Gas Concentrations 

Rationale 

Duplicates Method 3a, 6c, 7e, 10, ALT 004, CTM 022. Lacks in detail and quality 

assurance plus quality control requirements. Similar to ASTM D5835. 

44. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method GG – (Title not found in index) 

(Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D3031-81 – Method of Test for Total Sulfur in Natural Gas (Hyrogenation), 

Withdrawn 

Rationale 

This method has been deleted from the final rule because it was discontinued 

by the ASTM in 1990 with no replacement. If the total sulfur content of the fuel 

being fired in the turbine is less than 0.4 weight percent, we are adding a 

provision that the following methods may be used to measure the sulfur 

content of the fuel: ASTM D4084-82 or 94, D5504-01, D6228-98, or the Gas 

Processors Association Method 2377-86. This provision is consistent with the 

provision in 40 CFR 60.13(j)(1) allowing alternatives to reference method tests 

to determine relative accuracy of CEMS for sources with emission rates 

demonstrated to be less than 50 percent of the applicable standard. 

45. Government Unique Standard: EPA Performance Specification 2 (nitrogen 

oxide portion only) (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10849:1996, Determination of the Mass Concentration of Nitrogen Oxides--

Performance 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

E-42
 

46. Government Unique Standard: EPA Performance Specification 2 (sulfur dioxide 

portion only) (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 7935:1992, Stationary Source Emissions--Determination of the Mass 

Concentration of Sulfur Dioxide--Performance Characteristics of Automated 

Measuring Methods" 

Rationale 

Is too general, too broad, or not sufficiently detailed to assure compliance with 

EPA regulatory requirements. 

47. Government Unique Standard: EPA Performance Specifications 11 - 

Particulate Matter Continuous Monitoring System (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 10155:1995 - Stationary source emissions. Automated monitoring of mass 

concentration of particles - Performance characteristics, test methods and 

specifications. 

Rationale 

This international standard is only applicable on a site specific basis by direct 

correlation with the manual method ISO 9096 (which does not produce 

particulate matter measurements like EPA Method 5). This appears to be a PM 

CEMS performance specification similar to EPA Performance Specification 11, 

but does not contain detailed RATA procedures. Also, EPA doesn’t have a final 

performance specification to compare this to. 

48. Government Unique Standard: GLI Method 2 (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 7027 - Water Quality Determination of Turbidity 

Rationale 

EPA has no data upon which to evaluate whether the separate 90 degrees 

scattered or transmitted light measurement evaluations according to the ISO 

E-43
 

7027 method would produce results that are equivalent to results produced by 

the other methods. 

49. Government Unique Standard: Standard Method 2130B (Incorporated: 1999) 

Voluntary Standard 

ISO 7027 - Water Quality Determination of Turbidity 

Rationale 

EPA has no data upon which to evaluate whether the separate 90 degrees 

scattered or transmitted light measurement evaluations according to the ISO 

7027 method would produce results that are equivalent to results produced by 

the other methods. 

50. Government Unique Standard: SW846-6010b (Incorporated: 2002) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM C1111-98 (1998) - Standard Test Method for Determining Elements in 

Waste Streams by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometers 

Rationale 

This standard lacks details for instrument operation QA/QC, such as optimizing 

plasma operating conditions; upper limit of linear dynamic range; spectral 

interference correction; and calibration procedures, which include initial and 

continuous calibration verifications. Also lacks internal standard and method of 

standard addition options for samples with interferences. 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM D6349-99 (1999) - Standard Test Method for Determining Major and Minor 

Elements in Coal, Coke, and Solid Residues from Combustion of Coal and Coke 

by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometers 

Rationale 

This standard lacks details for instrument operation QA/QC, such as optimizing 

plasma operating conditions, upper limit of linear dynamic range, spectral 

interference correction, and calibration procedures, that include initial and 

continuous calibration verifications. Also lacks details for standard preparation, 

E-44
 

and internal standard and method of standard addition options for samples 

with interferences. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 38

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 25

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA 

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators AAMVA 

American College of Radiology ACR 

American Gas Association AGA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Petroleum Institute API 

American Society for Quality ASQ 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

E-45
 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Water Works Association AWWA 

ASTM International ASTM 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

International Code Council ICC 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation NACLA 

NSF International NSFI 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe WP .29/GRSP UNECE 

United States Pharmacopoeia USP 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 44

Activities: 44

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

The Agency's Standards Executive serves on the American National Accreditation 

Board, ANAB, which overseas the accreditation processes and policies for third 

party bodies providing certification and registration services to ISO 9000 quality 

management standards and ISO 14001 environmental managmeent system 

standards. 

E-46
 

The Agency's Standards Executive also serves as an Officer of the Board for the 

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) that is one of the two partners in 

the ANAB, and is also the provider for Personnel Certification services as part of 

the Institutes portfolio directed by the Board. 

Agency personnel serve as advisors on the Environmental Management Systems 

Advisory Councils of Underwriter Laboratories, an internationally recognized 

standards and certification body. 

Agency personnel participate in the Environmental Auditing Roundtable (EAR) 

which reviews policies and procedures for auditing related to environmental 

applications. 

An Agency auditing expert serves on the ANSI International Conformity 

Assessment Committee, the International Accreditation Forum and works with the 

ISO Conformity Assessment Committee. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

Suggestion: 

The Circular puts understandable emphasis on regulatory activities for regulatory 

agencies. It could be helpful if the Circular put additional emphasis on regulatory 

agencies using standards, and participating in their development, as part of nonregulatory activities. Partnership and voluntary programs are important to the 

missions of some of these agencies. 

