Addendum to the 

Thirteenth (2009) Annual Report 

on Federal Agency Use of 

Voluntary Consensus Standards 

and Conformity Assessment 
2

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 ........................................... 3

Department of Agriculture (USDA) ............................................................................... 3

Department of Commerce (DOC)................................................................................... 7

Department of Education (ED)..................................................................................... 32

Department of Energy (DOE)....................................................................................... 35

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...................................................... 41

Department of Homeland Security (DHS).................................................................... 57

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)............................................ 70

Department of the Interior (DOI).................................................................................. 73

Department of Justice (DOJ) ........................................................................................ 79

Department of Labor (DOL)......................................................................................... 81

Department of State (DOS)........................................................................................... 87

Department of Transportation (DOT)........................................................................... 90

Department of the Treasury (TRES)........................................................................... 100

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ........................................................................ 103

Appendix E – Individual, Unabridged Commission and other Agency Reports............ 104

Access Board (ACCESS)............................................................................................ 104

U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ............................................. 107

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)......................................................... 108

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)................................................................... 112

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)............................................................ 126

Federal Trade Commission (FTC).............................................................................. 130

General Services Administration (GSA) .................................................................... 132

Government Printing Office (GPO)............................................................................ 137

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ......................................... 139

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) .......................................... 142

National Science Foundation (NSF)........................................................................... 145

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).................................................................... 149

Appendix F – Federal Agency Activities Related to Conformity Assessment............... 153

Appendix G – Federal Agency Activities Related to Use of Private Sector Standards.. 164

Appendix H – The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP)....................... 186

Appendix I – Publications Related to the National Technology Transfer and 

Advancement Act (NTTAA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A119................................................................................................................................... 187
3

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 (USDA) 

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

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. Standards ensure a high degree of quality in its 

products and procedures, and that they are delivered to customers in a consistent, 

transparent, and timely manner. Using and conforming to standards and embracing 

widely accepted methods, promotes professional credibility and acceptance. In the 

Information Technology area, standards are necessary to provide consistent growth and 

direction to new applications and to change existing applications.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 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:

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 
4

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 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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 2009: 38

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc 3-A SSI

3A/NSF International Meat and Poultry Equipment Standards 3A/NSF

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
5

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers ASABE

American Society of Agricultural Engineers ASAE

Analytical Environmental Immunochemical Consortium AEIC

ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board ANAB

AOAC International AOAC

Association of American Seed Control Officials AASCO

Association of Official Seed Analysts AOSA

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies AOSCA

ASTM International ASTM

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX

Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity COP/CBD

Industry-wide Cooperative Meat Identification Standards Committee ICMISC

International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Products

VICH

International Dairy Federation IDF

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC

International Organization for Standardization ISO

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

National Conference on 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

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE

World Organization for Animal Health OIE

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 123
6

Activities: 157

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 2009. 

USDA personnel were involved with conformity assessment activities (as defined in the 

Guidance) with each of the Voluntary Consensus Standards bodies listed in the response 

to Question No. 5, as well as with the U.S. Government Interagency Council on 

Standards Policy (ICSP).

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

recommendations for any changes:

OMB Circular A-119 policy is sufficient.

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:

N.A.

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]: 3
7

Department of Commerce (DOC)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

Standards have been an integral part of the mission of the Department of Commerce’s 

(DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), since its establishment in 

1901. DOC 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 

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), the National Center for Standards and Certification Information (NCSCI) at 

NIST serves as the U.S. national Inquiry Point and national Notification Authority. In 

addition, in fulfillment of U.S. obligations under twelve bilateral Free Trade Agreements, 

NCSCI is responsible for timely communications of proposed regulatory activities. 

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

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

at no charge to U.S. entities (citizens, industries, organizations) and other WTO TBT 

Inquiry Points on request. Notify U.S. provides U.S. 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. export and trade stakeholders. Additional details 

regarding Notify U.S. can be viewed online 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. 

NCSCI is the U.S. source for standards and standards-related information at home and 

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

international voluntary standards, mandatory government technical regulations, and 

conformity assessment procedures for non-agricultural products. Resources include an 

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

Federal Government specifications, U.S. industry and national standards, international 
8

standards, and selected foreign national standards. NCSCI responds to requests for 

specialized standards information and disseminates information concerning proposed 

foreign regulations and general standards issues. NCSCI provides contact points for 

translations of foreign standards and regulations. 

In 2009, NCSCI staff processed over 65,000 information requests: for standards (2500+) 

and technical barriers to trade (63,000+). NCSCI hosted or participated in training for 

nine U.S. and foreign visiting delegations interested in the operations of a WTO TBT 

Inquiry Point.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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 2009: 109

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Acoustical Society of America ASA

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS

Aluminum Association AA

American Association of Physicists in Medicine AAPM

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials AASHTO

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
9

American Petroleum Institute API

American Public Transportation Association APTA

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

AOAC International AOAC

ASC X9, Inc. ASC X9

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI

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

Center for Applied Special Technology CAST

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX

Committee on Data for Science and Technology CODATA

Consumer Electronics Association CEA

Council for Optical Radiation Measurements CORM

Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards CIRMS

Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium DMSC

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA

Engineering Sciences Data Unit International ESDU

Health Level Seven HL7

Health Physics Society HPS

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA

Industrial Truck Association ITA

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

Institute of Nuclear Materials Management INMM

Inter-American Metrology System SIM

International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam IAPWS

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA

International Bureau of Weights and Measures BIPM

International Cartographic Association ICA
10

International Code Council ICC

International Commission on Illumination CIE

International Commission on Radiation Units and 

Measurements, Inc. ICRU

InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards INCITS

International Committee for Weights and Measures CIPM

International Council for Science ICSU

International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service IERS

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC

International Federation on Information Processing IFIP

International Hydrographic Organization IHO

International Institute of Welding IIW

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Organization of Legal Metrology OIML

International Society of Automation ISA

International Telecommunication Union ITU

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, 

Systems and Structures RILEM

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, 

Systems and Structures/International Council for Research and 

Innovation in Building and Construction

RILEM/CIB

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics IUPAP

Internet Engineering Task Force IETF

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC

Java Grande Forum JGF

JEDEC - Solid State Technology Association JEDEC

Laser Institute of America LIA

National Conference on Weights and Measures NCWM

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Fluid Power Association NFLPA

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST

NCSL International NCSLI

North American Electric Reliability Corporation NERC

North American Open Math Initiative NAOMI
11

NSF International NSFI

Object Management Group OMG

Open Applications Group OAGi

Open DeviceNet Vendor Association ODVA

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC

Open Math Society OMS

Optical Laboratories Association OLA

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 Fire Protection Engineers SFPE

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers SMPTE

Standards Engineering Society SES

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA

Underwriters Laboratories UL

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe WP 

.29/GRSP UNECE

Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards VAMAS

Web3D Consortium Web3D

World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO

World Meteorological Organization WMO

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 494

Activities: 1084

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 2009. 
12

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 legislative or administrative actions by the 

Federal Government or to requests from government agencies and private-sector 

organizations. NVLAP operates its accreditation system in accordance with the 

international conformity assessment standard ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment –

General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, 

which is published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the 

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). NVLAP accredits laboratories that are 

found competent to perform specific tests or calibrations through a rigorous assessment 

against the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of 

testing and calibration laboratories. Information about accredited laboratories is published 

in NVLAP Directory of Accredited Laboratories, which is published online and updated 

monthly. 

NVLAP is a signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), 

the Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), and the InterAmerican 

Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangements. In May 2009, 

NVLAP’s status as a signatory to the ILAC and APLAC arrangements was reaffirmed for 

both testing and calibration. In September 2009, NVLAP was accepted as a signatory to 

the IAAC Arrangement, also with a scope in testing and calibration laboratories. By 

participating in these cooperations, NVLAP facilitates the mutual recognition of 

accredited test and measurement results of its signatory partners, thereby reducing the 

need for redundant testing and lowering costs to customers. 

NVLAP Certificate of Accreditation 

When NVLAP grants initial or continuing accreditation to a laboratory, it issues a 

Certificate of Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005, which includes the following 

statement to convey that an accredited laboratory management system meets the 

principles of ISO 9001:2000, Quality management system – requirements. 

"This laboratory is accredited in accordance with the recognized International Standard 

ISO/IEC 17025:2005. This accreditation demonstrates technical competence for a defined 

scope and the operation of a laboratory quality management system (refer to joint ISOILAC-IAF Communique dated January 2009)" 

NVLAP-accredited laboratories may use the above statement on their test reports and 

calibration certificates if they supply, or provide access to via a website, the Joint ISOILAC-IAF Communique as part of the package for their laboratory customers. 

The Joint ISO-ILAC-IAF Communique was issued to counter a perception that 

accredited laboratories do not operate a recognized quality management system. Many 

accredited laboratories have had difficulty convincing their customers that they should be 
13

asking laboratories to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 rather than be certified (or 

registered) to ISO 9001. The situation became more acute with the publication of ISO 

9001:2000, as some customers continually asked laboratories to be certified, when they 

really meant accredited. It is anticipated that the use of the above statement by both 

accreditation bodies and accredited laboratories will help to address the market issues 

caused by the confusion between these two terms. 