This is not excluded in the current language but added emphsis may be useful. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

E-47
 

Question 10-7 is not, based on the regulatory process, written in a way that is 

applicable to EPA so a number cannot be provided. The "zero" generated by this 

electronic reporting form is not a answer to the question and the Agency would 

like this noted for clarification in the report. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; A

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

E-48
 

Federal Communications Commission

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Federal Communications Commission follows various voluntary consensus 

standards adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies such as the Institute 

for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the American National Standards 

Institute (ANSI), and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). The 

various standards adopted by the Commission and incorporated in its rules offer 

many benefits. For example, these standards provide consistent methodologies 

for entities to perform various measurements for determining compliance with 

technical standards. In addition, many of these standards are international in 

nature and provide for U.S. manufacturers to design and build equipment that 

can be marketed and sold worldwide thereby capitalizing on economies of scale 

resulting in lower manufacturing and compliance costs. In using these standards, 

the Commission is able to promote consistency in key areas such as radio emission 

measurement procedures, test protocols and procedures for interference 

mitigation 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 156

E-49
 

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 13

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America ITSA 

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Maritime Organization IMO 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics RTCA 

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services RTCM 

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 33

Activities: 29

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

N/A 

E-50
 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

N/A 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

As discussed above, the FCC participates and encourages the use of voluntary 

standards. The equipment licensed for use under the applicable FCC rules and 

regulations has to be tested and evaluated by laboratories recognized or 

approved by the Commission. FCC has established the following programs to 

promote rapid testing, approval and licensing of such equipment. 

Accredited Laboratory Recognition Program 

A2LA and NIST’s National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) are 

approved accreditation bodies under the U.S. Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) program that requires manufacturers and suppliers of personal 

computers, computer peripherals and other Radio Frequency (RF) devices who 

intend to use a "Declaration of Conformity" on their products to have the products 

tested by an accredited Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratory. 

The FCC also recognizes accredited laboratories that have been accredited by 

A2LA and NVLAP to perform testing on products subject to the Commission’s 

equipment authorization program on products subject to certification under Part 

15. 

The accreditation of a laboratory located outside of the United States, or its 

possessions, is acceptable to the Commission if the accredited laboratory has 

been designated by a foreign designating authority and recognized by the 

Commission under the terms of a government-to-government Mutual Recognition 

Agreement/Arrangement; or if the laboratory has been recognized by the 

Commission as being accredited by an organization that has entered into an 

arrangement between accrediting organizations and the arrangement has been 

recognized by the Commission. 

E-51
 

The FCC has recognized a total of 252 accredited laboratories. 101 are located in 

the United States and 151 are located outside of the United States. 

Telecommunications Certification Bodies (TCB) Program 

On December 17, 1998, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted 

rules for the establishment of Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCB). A 

TCB is a private organization, which is authorized to issue grants, within its scope 

of designation, for equipment subject to the FCC’s certification procedure. Under 

these rules, a TCB has the authority to review and grant an application for 

certification to the FCC rules. This order also established procedures for foreign 

TCBs under the terms of a government-to-government Mutual Recognition 

Agreement/Arrangement (MRA). Foreign TCBs, where recognized, certify 

equipment to U.S. requirements using test procedures and technical requirements 

under the FCC rules for purposes of U.S.-valid equipment authorization. There are 

two “phases” of mutual recognition. Phase I permits tests performed outside the 

U.S. to be used in support of equipment authorization of products subject to the 

FCC’s Declaration of Conformity (DoC) requirements; Phase II permits the 

certification of products subject to the FCC’s certification requirements by a TCB 

located outside of the U.S. 

In May 2000, NIST initially evaluated American National Standards Institute’s 

(ANSI’s) Conformity Assessment Program for compliance with ISO/IEC Guide 61 

and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements for its TCB 

program. Every two years ANSI’s accreditation program is subject to re-evaluation 

by NIST. 

ANSI evaluates prospective TCBs for compliance with ISO/IEC Guide 65 and FCC 

requirements for the TCB program. FCC requires that a TCB must have core 

testing capability and that the testing laboratory must be accredited to ISO/IEC 

Standard 17025. NIST recommends accredited organizations to FCC for 

designation as TCBs. 

The FCC has recognized a total of 31 certification bodies under the TCB program. 

E-52
 

17 are located in the United States and 13 are located outside of the United 

States. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; D

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 10

E-53
 

Federal Trade Commission

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States 

Government charged with enforcing competition and consumer protection laws. 

The Commission's only contact with voluntary consensus standards and the 

organizations that produce them is in connection with the enforcement of the 

Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair methods of competition 

and unfair or deceptive acts and practices affecting commerce. The Commission 

does not promulgate its own standards or engage in other standards activities 

pertinent to OMB Circular A-119. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

E-54
 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 0

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 0

Activities: 0

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

See response to question 1. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

See response to question 1. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

N/A 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; C

E-55
 

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

E-56
 

General Services Administration

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Standards play a significant role in our program. They are used to establish 

baselines for product quality, performance and features; allow competitive 

procurement of functionally equivalent products and; when necessary, ensure 

interchangeability of products produced under different contracts and across 

different contract periods. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 3

1. Government Unique Standard: Federal Specification KKK-A-1822E - Federal 

Specification for Ambulances (Incorporated: 2003) 

Voluntary Standard 

ASTM F2020 - Standard Practice for Design, Construction, and Procurement of 

Emergency Medical Services Ambulances 

Rationale 

The ASTM Standard Practice for Design, Construction, and Procurement of 

Emergency Medical Services (EMSS) Ambulances (ASTM F2020) is not practical 

for use, and therefore GSA uses the Federal Specification for Ambulances (KKKA-1822E). GSA has determined the ASTM document is not practical for use for 

the following reasons: 

1) GSA has determined that ASTM F2020 contains specific practices that are 

technically and economically impractical to use for the acquisition of 

commercial based vehicles because the document is financially burdensome 

and technically ineffective. Specifically at issue is the ASTM Standard 

Specification for Medical Oxygen Delivery Systems for EMS Ground Vehicles, 

F1949-99 which is inclusive to ASTM F2020. 

E-57
 

2) GSA has determined that ASTM F2020 is impractical because it is defined as a 

standard practice which is ambiguous and an ineffective substitution for 

specifications or requirements for use in GSA contract documents. ASTM F1949-

99, a Standard Specification for Medical Oxygen Delivery Systems for EMS 

Ground Vehicles is included in ASTM F2020. ASTM F1949-99 is defined as a 

“standard specification”. 

3) GSA has determined that ASTM F2020 is impractical because ASTM 

International does not provide interpretations and written guidance to their 

publications which is inadequate and less useful. ASTM members may only offer 

personal opinions. ASTM offers no mechanism to support timely resolution of 

conflicts between contractor and procurement organizations on technical 

subject matter. GSA provides interpretations, clarifications and engineering 

determinations when required. This is one of the most important concerns 

presented by the Ambulance Manufacturers Division (AMD). 

4) The AMD has determined through consensus that it is impractical to replace 

the Federal Specification for Ambulances, KKK-A-1822E with the ASTM Standard 

Practice, F2020. GSA initiated a survey to collect public responses from a wide 

range of constituent users of the Federal Ambulance Specification. The 

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), the 

International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the National Association of State 

EMS Directors (NASEMSD) and the National Association of EMS Physicians 

universally accept and support the continued use of the Federal Specification. 

The AMD and constituent users have determined that it is impractical to 

replace the Federal Specification for Ambulances, KKK-A-1822E with the ASTM 

Standard Practice, F2020 because rule promulgation is burdensome and costly. 

Staff and administration resources would need to be diverted in each state EMS 

office to implement the change in statutes, public health codes, rules and 

regulations. 

5) GSA has determined that ASTM F2020 is impractical because it is burdensome 

to GSA procurement efforts. While the current ASTM document recites many of 

the requirements from the Federal Specification, a future ASTM document 

would likely have diverging requirements unacceptable to the Government. 

E-58
 

This was verified by a member of the ASTM F2020 subcommittee at the 

September 4, 2003 meeting of the Federal Interagency Committee on 

Emergency Medical Services. 

2. Government Unique Standard: FF-L-2937 (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard 

UL 768 

Rationale 

Federal Specification FF-L-2937 – Combination Lock, Mechanical used in lieu of 

UL 768 Combination Locks. The lock covered by the GUS is used for the 

protection of classified information and weapons. The UL specification did not 

meet identified government needs for dialing tolerance and bolt end pressure. 

3. Government Unique Standard: MIL-G-9954 - Glass Beads for Cleaning and 

Peening (Incorporated: 2000) 

Voluntary Standard 

SAE/AMS 2431 - Peening Media, General Requirements 

Rationale 

This government-unique standard contains specific size & performance required 

for Air Force critical applications that are not present in the voluntary 

standards. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

E-59
 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 564

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: FFAE - Agency representatives (both employees and contractors) cited 

these VCS regularly in their requirements during FY 2006. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 23

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA 

Aerospace Material Standards AMS 

Ambulance Manufacturers Division AMD 

American Gas Association AGA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Trucking Association ATA 

ASTM International ASTM 

Automotive Lift Institute ALI 

Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association GAMA 

Green Seal Standards for Adhesives GSSA 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation NADCAP 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Truck Equipment Assocation NTEA 

NSF International NSFI 

Performance Review Institute PRI 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry TAPPI 

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's BIFMA 

E-60
 

Association 

The Society for Protective Coatings SSPC 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 23

Activities: 151

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

A variety of conformity assessment activities were used including direct 

inspection and testing, supplier and third party testing, and product qualification 

and listing. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

OMB Circular A-119 is an effective way to partner with Industry in specifying 

material performance. The use of these voluntary consensus standards is efficient 

and promotes a universal approach to the control of industrial product 

performance. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No comment. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

N/A 

E-61
 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 1

E-62
 

Government Printing Office

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Standards are important to our agency's mission. The use of standards enable the 

agency to procure successfully at significant cost and/or time savings; allows for 

free and fair competition; and provides innovation and application of better 

technology for our customers. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 1

1. Government Unique Standard: "standard samples" for the procurement of 

printing paper (Incorporated: 2005) 

Voluntary Standard 

None 

Rationale 

Physical samples are required for procurement of printing papers. There is no 

consensus body to develop such a set. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

E-63
 

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 0

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 0

Activities: 0

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

The agency was not involved in conformity assessment activities this past year. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

A-119 appears to be effective. Not only are standards used but there is the 

additional emphasis to obtain the "best value." 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

In recent years, the participation in standards development activities is of lesser 

importance compared to years past. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

E-64
 

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; C

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

E-65
 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Standards are critical to NASA’s science and technology based mission. They 

provide the basis for defining engineering, safety, and mission assurance 

requirements that are levied on both our contracted activities as well as on our 

in-house developments. Standards are also used by programs for evaluating 

proposed approaches and assessing performance throughout system life cycles. 