Accreditation Program Activities in 2009 

Electromagnetic Compatibility and Testing 

In May 2009, NVLAP renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with the Voluntary 

Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). The 

signing occurred after the Second International Workshop on Mutual Recognition 

Agreements (MRAs) for Conformity Assessment of Electromagnetic Compatibility and 

Telecommunications Regulations held at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

This MOU allows for NVLAP-accredited laboratories in the Electromagnetic 

Compatibility and Telecommunications (ECT) program to gain ease of access to the 

VCCI mark used in Japan. The VCCI mark is required for shipment of Information 

Technology Equipment (ITE) in the domestic marketplace in Japan. In addition, VCCI 

works to harmonize test methods for ECT and Electromagnetic Interference. More 

importantly, this MOU facilitates good customer service, value, and cost savings for the 

laboratories accredited under the NVLAP ECT Laboratory Accreditation Program, as 

VCCI will automatically recognize the accreditation from NVLAP. There are currently 

more than 175 NVLAP-accredited laboratories in this program. 

Biometrics Testing 

2009 brought advancements in the development of the NVLAP Biometrics Testing 

laboratory accreditation program (LAP). Concurrent with the release of NIST Handbook 

150-25 (2009), which sets forth the specific technical requirements for accreditation 

under the Biometrics LAP, the program application process was defined and application 

documents released onto the NVLAP web site. In September, the first biometrics 

technical assessor candidate received NVLAP training, and NVLAP staff attended and 

exhibited at the 2009 Biometrics Consortium conference in Tampa, FL. NVLAP 

contributions at the consortium included educating the biometrics laboratory community 

as to the differences between “Certification” and laboratory “Accreditation.” Full 

Biometrics Testing program details are located at 

http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Accreditation/bio-lap.cfm. 

Personal Body Armor 

In 2009 NVLAP added the stab resistance standard to the Personal Body Armor 

laboratory accreditation program. This program was established in 2007 in response to a 

request from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DoJ), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 
14

for a program to accredit laboratories that test body armor for the DoJ law enforcement 

certification program. Laboratory test results are used for the purposes of preparing NIJ's 

Personal Body Armor Consumer Product List. 

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 

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

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement for 

Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (APEC TEL MRA) 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. 
15

Under Phase-I of the APEC TEL 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 Standards Development and 

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 the ISO Council 

Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO). SSD staff is 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 Electrotechnical Equipment and Components). 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 
16

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. FY09 

NIST activities in this area include: 

Health and Human Service’s (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) –NIST 

has consulted with and advised the ONC on the development of proposed testing and 

certification programs for health information technology. This consultation and 

collaboration between ONC and NIST will continue during the implementation and 

operational phases of both temporary and certification programs Additionally NIST is 

developing the functional and conformance testing requirements, test cases, and test tools 

to support the proposed Health IT Certification Programs. These conformance test 

methods (test procedures, test data, and test tools) will help ensure compliance with the 

meaningful use of technical requirements and standards. 

Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 – Under EISA, NIST has 

“primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols 

and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart 

grid devices and systems..." NIST, in consultation with industry, government, and other 

stakeholders, is working to develop a plan for a testing and certification framework for 

Smart Grid related devices, systems, and processes. This is essential to ensure 

interoperability and security under realistic operating conditions. 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Conformity Assessment Activities - NIST’s 

continues its work with the Department of Homeland Security Standards Executive to 

develop the DHS Science and Technology standards and conformity assessment 

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

assessment methods. For example, NIST’s Radiation Physics Division and NIST's 

Technology Services is assisting with the implementation of a conformity assessment 

program for radiation detectors for DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office including 

accreditation for testing laboratories whose testing will support the Graduated Rad/Nuc 

Detector Evaluation and Reporting (GRaDER) program. See 

http://www.dhs.gov/xres/programs/gc_1218637329931.shtm for additional information. 

National Institute of Justice Body Armor Program - In cooperation with NIST’s Office of 

Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), NIST’s Technology Services along with the 

Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the National Law 

Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) developed and 

implemented a significant enhancement to the current body armor certification program 

including a revised NIJ performance standard for the safety of law enforcement officers. 

NVLAP, at the request of NIJ, has implemented a laboratory accreditation program to 
17

accredit body armor testing laboratories. Several laboratories have been accredited to test 

body armor. 

National Toy Safety Initiative - NIST continues to provide technical assistance to the 

Consumer Product Safety Commission in their implementations of the Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and to the private sector in the development of model 

certification programs to address toy safety issues. CPSC successfully implemented their 

program utilizing existing conformity assessment schemes and there are now over 200 

laboratories listed from 25 countries accredited by 17 different accreditation bodies. 

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Project on Greener Cleanups – NIST’s 

Technology Services is providing assistance to EPA to develop a standard and 

certification program for Brownfield remediation (clean ups). 

DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (DoD ELAP) – NIST’s 

Technology Service’s staff provided assistance to the DoD Environmental Data Quality

Workgroup (EDQW) to create a DoD wide program to accredit laboratories that perform 

testing in support of DoD. This effort resulted in DOD EDWQ implementing a program 

which utilizes internationally recognized accreditation bodies. 

(http://www.navylabs.navy.mil/) 

USGv6 - OMB Memorandum M-05-22 directed the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology to develop the technical infrastructure (standards and testing) necessary to 

support wide scale adoption of IPv6 in the US Government (USG). Upon detailed 

inspection of the state of the industry and the scope of IPv6 technology, it was decided 

prudent to develop the USGv6 standard profile to assist agencies in the development of 

acquisition requirements for IPv6 products and the USGv6 Test Program to provide the 

means to assess product compliance to such requirements. NIST accomplished this by 

utilizing test laboratories which are accredited by internationally recognized laboratory 

accreditation bodies and allowing suppliers to issue a Supplier’s Declaration of 

Conformity, based on the test reports, to assert their products' compliance. 

(http://w3.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/testing.html) 

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

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 (2009) 
18

International Trade Administration (ITA) - The ITA participates on the Board of 

Directors of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ASTM International, and 

the American Society for Mechanical Engineers’ Codes and Standards, as well as in 

numerous ANSI committees, eight CODEX committees and four ISO and/or IEC 

technical committees/advisory groups. ITA also participates in several trade-related ISO 

activities for second-hand goods, biotechnology, and social responsibility 

standardization. ITA was also active in standards capacity building in APEC and 

ASEAN, and led the regulatory cooperation efforts in the Security and Prosperity 

Partnership of North America. In the automotive sector, ITA works closely with the 

regulatory agencies EPA and DOT/NHTSA on their work in the United Nations 

Economic Commission of Europe's (UN/ECE) WP29 to develop global technical 

regulations (GTRs) relevant to vehicles. By closely coordinating with industry, ITA is 

well-poised to alert regulators of potential technical barriers to trade and ensure true trade 

facilitation in global standards development. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - 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, and 

ATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions.) 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 

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. 
19

OTHER NIST STANDARDS ACTIVITIES 

FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSINGS STANDARDS (FIPS) 

Under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), TITLE III of the EGovernment 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 FY2009, NIST made the following FIPS announcements: 

A Federal Register notice dated October 17, 2008, announced the Secretary of 

Commerce’s approval of Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 

180–3, Secure Hash Standard, a revision of FIPS 180–2, Secure Hash Standard. The FIPS 

specifies five secure hash algorithms for use in computing a condensed representation of 

electronic data, or a message digest. Secure hash algorithms are used with other 

cryptographic algorithms, such as digital signature algorithms and keyed hash message 

authentication codes. The revised FIPS incorporates the four hash algorithms that had 

been specified in FIPS 180–2, and includes an additional algorithm that had been 

specified in Change Notice 1 to FIPS 180–2. In addition, a basic description of a 

truncation method that was provided in the Change Notice has been incorporated into the 

standard. Some technical information in FIPS 180–2 about the security of the hash 

algorithms may no longer be accurate, as shown by recent research results, and it is 

possible that further research may indicate additional changes. Therefore, the technical 

information has been removed from the revised standard, and will be provided in Special 

Publications (SPs) 800–107 and 800–57, which can be updated in a timely fashion as the 

technical conditions change. 

A Federal Register notice dated June 9, 2009, announced the Secretary of Commerce’s 

approval of Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 186–3, Digital 

Signature Standard (DSS). FIPS 186–3 is a revision of FIPS 186–2. The FIPS specifies 

three techniques for the generation and verification of digital signatures that can be used 

for the protection of data: the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), the Elliptic Curve 

Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), and the Rivest-Shamir-Adelman (RSA) 

algorithm. Although all three of these algorithms were approved in FIPS 186–2, FIPS 

186–3 increases the key sizes allowed for DSA, provides additional requirements for the 

use of RSA and ECDSA, and includes requirements for obtaining the assurances 

necessary for valid digital signatures. FIPS 186–2 contained specifications for random 

number generators (RNGs); this revision does not include such specifications, but refers

to NIST Special Publication (SP) 800–90 for obtaining random numbers. 
20

SMART GRID 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has primary responsibility to 

coordinate the development of a framework including protocols and model standards to 

achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems [Energy Independence and 

Security Act Title XIII, Section 1305]. NIST’s work to accelerate the development of 

Smart Grid standards by private sector standards development organizations is needed to 

ensure that technologies currently being developed or implemented with sizable public 

and private funding will be interoperable with other Smart Grid equipment, have 

necessary security measures, and do not result in stranded investments. To carry out its 

responsibility, NIST, in consultation with affected stakeholders - business, industry, 

government and standards developing organizations - has implemented a three phase plan 

which establishes a collaborative and robust standards process that supports cycle after 

cycle of Smart Grid innovation - innovation which has the power to transform our 

economy. The resulting process fully engages the private sector voluntary standards 

developers and supports collaborative methods and vehicles for developing and 

deploying standards in technology-based markets, especially during the early phases 

when standards—or the lack of standards—can strongly influence the course of further 

technology development and diffusion and the growth and competitiveness of industries. 