The NASA Technical Standards Program supports achievement of NASA’s Mission 

and serves all NASA’s Programs, Projects, and Facilities. The Technical Standards 

Program's Website accessible at http://standards.nasa.gov provides direct access 

to NASA-developed standards, other government-developed standards, and to 

non-government Standards Development Organizations' (SDO) Voluntary Consensus 

Standards (VCSs). 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 

This agency reports voluntary consensus standards usage on a category basis 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 1

Voluntary Standard Government Standard

NFPA NFPA 59A “Standard for the 

Production, Storage and Handling of 

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)”. 

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

E-66
 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 289

Other Technical Standards: 70

Rationale: NASA Reports VCS Usage on a Categorical Basis. Specifically, NASA 

provides access to technical standards from all relevant sources but, as a 

“procurement agency”, does not monitor or control VCS standards used on 

individual procurements and programs. NASA does maintain a list of VCS 

“Preferred Technical Standards” (currently ~289) based on user recommendations 

as an aid to selection for users. Use of other standards – from all sources – is 

determined by users based on needs. NASA does maintain a set of NASA Technical 

standards (~70) to meet technical requirements not available in VCS, to provide 

implementation requirements for internal use, and to document lessons learned. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 34

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA 

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT 

American Society For Quality ASQ 

American Society of Agricultural Engineers ASAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Metals ASM 

American Welding Society AWS 

ASTM International ASTM 

Canadian Standards Association CSA 

Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems CCSDS 

E-67
 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Government Electronics & Information Technology Association GEITA 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Institute of Environmental Sciences & Technology IEST 

Interconnection Technology Research Institute ITRI 

International Aerospace Quality Group IAQG 

International Astronomical Union IAU 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

Internet Research Task Force IRTF 

Internet Society ISOC 

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC 

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Hydrogen Association NHA 

NCSL International NCSLI 

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards 

OASIS 

Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics RTCA 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Space Frequency Coordination Group SFCG 

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 147

Activities: 220

E-68
 

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

NASA's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance remains involved in various 

conformity assessment activities. Most notable are the audits, assessments, and 

reviews processes according to NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 8705.6, 

Safety and Mission Assurance Audits, Assessments, and Reviews. Conformity 

assessments of NASA contractors are based on requirements of NASA Policy 

Directive (NPD) 8730.5 and the NASA Quality Policy. These audits and reviews 

evaluate, among other items, compliance with both NASA-STDs and NASA 

mandated VCS. In addition, some of the activities supported by the OSMA and the 

Office of Chief Engineer participate with conformity assessment activities such as 

NASCAP. Conformity assessments activities involved included ISO 9001:2000, ISO 

14001:204, AS0100, and OSHA VPP Star. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

OMB Circular A-119 and the preference for VCS are directly cited in policy (NASA 

Policy Directive (NPR) 8076) which requires consideration of VCS alternatives 

before and NASA Technical Standard is developed or re-certified. Special 

attention to VCS alternatives was recently applied in some program development 

activities. The Circular also provides a basis for increasing attention to VCS and 

has helped to maintain an effective level of participation of NASA personnel in 

VCS activities in the face of budget pressures. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

None 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

The Agency reports its usage of non-government Standards Development 

Organizations’ Voluntary Consensus Standards on a categorical basis. A listing of 

E-69
 

269 VCSs endorsed by the Agency as NASA Preferred Technical Standards may be 

obtained from http://standards.nasa.gov. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; C

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 5

E-70
 

National Archives and Records Administration

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

NARA uses standards to strengthen its records management and archival 

programs. We cite standards, which are incorporated by reference, in our 

regulations (Code of Federal Regulations). These provide direction to agencies 

about the records management and archival standards applicable to storage 

facilities, as well as for record media. 

For example, NARA uses ISO 15489 as a framework for Federal records 

management training. ISO 15489 provides a systematic strategy for capturing and 

maintaining records, regardless of media or format. The standard also defines 

characteristics needed to support a trustworthy recordkeeping system. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 1

1. Government Unique Standard: NARA data standard (Incorporated: 2000) 

Voluntary Standard 

Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts (APPM); 

General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G)); 

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, 

and Families (ISAAR(CPF)); 

Encoded Archival Description (EAD); 

Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) 

Rationale 

These voluntary standards do not meet the precise needs of the agency. 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

E-71
 

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 89

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 11

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

ARMA International ARMA 

Association for Information and Image Management AIIM 

ASTM International ASTM 

Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems CCSDS 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

International Council on Archives ICA 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Information Standards Organization NISO 

Object Management Group OMG 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 16

E-72
 

Activities: 33

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

NARA did not participate in any conformity assessment activities in FY 2006. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

We believe that the Circular is working effectively and have no recommendations 

for changes. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

Rationale for the use of GUS (question 2), some of the voluntary standards: 

-Are library standards not suitable for NARA's use instead of archival standards; 

-Dictate a physical design solution that NARA does not find technically sound; 

and, 

-Focus on personal papers collections, not government records. 