The output of the first phase of the NIST plan, a document drafted through an open 

public process engaging both the Smart Grid stakeholder communities and the general 

public, entitled, "NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability 

Standards, Release 1.0" may be accessed via: 

http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/upload/smartgrid_interoperability_final.pdf. 

In addition, as part of the second and third phases of the NIST plan, NIST has established 

a Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, a public-private standards panel forum to support 

NIST’s coordination and facilitate development and evolution of additionally needed 

standards, as well as establish a framework for testing and certification for Smart Grid 

devices and systems.

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
21

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
22

Department of Defense (DoD) 

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The primary goal of the Department of Defense (DoD) is to support our nation’s 

warfighter in the most efficient, effective, and cost conscious means possible while 

meeting mission requirements within critical timeframes. Standards and standardization 

are essential elements to ensuring cost containment and operational effectiveness is 

achieved during the development and continued maintenance of DoD systems and 

subsystems. 

Standardization has historically been relied upon throughout the Department to promote 

interoperability, reduce the logistics footprint, trim costs, and sustain readiness. DoD 

standards and standardization activities serve a number of logistics, operational, 

acquisition, and sustainment communities by providing material standardization products 

and services which enhance and promote communication and coordination that are 

integral to improving interoperability, reducing costs, and ensuring DoD readiness. 

The following are examples of the many standardization activities which have taken 

place in the past year that have made singular improvements in technical performance, 

enhanced safety for DoD personnel, and avoided billions of dollars in cost. 

The Defense Information Systems Agency established and chaired a working group that 

joined together with 15 NATO nations to develop a standard interface between national 

tactical systems to form a federated network. This NATO tactical communications 

standardization effort has resulted in a family of standardization agreements that specify a 

standard wideband interface as well as an external interface. These interfaces will provide 

standard transport layer services for information and will significantly improve NATO 

network-enabled capability. Moreover, they will be the key enablers between the U.S., 

the NATO Response Force, and coalition forces for enhanced network-centric, effectsbased operational capability. U.S. implementation of these standards will not only reduce 

costs and bandwidth associated with satellite communications, but will increase 

interoperability by improving reliability, connectivity, redundancy, traffic flow, and 

robustness, while reducing latency and congestion at multinational tactical interfaces. 

A joint team led by the Navy created a common Joint Deficiency Reporting System 

(JDRS) throughout the military aviation sector. A Deficiency Report (DR) is a formal 

notice of problems with specific items or equipment. The team's objective was to provide 

a single, standardized, interoperable automated system for reporting, investigating, and 

addressing all aviation-related DRs. Although the primary goal was to improve 

equipment reliability, the system also yielded substantial financial benefits. JDRS 

resulted in an annual cost avoidance of more than $1M by eliminating redundancies 

associated with maintaining separate DR systems, as well as an annual cost avoidance of 
23

an estimated $2.6M by enhancing engineering investigations related to problems with 

aviation equipment and platforms commonly used by multiple services. 

The Defense Supply Center Columbus, led an effort to develop alternative finishes for 

high-reliability electrical connectors in lieu of traditional finishes that rely on cadmium, a 

hazardous chemical. The military services have used cadmium connector finishes for 

years, largely because alternatives to cadmium could never pass the military's stringent 

environmental tests. Three new finishes - zinc nickel, nickel fluorocarbon polymer, and 

electrodeposited aluminum - have successfully passed the tests. The new finishes have 

been included in a military specification. Not only did this effort support DoD's efforts to 

minimize the use of hazardous material, but it enabled DoD to avoid costs estimated at 

more than $20.6M over the next 5 years.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009:

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 2009 as a result of review under Section 

15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119: 112

Voluntary Standard Government Standard

ANSI-C18.2M-PART-1 MIL-B-55130/2 NOT 3

ASME-ANSI-B16.22 MS35925B NOT 2

ASTM-A153 MIL-Z-17871A NOT 1

ASTM-B135 MIL-B-20292A (2) NOT1

ASTM-B139 QQ-B-750 NOT 1

ASTM-B19 MIL-C-50D NOT 2

ASTM-B26 MIL-C-11866C NOT 4

ASTM-B438 MS177795A NOT 3

ASTM-B438 MS21783 NOT 3

ASTM-B438-ASTM-B439 MIL-B-5687D(1) NOT 4

ASTM-B633 QQ-Z-325C NOT 1

ASTM-D1056 MIL-C-3133C NOT 3

ASTM-D3951 MIL-C-5552C NOT 1

ASTM-D5486 PPP-T-60E NOT 1

ASTM-D5486 PPP-T-76C NOT 1

ASTM-D68880 PPP-B-621D(3) NOT 2

ASTM-D7478/D7478M MIL-C-104C(1) NOT 1

ASTM-E171 FED-STD-1A NOT 1

ASTM-E2072 TT-P-54C(1) NOT 1
24

ASTM-E2375 MIL-STD-2154 NOT 1

ASTM-F1217 MIL-C-2354F NOT 2

ASTM-F2362 MIL-S-24795 NOT 1

EIA-RS463 MIL-C-3871B NOT 1

NAS1925 MIL-C-6985B(3) NOT 1

NAS4002-NAS4003 MIL-B-87114A(1) SUP 1 NOT 2

NASM-14290 DS14290 NOT 2

NASM15795 MS15795G NOT 1

NASM4751 MIL-C-4751D(3) NOT 2

NASM51474 DS51474 NOT 2

NASM6818 MIL-C-6818D NOT 1

NASM83050 MIL-B-83050D(2) NOT 1

NASM847 MIL-C-5501G SUP 1 NOT 1

NASM85604 MIL-B-85604A(1) NOT1

NASM85643 MIL-B-85643 SUP 1 NOT 1

SAE-AMS-C-27725 MIL-C-27725B NOT 2

SAE-AMS-C-6183 MIL-C-6183B NOT 1

SAE-AMS-C-8073 MIL-C-8073D NOT 2

SAE-AMS-C-8837 MIL-C-8837B(1) NOT 1

SAE-AMS-C9084 MIL-C-9084C NOT 1

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS1435 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14410 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14411 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14412 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14413 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14414 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14415 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14416 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14417 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14418 NOT 2

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14418 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14419 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14420 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14421 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14422 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14423 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14424 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14425 NOT 3
25

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14426 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14427 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14428 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14429 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14430 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14431 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14432 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14433 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14434 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14436 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14437 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14438 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14439 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14440 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14441 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14442 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14443 NOT 3

SAE-AMS-QQ-S-763 MS14444 NOT 3

SAE-AMS3867 MIL-B-83369 NOT 2

SAE-AS-C-27725 MIL-C-29600(3) SUP 1 NOT 1

SAE-AS10380 AND10380 Rev 4 NOT 2

SAE-AS14243 DS14243 NOT 2

SAE-AS14244 DS14244 NOT 2

SAE-AS14244 DS14888 NOT 1

SAE-AS14487 DS14487 NOT 2

SAE-AS21432 MS21432B NOT 4

SAE-AS25050 MIL-C-25050A(2) NOT 2

SAE-AS33559 MS33559E NOT 1

SAE-AS33671 MS3367F NOT 2

SAE-AS5173 AN894 Rev 9 NOT 3

SAE-AS5173 MS24398H NOT 3

SAE-AS5190 AN939 Rev 7 NOT 2

SAE-AS5192 AN938 Rev 6 NOT 3

SAE-AS5404 MIL-C-5604B(3) NOT

SAE-AS5778 MIL-C-5778D NOT 1

SAE-AS58091 MIL-C-5809G(1) SUP 1 NOT 1

SAE-AS6011 MIL-C-601G(1) NOT 1

SAE-AS7413 MIL-C-7413B(1) NOT1
26

SAE-AS7928 MIL-T-7928G(1) SUP 1 NOT 1

SAE-AS81820 MIL-B-81820F(2) SUP 1 NOT 1

SAE-AS81822 MIL-W-81822A(2) SUP 1 NOT 1

SAE-AS81934 MIL-B-81934B NOT 1

SAE-AS81935 MIL-B-1935A(1) NOT 1

SAE-AS81936 MIL-B-81936(4) NOT 1

SAE-AS855485 MIL-C-85485A(1) NOT 1

SAE-J2321 MIL-F-24702(2) NOT 2

SAE-J24714 MIL-C-24714 NOT 1

SAE-J321 MIL-F-24795 NOT 1

SAE-J536 MIL-C-11559D NOT 2

SAE-J536 MIL-C-11760D NOT 2

SAE-MA14241 DS14241A NOT 2

SAE-MA14242 DS14242A NOT 3

SAE-MA14272 DS14272 NOT 2

SAE-MA14298 DS14298 NOT 2

SAE-MA14489 DS14489 NOT 2

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

BEGAN to use during FY 2009: 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 2009. 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: 77

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 122

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Aerospace & Defense Industries Association of Europe ASD

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA

Air Movement and Control Association AMCA

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS

Aluminum Association AA

AMCA International AMCA

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation A2LA
27

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials AASHTO

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC

American Bearing Manufacturers Association ABMA

American Bureau of Shipping ABS

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 Leather Chemists Association ALCA

American National Metric Council ANMC

American National Standards Institute ANSI

American Petroleum Institute API

American Plywood Association APA

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association AREMA

American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT

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 Safety Engineers ASSE

American Society of Sanitary Engineering ASSE

American Water Works Association AWWA

American Welding Society AWS

American Wood Preservers Association AWPA

American Wood Protection Association AWPA

APA - The Engineered Wood Association APA

Architectural Woodwork Institute AWI

Association for Automatic Indentification & Mobility AIM

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI

Association of Automatic Indentification and Data Capture AIM
28

Technologies

ASTM International ASTM

British Standards Institution BSI

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA

Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc BOCA

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 ESDA

FM Global FMG

Government Electronics & Information Technology 

Association GEITA

Graphic Communications Association GCA

Gypsum Association GA

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association HPVA

High Frequency Industry Association HFIA

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. HFES

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA

Information Technology Industry Council ITI

Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits IPC

Institute of Clean Air Companies ICAC

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

Institute of Environmental Sciences & Technology IEST

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 Organization for Standardization ISO
29

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Society of Automation ISA

International Telecommunication Union ITU

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC

JEDEC - Solid State Technology Association JEDEC

Machinery Information Management Open Systems MIMOSA

Magnetic Materials Producers Association MMPA

Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and 

Fittings Industry MSSVFI

National Aerospace Standards Committee NASC

National Association of Chain Manufacturers NACM

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

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 Institute 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
30

Steel Founders Society of America SFSA

Steel Window Institute SWI

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

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 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 2009. 

The Department does not collect conformity assessment activity information.

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

recommendations for any changes:

The Department continues to recommend the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology highlight in the NTTAA annual report to Congress examples of how 

government agencies are participating in the development of voluntary consensus 

standards and using these documents to meet requirements. The resources government 

entities commit to voluntary consensus standards development should not go 

unrecognized by Congress. Continuing support for Circular A-119 mandated activities is 

ensured when Congress is aware of the government's commitment to the Circular's tenets 

as exemplified in the report's discussion of voluntary consensus standards participation.

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

In consideration of government security restrictions, the Department is unable to collect 

actual personnel information related to participation in voluntary consensus activities.

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]
31

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
32

Department of Education (ED) 

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 

2001, Public Law 106-554 requires agencies subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act, 

including the U.S. Department of Education, issue guidelines by October 1, 2002, for the 

purpose of "ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of 

information (including statistical information) disseminated by Federal agencies." The 

Department's guidelines can be found at: 

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/infoqualguide.html 

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 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 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your agency 
33

began to use during FY 2009. 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 2009: 4

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

National Forum on Education Statistics NCES Forum

Postsecondary Electronic Standards Organization PESC

Schools Interoperability Framework Association SIFA

Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (El/Sec) SLDS

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 24

Activities: 40

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 2009. 

None

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

recommendations for any changes:

No comment

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:

No comment

10-1. Removed [This question was deprecated in 2005]
34

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
35

Department of Energy (DOE)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The Department of Energy (DOE) uses voluntary consensus standards (VCSs) 

extensively in managing, operating, and implementing requirements applicable to its 

diverse sites, laboratories, operations, and facilities. The VCSs are used to support a wide 

range of program areas, including those addressing nuclear weapons and materials 

production, energy research, energy efficiency, oil storage, hydroelectric power, 

accelerator operations, and nuclear facility decommissioning. 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 include: 

a. Writing procedures; 

b. Establishing safety criteria (e.g., for worker job task analyses, fire protection, nuclear 

criticality safety, nuclear facility safety); and 

c. Supporting internal DOE Technical Standards. 

DOE’s Technical Standards Program website is located at 

www.hss.energy.gov/NuclearSafety/ns/techstds/. 

Examples/Case Studies: 

(1) DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has successfully applied ANSI/HPS Standard 

N13.12. N13.12 is a standard providing consensus-based surface and volume 

radioactivity criteria for release of property in developing release limits under CERCLA 

for concrete slabs. 

(2) DOE’s Savannah River Site has implemented the transition from site standards to 

national codes and standards to be in compliance with Public Law 104-113 and OMB A119. This transition resulted in the reduction of the over 700 site-specific standards and 

guides to the present day use of national codes and standards, supplemented by 12 site 

standards and 64 site guides. 

(3) DOE’s Y-12 Site has several employees involved with the American Glovebox 

Society (AGS), writing and publishing documents related to gloveboxes. Y-12 has found 

that by developing common requirements and expectations for gloveboxes and related 

equipment, vendors have been able to standardize their products so that features and 

components can be standardized for various customers. Gloveboxes used by the various 

DOE facilities, as well as industries such as pharmaceutical, biological, and other 
36

laboratories, all have unique requirements and are generally designed around a specific 

operation. However, by standardizing such features as glovebox windows and their 

attachment to gloveboxes, fabricators are able to standardize tooling and fabrication 

methods that reduce the cost for all customers. Another benefit to DOE is the use of 

proven, widely-applied standardized designs and practices. The Y-12 Site uses AGS 

standards to execute new designs. The Y-12 Site also specifies AGS standards in 

procurement subcontracts for the glovebox fabricators to follow. One example of where 

this has been beneficial is in the standardization of requirements for welding related to 

glovebox fabrication. Before using AGS standards, vendors had to carefully evaluate 

potentially unique Y-12 Site requirements and specifications related to glovebox 

fabrication. However, the Y-12 Site now specifies that welding shall be in accordance 

with AGS-G006-2005, "Standard of Practice for the Design and Fabrication of NuclearApplication Gloveboxes." Vendors know exactly what they must do to meet the 

requirements of this standard. 

(4) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has several new facility construction 

projects and hundreds of facility or system modification projects underway at any given 

time. Every one of these projects and modifications follows national codes and standards 

such as the National Electric Code, and the International Building Code. These codes 

reference hundreds of supporting national consensus standards which are integral to the 

work done at LANL.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 146

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: N/A

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

participated in during FY 2009: 89

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Air Movement and Control Association AMCA

Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute ARI
37

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials AASHTO

American Chemical Society ACS

American Chemistry Council ACC

American Concrete Institute ACI

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA

American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE

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 Trucking Association ATA

American Water Works Association AWWA

American Welding Society AWS

Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association ARMA

Associated Air Balance Council AABC

Association for Information and Image Management AIIM

Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering AACEI

ASTM International ASTM

Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc BOCA

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

Factory Mutual Research Corporation FMRC
38

Glass Association of North America GANA

Gypsum Association GA

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

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 of Non-ionizing Radiation Protection 

and Measurements ICNIRP

International Commission on Radiation Protection ICRP

International Commission on Radiation Units and 

Measurements, Inc. ICRU

International Conference of Building Officials ICBO

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Society of Automation ISA

Metal Building Manufacturers Association MBMA

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

National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers NAAMM

National Concrete Masonry Association NCMA

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Ground Water Association NGWA

National Information Standards Organization NISO

National Roofing Contractors Association NRCA

National Safety Council NSC

National Window and Door Association NWDA

NCSL International NCSLI

Painting and Decorating Contractors of America PDCA

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association PHCCA

Portland Cement Association PCA

Post-Tensioning Institute PTI
39

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 American Value Engineers SAVE

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE

Society of Fire Protection Engineers SFPE

Steel Deck Institute SDI

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 449

Activities: 1162

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 2009. 

The Department of Energy does not track conformity assessment activities.

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

recommendations for any changes:

OMB A-119 continues to effectively provide the framework of requirements for DOE’s 

involvement in national VCS standards-setting initiatives, and requirements for 

consideration of VCSs applicable to DOE needs prior to our development of agencyspecific standards.

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

The Department of Energy and its Standards Executive recognize the valuable role that 

VCSs play in facilitating the implementation of DOE requirements, and in supporting the 

Department’s mission, strategic themes, and diverse program areas. DOE will continue to 

participate in and sponsor, as appropriate, VCS initiatives to ensure that the Department’s 
40

needs and interests are represented in national and international VCS initiatives important 

to the success of DOE’s mission, programs and operations.

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

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 5
41

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 

Health data standards are important to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

(AHRQ) because the more uniform, accurate, and computerized health data are, the more 

robust AHRQ-funded health services research will be and the more its research findings 

and tools will be used by health providers, their patients, and all consumers. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

CDC is the leading federal agency that monitors national health and detects and 

investigates health problems. In 2009 the emphasis of CDC activities was on a detection 

and prevention of the H1N1 influenza and support of ARRA initiatives. Those activities 

had direct impact on a development, implementation and promotion of standards. 

• Specifically, CDC was directly involved in a development of ARRA/Health IT 

meaningful use matrix. Major activities included participation in international activities 

supporting informatics support of electronic health records through WHO, HL7, HITSP, 

IHE etc. 