NARA's archival description standard is one that NARA uses to describe its own 

holdings and is not a standard imposed externally. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; No

E-73
 

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; A

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; Yes

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 3

E-74
 

National Science Foundation

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

As in previous years, NSF's involvement in standards-related activities is through 

staff participation in national and international organizations that set voluntary 

consensus standards for industry. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 0

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: Our work in 2006 did not involve the use of any of these Standards. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 3

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

ASTM International ASTM 

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

National Spectrum Managers Association NSMA 

E-75
 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 3

Activities: 3

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

None. 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

The Circular policy is effective. No change recommended. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No comment. 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; E

E-76
 

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

E-77
 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

1. Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your agency's 

mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary services in support of 

its mission, and provide any examples or case studies of standards success: 

Utilization of consensus codes and standards by the NRC provides effective 

replacements for NRC-generated regulations. Within the framework of Public Law 

104-113, NRC performs reviews of its regulations and regulatory guidance to 

determine which regulations can be replaced by consensus standards. The NRC 

participates on many codes and standards development committees to provide 

staff input and guidance to help assure published codes and standards can be 

endorsed in the regulatory process. Contributing to the technical bases for 

national and international codes and standards is an important part of the 

regulatory process. The outcomes of these efforts significantly increase the 

assurance that published codes and standards can be endorsed in lieu of using 

NRC developed technical basis products, such as regulations, regulatory guides, or 

staff review guidance. 

An example of a standards success for NRC involves the endorsement of Sections 

III (Construction of Nuclear Facility Components) and XI (Inservice Inspection of 

Nuclear Power Plant Components) of the American Society of Mechanical 

Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and the ASME Code for 

Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (Inservice Testing of Nuclear 

Facility Pumps and Valves) in our regulations and regulatory guidance. These 

ASME Codes are developed through the consensus process, and endorsement of 

the ASME Code by the NRC provides a method of incorporating rules into the 

regulatory process that are acceptable to the NRC and have received industry 

participation in their development. If the NRC did not take action to endorse the 

ASME Code, the NRC would either have to develop independently the regulatory 

requirements for construction, inservice inspection (ISI), and inservice testing 

(IST) of Nuclear Power Plant Components or establish the acceptable criteria and 

methods for construction, ISI, and IST on a case-by-case basis. 

2. Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards during FY 2006: 0

E-78
 

3. Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency substituted for 

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2006 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 0

4. Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your agency 

began to use during FY 2006: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your 

agency began to use during FY 2006. In addition, please provide your agency's 

rationale for using the Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private 

sector counted in this question. 

Voluntary Consensus Standards: 1

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: ANSI/ANS-8.14-2004: "Use of Soluble Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear 

Facilities Outside Reactors" endorsed in Regulatory Guide 3.71, Rev. 1. 

5. Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which your agency 

participated in during FY 2006: 16

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

American Concrete Institute ACI 

American Institute of Steel Construction AISC 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Nuclear Society ANS 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Welding Society AWS 

ASTM International ASTM 

Health Physics Society HPS 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Institute of Nuclear Materials Management INMM 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

E-79
 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

6. Please provide the total number of your agency's representatives who participated 

in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2006 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in: 

Agency Representatives: 187

Activities: 356

7. Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in “Guidance on 

Federal Conformity Assessment Activities” found in the Federal Register, Volume 65, 

Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which your agency was involved in FY 2006. 

No Comment 

8. Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119 policy and 

recommendations for any changes: 

The NRC believes that the Circular provides appropriate direction and 

encouragement for federal agencies to develop internal agency-wide guidelines. 

The circular also provides sufficient and reasonable flexibility for each agency to 

make an independent determination relative to participation on voluntary 

consensus bodies and use of developed standards. 

9. Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of your 

agency. 

No Comment 

10. Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your agency 

currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards: 

E-80
 

10.6, 10.7 - Our agency reviews and updates its use of standards on a continuing 

basis. 

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-2. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-3. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]

10-4. Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance purposes (as opposed 

to compliance purposes)? (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) Not applicable; Yes

10-5. Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited standards 

developers, industry consortia groups, or both? (a) non-ANSI Accredited; (b) Consortia; 

(c) Both; (d) Neither; or (e) Not applicable; D

10-6. Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its use of standards 

for purposes of updating such use? (a) Yes; (b) No; No

10-7. How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of updating such 

use? [enter the number of years]: 0

E-81
 

Appendix F – Federal Agency Activities Related to Use of Private Sector Standards 

FY 2006 Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies in which Federal Agencies 

Participated

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym 

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc 3-A SSI 

3rd Generation Partnership Project 3GPP 

Accredited Standards Committee X12 X12 

Acoustical Society of America ASA 

Adeno Associated Virus Reference Standard Working Group AAVSWG 

Advisory Committee for water Information ACWI 

Aerospace & Defense Industries Association of Europe ASD 

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA 

Aerospace Material Standards AMS 

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute ARI 

Air Movement and Control Association AMCA 

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS 

Aluminum Association AA 

Ambulance Manufacturers Division AMD 

AMCA International AMCA 

American Academy of Pediatrics AACP 

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA 

American Association for Budget and Program Analysis AABPA 

American Association for Clinical Chemistry AACC 

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation A2LA 

American Association of Blood Banks AABB 

American Association of Cereal Chemists AACC 

F-1
 

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators AAMVA 

American Association of Physicists in Medicine AAPM 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials AASHTO 