• Public Health Informatics Network (PHIN) Vocabulary Access and Distribution System 

(VADS) led CDC activities on development, maintenance and promotion of standard 

vocabularies and terminology. This activity is very important for supporting ARRA. 

• The CDC/National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has initiated two projects at 

Health Level 7 (HL7) to develop vital records standards that may serve as the foundation 

for standardizing electronic transmission of birth and death events. The first project is 

focused on developing an Electronic Health Record System (EHR-S) Vital Records 

Functional Profile (VR FP) based on the HL7 EHR-S Functional Model (FM). The 

primary focus of the second project is on the development of a Vital Records Domain 

Analysis Model (VR DAM). Several state representatives have been collaborating with 

NCHS/Division of Vital Statistics and NAPHSIS on the development of a Vital Records 

Domain Analysis Model (VR DAM). The goal of the VR DAM is to identify the birth 

and death registration work flow processes and stakeholders. The VR DAM will serve to 

guide future design and implementation efforts for standardizing the electronic data 

exchanges between vital records systems and other public and private information 

systems to meet current and emerging needs. 
42

• A number of CDC systems have been actively engaged in the use of these standards. 

Some of the examples are: StarLIMS, National Healthcare Safety Network, NEDSS, 

PHLIP, PHIN VADS 

• The Agency is also very involved in the voluntary standards process and has been for a 

number of years. See http://www.cdc.gov/phin/activities/standards/index.html for an 

example of a current system using voluntary consensus standards. 

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. 

We have been 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. 

CMS is involved in standards development, adoption and implementation activities in the 

following areas: 

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) 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 e-prescribing 

standards for use under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. In November 

2005, HHS adopted a set of foundation standards for e-prescribing that took effect with 

the start of the Medicare Part D program on January 1, 2006, and we also conducted a 

pilot program in 2006 testing additional e-prescribing standards. Results from the pilot 

were the basis for the selection of three additional standards developed by VCSBs took 

effect on April 1, 2009. 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

Standards developed through interactions with various standard development bodies, 

including voluntary consensus standard organizations and/ or industry consortia can 
43

provide benefit to both the Agency and our stakeholders in multiple ways. FDA 

interactions with these organizations have resulted in development of several standards 

that can affect various aspects (e.g., materials, engineering, risk management, biological 

safety, clinical, CMC, pharmacology/toxicology, statistical, inspectional, information 

technology) 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 includes: 

• standards can assist reviewers with assessment of product applications; 

• international standards can be used by multiple regulatory regions, following our legal 

mandate to facilitate harmonization on an international level; 

• standards often result in better utilization of limited internal resources; and 

• direct participation by various stakeholders in development of standards results in a 

consensus among users, manufacturers and government regulators on safety and effective 

use of regulated products 

One FDA Center has developed a standards website. The Center for Devices and 

Radiological Health (CDRH), following the 1997 FDA Modernization Act, has 

developed the following web site to enable the industry to access the list of “Recognized 

Standards”: http://www.cdrh.fda.gov/science/standards/constand.htm 

Indian Health Service (IHS) 

Standards are an integral part of the effective operations of the Indian Health Service 

(IHS). Health-related standards, such as Health Level Seven (HL7), 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 currently exchanges immunization data with several states). IHS 

participates fully in activities to incorporate recognized interoperability specifications 

into IHS systems, in accordance with guidance from the Federal Health Architecture and 

the Office of the National Coordinator. 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, for energy- and 

environmentally-friendly construction, and for reporting medical services and procedures. 

National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) 
44

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the Clinical Proteomic Technologies for 

Cancer (CPTC) to accelerate the translation of proteomics from a research tool into a 

reliable and robust clinical application. This program is designed to accelerate the 

translation of proteomics from a research tool into a reliable and robust clinical 

application by improving protein measurement capabilities and evaluating promising 

technologies for applicability in both analytical and clinical validation studies. This is to 

be achieved through identifying major sources of experimental variability and optimizing 

existing proteomic platforms to enable labs to compare data and results; developing 

innovative and advanced proteomic technologies capable of identifying rare cancerrelated proteins circulating in bodily fluids such as blood; and developing a much needed 

clinical reagents and resources core of well-characterized biological samples, reagents, 

reference sets, and standards available to the scientific community. 

The NCI established the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer in 2004. It is a large, 

multi-disciplinary program dedicated to clinical translation of nanotechnology-based 

diagnostics and therapeutics. As part of this program, NCI formed the Nanotechnology 

Characterization Laboratory (NCL). The NCL is a formal interagency collaboration 

between NCI, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA) and is operated through the NCI’s Federally Funded 

Research & Development Center (FFRDC) at SAIC/NCI-Frederick. One of the NCL’s 

objectives is the development of standard methods to assess safety, toxicity, and quality 

control of biomedical nanotechnology. Without such standards, nanotechnology drug 

developers must design and validate their own methods, and regulatory agencies must 

evaluate data generated from techniques without a substantial history of supporting 

literature. The NCL now has more than 20 standardized assays for nanomaterial 

characterization on its website: http://ncl.cancer.gov/working_assay-cascade.asp, with 

new assays being added as they are validated. 

From the beginning, NCL has been involved with standards-developing organizations 

(SDOs), such as ASTM International (the American Society for Testing and Materials), 

ANSI (the American National Standards Institute) and ISO, in working toward this goal. 

The NCL also has a leadership role in an international inter-laboratory study (ILS) being 

conducted by the International Alliance for NanoEHS Harmonization (IANH). NCL has 

also initiated an international effort aimed at development and validation of in vitro and 

ex vivo methods to assess nanoparticle effects on adapted immunity. 

National Institutes of Health / National Library of Medicine (NIH/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. NLM was designated 

the central coordinating body for clinical terminology standards within the Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2004. 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 
45

mappings between designated standard clinical terminologies and important related 

terminologies, 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 membership fee that permits U.S.-wide 

use of SNOMED CT within the UMLS Metathesaurus and in native format; produces and 

distributes RxNorm both within the UMLS Metathesaurus and separately; and pays the 

annual license fee that permits U.S.-wide use of ICF and ICF-CY within the UMLS 

Metathesaurus. LOINC, SNOMED CT, and RxNorm have all been designated as U.S. 

Government-wide clinical standards via the Consolidated Health Informatics (CHI) eGov 

project for use in U.S. Federal Government systems. They, along with ICF and ICF-CY, 

were subsequently identified in various interoperability specifications of the Healthcare 

Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) for use throughout the U.S. healthcare 

spectrum. In August 2009 the HIT Standards Committee’s recommendations to support 

meaningful use included the use of LOINC, SNOMED CT and RxNorm. 

NLM, on behalf of HHS, is the U.S. Member of the International Health Terminology 

Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO) which owns, maintains, and distributes 

SNOMED CT internationally and promotes global standardization of health information. 

In FY2009 NLM contributed toward the purchase, by the IHTSDO, of a new tooling 

workbench to facilitate distributed input to the ongoing development of SNOMED CT by 

experts in different locations around the world. This new platform will allow the U.S. to 

establish a network for U.S. contributions to the development of SNOMED CT by both 

government agencies and private sector organizations and enable collaboration with other 

IHTSDO member countries in the development of SNOMED CT content and subsets. 

NLM has been working with the IHTSDO to facilitate negotiations for the alignment and 

harmonization between SNOMED CT and key health terminologies including LOINC 

and RxNorm. In April 2009 the owners of LOINC, SNOMED CT, and NPU (the 

Nomenclature, Properties and Units, used predominantly in Northern Europe) announced 

an operational Trial of prospective divisions of labor in the generation of laboratory test 

terminology content. This Trial, which was reviewed in October 2009, provided practical 

experience and important information on opportunities to decrease duplication of effort in 

the development of laboratory test terminology and to ensure that SNOMED CT works 

effectively in combination with either LOINC or NPU. A formal alliance agreement 

between the owners of SNOMED CT and LOINC is expected in the first half of CY 

2010. 

In July 2009 NLM released the first version of the CORE Problem List Subset of 

SNOMED CT. The primary purpose of this Subset is to facilitate the use of SNOMED 

CT for coding of problem list data in electronic health records and to enable more 

meaningful use of EHRs to improve patient safety, health care quality, and health 
46

information exchange. Development and distribution of this initial subset will be used as 

a model for development of other frequency based subsets that will facilitate 

implementation of SNOMED CT, LOINC, and RxNorm throughout the U.S. 

NLM has been an active participant in several genetic information collaboration efforts in 

response to American Health Information Community (AHIC) recommendations. These 

projects include the expansion of LOINC in areas of genetic testing and newborn 

screening, development and testing of HL7 implementation guides for exchange of 

genetic testing results (in collaboration with Partner’s Healthcare and Intermountain 

Health Care), and development of RefSeqGene, a reference standard for reporting and 

interpreting clinically significant genetic variations. In September 2009 NLM launched 

the Newborn Screening Coding and Terminology Guide 

(http://newbornscreeningcodes.nlm.nih.gov) to enable more effective use of newborn 

screening test results in assessing child health and improving lifelong health care. The 

new Web site was created in collaboration with several HHS offices (Office of the 

National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the Health Resources and 

Services Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as well as a 

number of professional organizations. 

NLM continues working on projects 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 should facilitate development and implementation by health care providers of 

electronic health records that capture clinical data at the point of care and subsequently 

support generation of required HIPAA code set data for claims and other administrative 

transactions. In FY 2009 significant progress was made on the development of these 

maps including completion of a draft SNOMED CT to ICD-9-CM Rule Based Map to 

Support Reimbursement. This map will be released for testing in the first half of FY 

2010. 

NLM works closely with Dr. David Blumenthal and other representatives from the HHS 

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to ensure 

NLM’s vocabulary harmonization and standards efforts are in sync with those of ONC, 

the HIT Standards Committee, and other relevant Federal Advisory Committees. NLM 

serves on the Board of the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP), 

the ANSI-organized stakeholder group that is coordinating standards specification efforts 

that respond to US-government priorities and was one of the NIH representatives on the 

AHIC Workgroup on Personalized Healthcare. 

A complete list of NLM’s activities relating to health information technology and health 

data standards is available from the NLM Website at 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/healthit.html. 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 
47

SAMHSA's mission is to provide "a life in the Community for Everyone" and to "build 

resilience and facilitate recovery for people with or at risk for substance abuse and mental 

illness," To support this mission, the Agency administers a combination of competitive 

and formula/block grant programs and data collection activities to assure the availability 

of quality prevention and treatment services across the, nation. 

The first area in which SAMHSA participates in voluntary consensus standards (VCS) 

bodies is related to Electronic Health Records (EHRs). EHRs are viewed as a technical 

innovation that can reduce costs and improve the efficiency of data reporting, 

accountability and improved outcomes. In addition, EHRs can support improvements in 

clinical care and foster more effective coordination of care between the mental health and 

substance use specialty treatment sectors and genera.1 health care. To assure the 

capability for health information exchange while maintaining appropriate confidentiality 

protections for substance abuse and mental health records, SAMHSA joined voluntary 

consensus organizations to create technical options for patient consent in an e-health 

environment. Membership in Health Level 7 (HL7) and Healthcare Information 

Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) allows SAMHSA to utilize a far wider range of 

expertise than allowed for by limited numbers of agency staff. In both HL7 and HITSP, 

SAMHSA participates in creating usable, consensus driven products that can support the 

health information exchange of sensitive information through all health care 

environments. In addition, SAMHSA supported the development of a behavioral health 

EHR profile which was selected for review by the Certification Commission for 

Healthcare Information Technology. This work supports uniformity of standards for 

behavioral health across the public and private sectors. 

SAMHSA is also a member of the National Quality Forum (NQF), a voluntary consensus 

body for performance measurement. Over several years, SAMHSA developed clinical 

process of care performance measures for mental health and substance use treatment 

services. Two of these measures were successfully submitted for NQF endorsement. 

Additional measures, including a consumer perception of care assessment instrument, 

were submitted in FY 2009. National endorsement allows states and providers in the 

public and private sectors to have common standards that can be used for reporting 

activities related to quality and accountability, thereby educing data and reporting burden 

on providers who report to different funders. 

Featured Success Story from Active Engagement in Standards Activities 

The IHS provides health care to a service population of 1.9 million American Indians and 

Alaska Natives who reside in 35 states. The Resource and Patient Management System

(RPMS) is a comprehensive health information system created to support the delivery of 

high quality health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives who attend several 

hundred Federal and Tribal hospitals and clinics nationwide. The RPMS integrates 

practice management, medical, behavioral, population health and performance reporting 

functions into a fully capable electronic health record (EHR) suite. 
48

RPMS is one of the nation’s earliest and most respected EHR systems. For more than 25 

years, RPMS has been instrumental in tracking, improving, and assisting patient care. A 

government-developed and owned system, RPMS evolved alongside the Veteran’s 

Health Administration’s acclaimed VistA system, but occupies a unique place as the only 

system designed specifically to support the direct care and public health mission of IHS. 

The RPMS is critical to operations at IHS and Tribal health facilities, offering a 

repository of historical medical information, documentation of care, medication 

management, order entry and results reporting, third party billing, and numerous other 

features. As a high quality, low cost public domain system, RPMS has also proven 

attractive to private and public sector health care entities. 

Two hundred nineteen (219) facilities across the country now use the RPMS EHR in the 

provision of health care services. In addition ten hospitals use EHR for inpatient care. 

Four Alaska Village Clinics have begun using EHR, and further deployments to these

unique facilities are planned. 

The Indian Health Service’s (IHS) innovative and advanced electronic health information 

system was recently certified as a developmental ambulatory Electronic Health Record 

(EHR) by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology 

(CCHIT). 

The IHS Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) Version 2008 is now 

certified as a pre-market product under the 2007 certification criteria. The nonprofit 

CCHIT awards certification based on a comprehensive set of criteria for functionality, 

interoperability, and security. Standards included in the criteria include: Health Level 7 

(HL7), Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC), National Council for 

Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP), and Accredited Standards Committee X-12 (ASC 

X12). IHS is currently working to meet anticipated meaningful use measures with 

associated standards supported by recertification of RPMS as an Ambulatory Electronic 

Health Record system, and an initial certification of RPMS as an Inpatient Electronic 

Health Record system.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 1

Government Unique Standard: FDA Guidelines on Aseptic Processing (2004) 

(Incorporated: 2004) 

Voluntary Standard:

ISO 13408-1 Aseptic Processing 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 
49

technology. There are also significant issues related to aseptically produced bulk drug 

substance that are not included in the document 

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 18

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 192

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 Materials Working Group ARMWG

Adeno Associated Virus Reference Standard Working Group AAVSWG

Advisory Committee on Casualty Assessment Health Canada ACCA

Almond Board of California ABC

American Academy of Pediatrics AAP

American Association for Clinical Chemistry AACC

American Association of Blood Banks AABB

American Association of Cereal Chemists AACC

American Association of Physicists in Medicine AAPM

American Association of Tissue Banks AATB

American Backflow Prevention Association ABPA

American Bureau of Shipping ABS

American Chemical Society ACS

American College of Nuclear Physicians ACNP

American College of Radiology ACR

American College of Surgeons Cancer Programs COC

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH
50

American Dental Association ADA

American Foundation for the Accreditation of Haematopoietic 

Cell Therapy FAHCT

American Healthcare Information Community AHIC

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA

American Institute of Ultrasound Manufacturers AIUM

American Medical Association AMA

American National Standards Institute ANSI

American Pacific Economic Conference APEC

American Psychiatric Association APA

American Public Health Association APHA

American Society for Gene Therapy ASGT

American Society for Healthcare Engineering ASHE

American Society for Reproductive Medicine ASRM

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE

American Society of Mass Spectrometry ASMS

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

American Society of Quality Control ASQ

American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE

American Society of Sanitary Engineering ASSE

American Type Culture Collection ATCC

American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA

American Water Works Association AWWA

AOAC International AOAC

Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory 

Animal Care International AAALAC

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI

ASTM International ASTM

Baking Industry Sanitary Standards Committee BISSC

Brighton Collaboration BC

California Strawberry Commission CSC

Canadian General Standards Board CGSB

Canadian Standards Association CSA

Cantaloupe Board of California CBC

Central Laboratory for Blood Transfusion CLBT

Certification Commission for Health Information Technology CCHIT

Chocolate Manufacturers Association CMS

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI
51

Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium CDISC

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX

College of American Pathologists CAP

Committee on Operating Rules CORE

Conference for Food Protection CFP

Corn Refiners Association CRA

Cosmetic Ingredient Review CIR

Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association CTFA

Council for International Organizations of Medical Science CIOMS

Designated Standards Maintenance Organizations Board DSMO

Deutsches Institut fur Nomung - German Institute for 

Standardization DIN

Electronic Products Codes Global EPCG

ESD Association ESD

European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods ECVAM

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization CENELEC

European Committee for Standardization CEN

European Directorate for Quality of Medicines EDQM

External RNA Controls Consortium ERCC

Eye Bank Association of America EBAA

Facility Guidelines Institute FGI

Federal Facilities Council FFC

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO

Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapies FACT

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association FFVA

Fresh Produce Association of America FPAA

Gelatin Manufacturers of America GMA

Global Harmonization Task Force GHTF

GS1 GS1

Health Canada Advisory Committee on Causality Assessment HCAA

Health Level Seven HL7

Health Physics Society HPS

Health Protection Branch Health Canada HPB

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society HIMSS

Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel HITSP

Healthcare Interpretations Task Force HITF

Honey Board HB

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA
52

Industrial Safety and Equipment Association ISEA

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

Institute of Nuclear Materials Management INMM

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise IHE

International Association of Cancer Registrars IACR

International Association of Color Manufacturers IACM

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials IAPMO

International Blood Group Reference Laboratory IBRGL

International Bottled Water Association IBWA

International Cellular Therapy Coding and Labeling Advisory 

Group CTCLAG

International Commission on Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for 

Veterinary Use

VICH

International Commission on Illumination CIE

International Committee for Cosmetic Harmonization and 

International Cooperation CHIC

International Conference on the Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human 