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC 

American Association of Tissue Banks AATB 

American Backflow Prevention Association ABPA 

American Bearing Manufacturers Association ABMA 

American Boat and Yacht Council ABYC 

American Bureau of Shipping ABS 

American Chemical Society ACS 

American College of Radiology ACR 

American College of Surgeons ACOS 

American Concrete Institute ACI 

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH 

American Dental Association ADA 

American Gas Association AGA 

American Gear Manufacturers Association AGMA 

American Hardboard Association AHA 

American Health Information Community AHIC 

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA 

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA 

American Institute of Steel Construction AISC 

American Institute of Timber Construction AITC 

American Institute of Ultrasound Manufacturers AIUM 

American Iron and Steel Institute AISI 

American Ladder Institute ALI 

F-2
 

American Lumber Standards Committee ALSC 

American Medical Association AMA 

American National Metric Council ANMC 

American National Standards Institute ANSI 

American Nuclear Society ANS 

American Oil Chemists Society AOCS 

American Petroleum Institute API 

American Public Health Association APHA 

American Public Transportation Association APTA 

American Pyrotechnics Association APA 

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association AREMA 

American Red Cross ARC 

American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation ASBMT 

American Society for Healthcare Engineering ASHE 

American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT 

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing ASPRS 

American Society for Quality ASQ 

American Society for Reproductive Medicine ASRM 

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers ASABE 

American Society of Agricultural Engineers ASAE 

American Society of Cinematographers ASC 

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning 

Engineers 

ASHRAE 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 

American Society of Metals ASM 

American Society of Naval Engineers ASNE 

F-3
 

American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE 

American Society of Sanitary Engineering ASSE 

American Towing Tank Conference ATTC 

American Trucking Association ATA 

American Vacuum Society AVS 

American Water Works Association AWWA 

American Welding Society AWS 

American Wood Preservers Association AWPA 

AOAC International AOAC 

APA - The Engineering Wood Association APA 

ARMA International ARMA 

Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association ARMA 

Associated Air Balance Council AABC 

Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care 

International 

AAALAC 

Association for Automatic Indentification & Mobility AIM 

Association for Electronic Health Care Transactions AFEHCT 

Association for Information and Image Management AIIM 

Association for Machine Technology AMT 

Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering AACEI 

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI 

Association of American Railroads AAR 

Association of American Seed Control Officials AASCO 

Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities ABRF 

Association of Diving Contractors International ADCI 

Association of Food and Drug Officials AFDO 

Association of Official Analytical Chemists International AOAC 

F-4
 

Association of Official Seed Analysts AOSA 

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies AOSCA 

Association of Public Health Laboratories APHL 

ASTM International ASTM 

Automotive Lift Institute ALI 

Baking Industry Sanitary Standards Committee BISSC 

Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms Technical Forum BLAS 

Biometrics Application Programming Interface Consortium BioAPI 

British Standards Institution BSI 

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA 

Canadian General Standards Board CGSB 

Canadian Standards Association CSA 

Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute CISPI 

Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association CISCA 

Certification Commission for Health Information Technology CCHIT 

Chlorine Institute CI 

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI 

Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium CDISC 

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX 

College of American Pathologists CAP 

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance CVSA 

Committee on Data for Science and Technology CODATA 

Common Criteria Management Committee CCMC 

Compressed Gas Association CGA 

Conference for Food Protection CFP 

Congress of International Organizations of Medical Sciences CIOMS 

F-5
 

Consolidated Health Informatics CHI 

Construction Safety Association of Ontario CSAO 

Construction Specifications Institute CSI 

Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems CCSDS 

Consumer Electronics Association CEA 

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 

and Flora 

CITES 

Cooling Technology Institute CTI 

Cordage Institute CI 

Cosmetic Ingredient Review CIR 

Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association CTFA 

Council for Optical Radiation Measurements CORM 

Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards CIRMS 

Crane Manufacturing Association of America CMAA 

Cultural Resources Standards with State Historic Preservation Offices SHPO 

Data Interchange Standards Association, Inc. DISAI 

Data Management Association DAMA 

Deep Foundations Institute DFI 

Designated Standards Maintenance Organizations Board DSMO 

Deutsches Institut fur Nomung - German Institute for Standardization DIN 

Electronic Commerce Code Management Association ECCMA 

Electronic Components Assemblies & Materials Association ECAMA 

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA 

Electrostatic Discharge Association EDA 

Engineering Sciences Data Unit International ESDU 

European Directorate for Quality of Medicines EDQM 

External RNA Controls Consortium ERCC 

F-6
 

Eye Bank Association of America EBAA 

Federal Facilities Council FFC 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC 

FM Global FMG 

Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapies FACS 

Fresh Produce Association of America FPA 

Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association GAMA 

Gas Technology Institute GTI 

Global Harmonization Task Force GHTF 

Government Electronics & Information Technology Association GEITA 

Graphic Communications Association GCA 

Green Seal Standards for Adhesives GSSA 

Ground Water Protection Council GWPC 

Gypsum Association GYP 

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association HPVA 

Health Level Seven HL7 

Health Physics Society HPS 

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society HIMSS 

High Frequency Industry Association HFIA 

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. HFESI 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA 

Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors ICMAD 

Industrial Safety and Equipment Association ISEA 

Industrial Truck Association ITA 

Industry-wide Cooperative Meat Identification Standards Committee ICMISC 

Information Technology Industry Council ITI 

F-7
 

Institute of Clean Air Companies ICAC 

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE 

Institute of Environmental Sciences & Technology IEST 

Institute of Makers of Explosives IME 

Institute of Nuclear Materials Management INMM 

Institute of Transportation Engineers ITE 

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society ISA 

Insulated Cable Engineers Association ICEA 

Insulated Steel Door Systems Institute ISDSI 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America ITSA 

Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation IAAC 

Inter-American Metrology System SIM 

Interagency Trails Data Standards ITDS 

Interconnection Technology Research Institute ITRI 

International 2-Up ATV Manufacturers Association I2AMA 

International Aerospace Quality Group IAQG 

International Air Transport Association IATA 

International Aquatics Foundation IAF 

International Association for Food Protection IAFP 

International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam IAPWS 

International Association of Cancer Registrars IACR 

International Association of Drilling Contractors IADC 

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities IALA 

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials IAPMO 

International Astronomical Union IAU 

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA 

F-8
 

International Blood Group Reference Laboratory IBRGL 

International Cartographic Association ICA 

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO 

International Code Council ICC 

International Commission for Illumination CIE 

International Commission on Harmonization of Technical Requirements 

for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Veterinary Use 

VICH 

International Commission on Occupational Health ICOH 

International Commission on Radiation Protection ICRP 

International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, Inc. ICRU 

International Commission on the Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use 

ICH 

International Committee for Cosmetic Harmonization and International 

Cooperation 

CHIC 

InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards INCITS 

International Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative 

Methods 

ICCVAM 

International Council for Commonality in Blood Banking Automation ICCBBA 

International Council for Science ICSU 

International Council on Archives ICA 

International Dairy Federation IDF 

International Dairy Foods Association IDFA 

International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service IERS 

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 

International Imaging Industry Association I3A 

International Maritime Organization IMO 

International Organization for Standardization ISO 

F-9
 

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission 

ISO/IEC 

International Plant Protection Convention/International Standards for 

Phytosanitary Measures 

IPPC/ISPM 

International Radio Consultative Committee IRCC 

International Regulatory Alternatives Group IRAG 

International Safety Equipment Association ISEA 

International Seed Testing Association ISTA 

International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress ISOSC 

International Society for Analytical Cytology ISAC 

International Society for Blood Transfusion ISBT 

International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery ISCVS 

International Society for Cell Therapy ISCT 

International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners ISOPP 

International Society on Thrombosis and Homeostasis ISTH 

International Telecommunication Union ITU 

International Union Against Cancer UICC 

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants UPOV 

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, System and 

Structures/International Council for Research and Innovation in Building 

and Construction 

RILEM/CIB 

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, Systems 

and Structures 

RILEM 

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC 

Internet Engineering Task Force IETF 

Internet Research Task Force IRTF 

Internet Society ISOC 

Internet Software Consortium ISC 

F-10
 

Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference ISSC 

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC 

Java Grande Forum JGF 

JEDEC - Solid State Technology Association JEDEC 

Joint Aeronautical Commander's Group JACG 

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations JCAHO 

Joint Electron Device Engineering Council JEDEC 

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives JECFA 

Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes LOINC 

Machinery Information Management Open Systems MIMOSA 

Magnetic Materials Producers Association MMPA 

Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry MSSVFI 

Marine Technology Society MTS 

Meat and Poultry Business-to-Business Data Standards Organization mpXML 

Meat and Poultry Equipment Standards MPES 

Metal Lath/Steel Framing Association, A Division of NAAMM MLSFA 

NAFTA Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee NAFTA 

National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation NADCAP 

National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers NAAMM 

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE 

National Association of Relay Manufacturers NARM 

National Association of State Fire Marshals NASFM 

National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors NBBPVI 

National Cancer Registrar Association NCRA 

National Cargo Bureau, Inc NCB 

National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices NCUTCD 

F-11
 

National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics NCVHS 

National Conference for Interstate Milk Shipments NCIMS 

National Conference of Weights and Measures NCWM 

National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation NACLA 

National Coordinating Council for Cancer Surveillance NCCCS 

National Council for Prescription Drug Program NCPDP 

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP 

National Defense Industrial Association NDIA 

National Dialog on Cancer NDC 

National Digital Elevation Program NDEP 

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA 

National Environmental Health Association NEHA 

National Environmental Methods Index NEMI 

National Fire Protection Association NFPA 

National Fluid Power Association NFLPA 

National Forum on Education Statistics NCES Forum 

National Hydrogen Association NHA 

National Information Standards Organization NISO 

National Institute for Biological Sciences and Controls NIBSC 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH 