Use

ICH

International Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 

Alternative Methods ICCVAM

International Crystal Foundation ICF

International Dairy Federation IDF

International Dairy Foods Association IDFA

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC

International Federation of Fruit Juice Producers IFFJP

International Fragrance Association IFRA

International Fresh-cut Produce Association IFPA

International Health Terminology Standard Development 

Organization IHTSDO

International Life Sciences Institute ILSI

International Natural Sausage Casing Association INSCA

International Nomenclature Committee INC

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council IPEC

International Society for Analytical Cytology ISAC

International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery ISCVS

International Society for Cell Therapy ISCT

International Society for Measurement and Control ISA
53

International Society of Automation ISA

International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners ISOPP

International Society on Thrombosis and Homeostasis ISTH

International Sprout Growers Association ISGA

International Union Against Cancer UICC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC

International Working Group on Standardization of Genomic 

Amplification Techniques SoGAT

Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference ISSC

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives JECFA

Laser Institute of America LIA

Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes LOINC

National Academies of Science Institute of Medicine IOM

National Association of Photographic Manufacturers NAPM

National Automatic Merchandising Association NAMA

National Cancer Registrar Association NCRA

National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards NCCLS

National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics NCVHS

National Conference for Interstate Milk Shipments NCIMS

National Council for Prescription Drug Program NCPDP

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP

National Egg Regulators Association NERO

National eHealth Collaboration NeHC

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Food Processors Association NFPA

National Institute for Biological Sciences and Controls NIBSC

National Marrow Donor Program NMDP

National Oilseed Processors Association NOPA

National Quality Forum NQF

National Sanitary Foundation International NSFI

National Toxicology Program NTP

National Uniform Billing Committee NUBC

National Uniform Claim Committee NUCC

North America Free Trade Association NAFTA

North America Millers Association NAMA

North American Association of Central Cancer Registries NAACCR

Northwest Horticultural Council NHC
54

Optical Laboratories Association OLA

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards OASIS

Pan American Health Organization PAHO

Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization PANDRH

Parenteral Drug Association PDA

Personal Care Products Council PCPC

Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association PPTA

Produce Marketing Association PMA

Regulated Product Submission RPS

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society 

of North America RESNA

Research Institute for Fragrance Materials RIFM

Society for Glassware and Ceramic Decorations SGCD

Society for Toxicology SOT

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE

Society of Cosmetic Chemists SCC

Society of Toxicologic Pathology STP

Tea Association of America TAA

Technical Committee for Juice and Juice Products TCJJP

Therapeutic Goods Administration TGA

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society UHMS

Underwriters Laboratories UL

United Egg Producers UEP

United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association UFFVA

United States Adopted Names Council USANC

United States Animal Health Association USAHA

United States Egg and Poultry Association USEPA

United States Pharmacopoeia USP

Western Growers Association WGA

World Health Organization WHO

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 1150

Activities: 1064
55

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 2009. 

Conformance activities are conducted under applicable regulations and guidance. 

Standards may become part of conformance activities as they may provide an acceptable 

approach to be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. 

FDA laboratories conducting official product testing are, or soon will be, ISO/IEC 17025 

accredited. The FDA has conducted staff training, is 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, is 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.

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

recommendations for any changes:

CDC works extensively with outside partner organizations for routine work. It would be 

very helpful if the Circular may be extended towards building of the federal standards 

development/implementation infrastructure with outlined horizontal and vertical 

structures, including infrastructures within federal organizations. Also, it would be 

helpful adding respective reporting tasks (building of infrastructure).

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

AHRQ is a strong supporter of health data standards and maintains a metadata registry 

(ushik.ahrq.org) that contains all the data elements and their metadata that have been 

adopted, endorsed, or recognized by the HHS Secretary, in addition to all the data 

elements specified by ANSI’s Health Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) 

as of July 15, 2009. 

CDC suggests adding the Federal Health Agencies Work Group (FHAWG) to the 

ONC/Health IT Policy Committee. FHAWG should provide support to this Committee 

and build collaboration towards implementation of new policies. ALL federal health 

agencies should be represented in this WG.

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

reports its use of voluntary consensus standards:

HHS has 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]
56

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
57

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

This Department of Homeland Security’s overriding and urgent mission is to lead the 

unified national effort to secure the country and preserve our freedoms. While the 

Department was created to secure our country against those who seek to disrupt the 

American way of life, our charter also includes preparation for and response to all 

hazards and disasters. The citizens of the United States must have the utmost confidence 

that the Department can execute both of these missions. 

Homeland Security leverages resources within federal, state, and local governments, 

coordinating the transition of multiple agencies and programs into a single, integrated 

agency focused on protecting the American people and their homeland. More than 87,000 

different governmental jurisdictions at the federal, state, and local level have homeland 

security responsibilities. The comprehensive national strategy seeks to develop a 

complementary system connecting all levels of government without duplicating effort. 

Homeland Security is truly a “national mission.” Therefore, national standards developed 

by consensus through public and private cooperation are vital to achieving the mission of 

department. 

The department executes it mission through 16 major components and many more 

subcomponents, offices, divisions, and programs. The following is a description of the 

importance of voluntary consensus standards (VCS) in the achievement of DHS’s 

mission by component. It also includes a description of how DHS uses VCS to deliver its 

many services in support of its mission to secure the country and preserve our freedoms. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

FEMA prepares the nation for hazards, manages Federal response and recovery efforts 

following any national incident, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program. 

It utilizes standards in two basic areas: mitigation and national preparedness. 

Mitigation: 

FEMA’s Mitigation Directorate is committed to reducing the ever-increasing cost that 

natural disasters inflict on our country. Constructing or retrofitting buildings to withstand 

anticipated forces from these hazards is one of the key components of mitigation, and the 

only truly effective way of reducing this cost. Therefore, model building code and 

standards organizations play a critical role in helping FEMA to accomplish its mission. 

Through knowledge gained from the effects of disasters on the nation’s building stock 

and through FEMA’s work with its partner organizations, the Mitigation Directorate, 

FEMA has worked for several years to develop technical and practical information that 

can be used to strengthen model building codes and practices. The development of VCS 
58

is an important part of that process and FEMA has worked with many of these 

organizations to help provide timely information. 

To remain compliant with statutory responsibilities under the National Earthquake 

Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and in accordance with its mission to reduce 

losses from all hazards, FEMA supports the development of VCS through its mitigation 

programs. 

National Preparedness: 

The Secretary, through the National Integration Center, Incident Management Systems 

Integration Division (IMSID), is responsible for developing, maintaining, and promoting 

a national incident management system. IMSID leads the federal effort to establish and 

implement the National Incident Management System (NIMS) nationwide. NIMS is a 

framework that provides guidelines and principles to first responders in effort to achieve 

a single nationwide system for managing incidents. NIMS ensures successful intra and 

interstate mutual aid activities and ensures a standard incident command structure across 

all jurisdictions, and establishes standards and guidelines for resource typing and 

multiagency coordination. NIMS is broad in scope and seeks to achieve information 

technology system interoperability as well as address the plan and people aspects of 

incident and emergency management. 

Part of the IMSID effort to promote NIMS and to provide guidance to first responders is 

to adopt existing standards that are consistent with NIMS doctrine, and recommend those 

standards for voluntary adoption by state and local jurisdictions for guidance in pursuit of 

full NIMS implementation. Our standard review process is conducted by multidisciplinary field-based practitioner working groups and technical working groups to 

ensure the adopted NIMS standards are relevant, implementable, and useful, if adopted, 

in implementing NIMS. 

U.S. Fire Administration 

As an entity of FEMA, the mission of the USFA is provide national leadership to foster a 

solid foundation for our fire and emergency services stakeholders in prevention, 

preparedness, and response. While USFA has no regulatory authority, it routinely 

participates in the standards development process and is instrumental in promoting VCS. 

In 2009, the USFA led an effort to formally adopt a VCS for safety vests. This effort will 

ensure that emergency responders wear appropriate protective clothing specifically 

designed for their needs while operating on the roadways. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 

ICE is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is 

responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border, 

economic, transportation and infrastructure security 

ICE utilizes standards to deliver services in support of its mission in the areas of 

information technology and information sharing. In the area of information sharing, one 

high-level standard which is very important is the National Information Exchange Model 
59

(NIEM). NIEM is an implementation of the consensus standard ISO 11179, Information 

Technology -- Metadata registries (MDR). 

NIEM is designed to develop, disseminate, and support enterprise-wide information 

exchange standards and processes that can enable jurisdictions to effectively share critical 

information in emergency situations, as well as support the day-to-day operations of 

agencies throughout the nation. NIEM is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Justice 

and DHS. ICE provides oversight to information technology development efforts, and 

governs the utilization of information exchange standards such as NIEM to enhance our 

agencies data sharing efforts. NIEM standards and information are found at the following 

website: http://www.niem.gov/. ICE OCIO NIEM standards and other relevant 

technology processes and standards are found at the following website: 

http://powerport.ice.dhs.gov/tapweb/index.htm 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

CBP is responsible for protecting our nation’s borders in order to prevent terrorists and 

terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate 

trade and travel. 

CBP utilizes multiple standards in the accomplishment if its mission as principle guardian 

of the Nation’s frontline. Participation and contributions to VCS for technology, 

equipment and enforcement practices are evident in CBP’s employment of systems and 

initiatives such as Operation PRIDE, Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), Secure Border Initiative (SBI), and Container Security Initiative (CSI). 