National Institute of Building Sciences NIBS 

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST 

National Marine Electronics Association NMEA 

National Marine Manufacturers Association NMMA 

National Marow Doner Program NMDP 

National Petroleum Management Association NPMA 

F-12
 

National Safety Council NSC 

National Skill Standards Board NSSB 

National Spa and Pool Institute NSPI 

National Spectrum Managers Association NSMA 

National Truck Equipment Association NTEA 

National Trust Banking Industry NTBI 

National Type Evaluation Program NTEP 

National Uniform Billing Committee NUBC 

National Uniform Claim Committee NUCC 

National Water-Quality Monitoring Council NWQMC 

National Window and Door Association NWDA 

NCSL International NCSLI 

North American Association of Central Cancer Registries NAACCR 

North American Open Math Initiative NAOMI 

North American Plant Protection Organization/Regional Standards for 

Phytosanitary Measures 

NAPPO/RSPM

North American Transport of Dangerous Goods Standards NATDGS 

North American Weeds Management Association NAWMA 

NSF International NSFI 

Object Management Group OMG 

Open Applications Group OAGi 

Open DeviceNet Vendor Association ODVA 

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC 

Optical Internetworking Forum OIF 

Optical Society of America OSA 

Optical Storage Technology Association OSTA 

Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council OEOSC 

F-13
 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD 

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards OASIS 

Pacific Northwest Regional Geospatial Information Council PNW-RGIC 

Painting and Decorating Contractors of America PDCA 

Pan American Health Organization PAHO 

Pan-American Standards Commission COPANT 

Parachute Industry Association PIA 

Pasteurized Milk Ordinance PMO 

Performance Review Institute PRI 

Petrotechnical Open Standards Consortium, Inc. POSC 

Pipe Fabrication Institute PFI 

Plastic Pipe Institute PPI 

Plumbing and Draining Institute PDI 

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association PHCCA 

Portable Sanitation Association International PSIA 

Post Secondary Electronic Standards Organization PESC 

Post-Tensioning Institute PTI 

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute PCI 

Produce Marketing Association PMA 

Project Management Institute PMI 

Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc. QCDS 

Rack Manufacturers Institute RMI 

Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics RTCA 

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services RTCM 

Reason and Status Code Maintenance Committee RSCMC 

Recreation Vehicle Industry Association RVIA 

F-14
 

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North 

America 

RESNA 

Research Institute for Fragrance Materials RIFM 

Resilient Floor Covering Institute RFCI 

Resistance Welders Manufacturers Association RWMA 

Robotics Industries Association RIA 

Rubber Manufacturers Association RMA 

Scaffolding, Shoring, and Forming Institute, Inc. SSFI 

School Interoperability Framework Association SIFA 

Scientific Apparatus Makers Association SAMA 

Screen Manufacturers Association SMA 

Semantic Interoperability Community of Practice SICOP 

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International SEMI 

Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National Association SMACNA 

Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization SISO 

Single Ply Roofing Institute SPRI 

Society of Allied Weight Engineers SAWE 

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 

Society of Cosmetic Chemists SCC 

Society of Fire Protection Engineers SFPE 

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers SMPTE 

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers SNAME 

Society of Toxicological Pathologists STP 

Space Frequency Coordination Group SFCG 

Specialty Vehicle Institute of America SVIA 

Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data SEND 

Standards Engineering Society SES 

F-15
 

Steel Door Institute SDI 

Steel Founders Society of America SFSA 

Steel Joist Institute SJI 

Steel Window Institute SWI 

Strategic National Implementation Process SNIP 

Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry TAPPI 

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA 

Telemanagement Forum TMF 

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association BIFMA 

The National Digital Orthophoto Program NDOP 

The Open Group TOG 

The Soap and Detergent Association SDA 

The Society for Protective Coatings SSPC 

The Tire and Rim Association, Inc. TRAI 

Transportation Research Board TRB 

Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association TTMA 

U.S. Adopted Names Council USANC 

U.S. Product Data Association US PRO 

Underwriters Laboratories UL 

United Fresh Furit and Vegetable Association UFFVA 

United Nations Committee on the Transport of Dangerous Goods UNTDG 

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe WP .29/GRSP UNECE 

United States Adopted Names USAN 

United States Pharmacopoeia USP 

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association URISA 

Video Electronics Standards Association VESA 

F-16
 

Water Environment Federation WEF 

Window and Door Manufacturers Association WDMA 

Window Covering Manufacturers Association WCMA 

Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange WEDI 

World Health Organization WHO 

World Wide Web Consortium W3C 

XML Community of Practice xmlCOP 

There were 413 total Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies in which Federal Agencies 

Participated during fiscal year 2006 

F-17
 

Appendix G – The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP) 

The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy, also known as the ICSP, is the primary 

body responsible for coordinating standards use among agencies of the Federal 

government. The ICSP seeks to promote effective and consistent standards policies plus 

foster cooperation between government, industry, and other private organizations 

involved in standards activities. The Committee reports to the Secretary of the 

Department of Commerce (DOC) through the Director of the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST). 

To review the current charter of the ICSP, click here: 

http://standards.gov/icsp/query/index.cfm?do=Home.ICSPCharter

To see a list of the current ICSP membership, click here: 

http://standards.gov/icsp/query/index.cfm?do=Home.ICSPExecutives

G-1
 

Appendix H – Publications Related to the National Technology Transfer and 

Advancement Act (NTTAA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

Circular A-119 

To review a list of publications and reference documents related to Federal agency 

implementation of the NTTAA as well as OMB Circular A-119, visit the NTTAA 

Library online at http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Conformity/pubs.cfm

These documents can be obtained in hardcopy form by sending a written request to: 

Standards Coordination and Conformity Group (SCCG) 

Standards Services Division (SSD) 

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-2150 

301-975-2490 

When making requests, please identify specific documents by title, author, and date 

wherever possible. 

H-1