Additionally, CBP’s Laboratories and Scientific Services analysis laboratories, which are 

accredited to (ISO/IEC 17025, standard accreditation) use numerous standards, such as 

ASTM C-373-88 (2006) Standard Test Method for Water Absorption, Bulk Density, 

Apparent Porosity, and Apparent Specific Gravity of Fired Whiteware Products, that are 

private sector standard test methods. These standard test methods are used to analyze 

imported products to enable CBP to “classify and value” these products under the 

Harmonized Tariff System of the United States, and for trade enforcement purposes. 

CBP’s practices establish and define standards that numerous law enforcement bodies 

adopt. However, CBP proceeds cautiously with each standard introduced to ensure the 

safety of its personnel and the Nation as a whole. 

Office of Health Affairs (OHA) 

OHA coordinates all medical activities of DHS to ensure appropriate preparation for and 

response to incidents having medical significance. It utilizes VCS to evaluate candidate 

biological and chemical detection systems. 

The Weapons of Mass Destruction and Biodefense (WMD/Biodefense) Division is the 

lead for the Department’s biological and chemical defense activities. This includes 

providing a robust biological and chemical detection capability in partnership with State 

and local jurisdictions and the private sector. Specifically for the State, local, and private 

partners, the WMD/Biodefense Division provides an operational perspective to the DHS 
60

S&T Test & Evaluation and Standards Division process and, as a customer of S&T, 

represents the first responder/first receiver communities of interest. In supporting this 

mission, the WMD/Biodefense Division began development of the Detection Technology 

Evaluation and Reporting (DeTER) Program to evaluate candidate biological and 

chemical detection systems employed to protect the American public at the Federal, 

State, and local levels. This voluntary “pay-to-play” program will provide a capability to 

conduct equipment and operational validation of biological and chemical detection 

technologies based on agreed upon voluntary, consensus standards at independent, 

accredited laboratories. If agreed to by the manufacture of the technology, the results of 

those tests will be available to DHS components; State, local, and tribal governments; 

public safety officials and first responders in order to assist them in making more 

informed acquisition and funding decisions. Specifically, this information will provide 

consistent guidance to DHS and other granting authorities for inclusion of evaluation 

information on their equipment lists, such as FEMA’s Authorized Equipment List. 

To ensure a coordinated effort across DHS, OHA, through the WMD/Biodefense 

Division, is engaged in the development of biological and chemical detection standards 

with DHS Science and technology Directorate (S&T) and NIST. OHA is working to align 

and leverage capabilities to initiate the development of the DeTER program. These 

activities are essential for successful implementation of the DeTER program but take an 

extended amount of time to develop and transition to OHA. While awaiting the 

development of these standards and protocols, OHA is developing interim specifications 

to help guide the FEMA grant programs, such as the Transit Security Grant Program 

(TSGP). 

In 2009, the WMD/Biodefense Division was invited to assist the Transportation Security 

Administration (TSA) in guiding the purchase of chemical detection systems funded 

through the TSGP. This request for assistance is due to the current lack of standards 

specific for stationary chemical detection equipment. In addition to the collaboration 

mentioned above, the WMD/Biodefense Division worked with the S&T Test & 

Evaluation and Standards Division and NIST to assist in reviewing current ASTM 

E2411-07, Standard Specification for Chemical Warfare Vapor Detectors. This standard 

provided a basis for developing interim guidance that will assist the TSGP Grantees in 

making more informed acquisition and funding decisions. Incident management 

standards encompass a wide range of valuable standards to include emergency responder 

equipment, emergency response protocols, and emergency response certification and 

accreditation. All standards related to incident management response relate directly to 

key components of the National Incident Management System and the National Response 

Framework. 

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) 

The mission of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) is to, “... train 

those who protect our homeland.” In order to facilitate this endeavor, the FLETC has 

developed and conducts all of the law enforcement training programs and subsequent 

courses of instruction following the processes outlined in various FLETC directives, 

policies, and procedures. These directives, policies, and procedures all support the 
61

professional training standards that are required by the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Accreditation (FLETA). 

Over 30 years ago, the Presidential Commission Report, The Challenge of Crime in a 

Free Society, and a follow-up report, The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society: Looking 

Back Looking Forward, contained recommendations to increase professionalism and 

standardization of training. More recently, in a January 2000 report to the Congress, the 

Commission on the Advancement of Federal Law Enforcement reiterated and reinforced 

the need to develop and implement training standards. The Commission made it 

abundantly clear that core training in law enforcement functions, certification of the 

adequacy of training programs, and accreditation of agencies are all essential to 

maintaining public confidence in the professionalism of Federal law enforcement agents 

and officers. 

Beginning in 2000, in an effort to increase the professionalism of Federal law 

enforcement training, a task force of key training leaders from principal Federal and state 

law enforcement agencies began work to collaboratively conduct research to establish a 

premier training accreditation model. In the development of the model, Federal law 

enforcement training professionals established standards and procedures to evaluate the 

training academies and training programs used to train Federal law enforcement agents 

and officers. The intent was to develop an independent accreditation process that 

provides law enforcement agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate that 

they meet and maintain compliance with an established set of professional standards and 

receive appropriate recognition. This independent accreditation process has been 

developed by the Office of Accreditation (OA), the working arm of the FLETA Board. 

Once developed, the process was approved by the FLETA Board, then administered and 

overseen by the OA. 

The accreditation of the FLETC academy and the various law enforcement training 

programs provides assurance to the agencies and citizens we serve, that the FLETC has 

voluntarily submitted to a process of self-regulation and has successfully achieved 

compliance with a set of professional training standards that have been collectively 

established by our peers within the law enforcement community. 

To date, the FLETC has been awarded the FLETA Board’s Academy Accreditation for 

the Glynco, Artesia, Charleston, and Cheltenham training sites, and Program 

Accreditation for twelve law enforcement training programs to include three Center Basic 

Programs: the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP), the Land Management 

Police Training Program (LMPT), and the Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP); 

and nine Center Advanced Training Programs: the Boat Operator Anti-Terrorism 

Training Program (BOAT), the Driver Instructor Training Program (DITP), the Firearms 

Instructor Training Program (FITP), the Inland Boat Operators Training Program (IBOT), 

the Law Enforcement Instructor Training Program (LEITP), the Law Enforcement 

Instructor In-Service Training Program (LEIISTP), the Law Enforcement Control Tactics 

Instructor Training Program (LECTITP) the Marine Law Enforcement Training Program 

(MLETP), and the Physical Fitness Coordinator Instructor Training Program (PFCTP). 
62

These accomplishments demonstrate the FLETC’s continuous adherence to quality, 

effectiveness and integrity in meeting our organizational mission and in providing 

excellent education and training to our students who represent more than 80 Federal, in 

addition to a multitude of state, local, and international law enforcement agencies. For 

further information regarding FLETA, refer to www.fleta.gov 

Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) 

DNDO works to enhance the nuclear detection efforts of federal, state, territorial, tribal, 

and local governments and the private sector and to ensure a coordinated response to such 

threats. 

DNDO utilizes voluntary consensus standards as the foundation for its test programs and 

requirements development efforts. The ANSI N42 series standards are referenced in ongoing Advanced Spectroscopic Portal program and the Human Portable Radiation 

Detection Systems projects, and as part of the Graduated Radiation Detector and 

Evaluation Reporting (GRaDER) program. 

The GRaDER program depends on independent testing of detection and identification 

instruments by accredited laboratories against existing American National Standards 

Institute (ANSI)/ Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) N42 consensus 

standards as the initial benchmark. The program incorporates other industry standards in 

order to assure the instruments meet a variety of safety and technical standards. In future 

years, the GRaDER program will incorporate the use of federal technical capability 

standards that are currently under development. The program descriptive documents may 

be read at the following web site: 

http://www.dhs.gov/grader 

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 

The USCG protects the public, the environment, and U.S. economic interests—in the 

nation’s ports and waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime

region as required to support national security. 

USCG remains committed to developing and adopting nationally and internationally 

recognized standards as a means to improve maritime safety, security, and 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 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 standardsorganizations. 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 promote their 
63

development. Visit our Director of Commercial Regulations & Standards website at 

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg52/. 

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 

TSA protects the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for 

people and commerce TSA utilizes existing non-government standards to define 

requirements for and guide the engineering of security systems it utilizes; ensuring 

deployed systems are safe and meet the requirements of end-users and stakeholders. 

Moreover, TSA uses standards to streamline procedures for the ongoing development of 

detection technologies and facilitate the development of test methods. 

National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) 

NPPD works to advance the Department's risk-reduction mission. Reducing risk requires 

an integrated approach that encompasses both physical and virtual threats and their 

associated human elements. 

The mission of the National Communication System (NCS) in NPPD 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 the telecommunications functions and 

responsibilities set forth in Section 2 of this Order; and (2) the coordination of the 

planning for and provision of national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) 

communications for the Federal government under all circumstances, including crisis or 

emergency, attack, recovery and reconstitution. 

To fulfill this mission the NCS offers a wide range of NS/EP Priority communications 

services ( Government Emergency Telecommunications Service, Telecommunications 

Service Priority, and Wireless Priority Service) that support qualifying Federal, State, and 

local government, industry, and non-profit organization personnel in performing their 

NS/EP missions. These services are provided on the pubic communications networks; 

therefore the reliance on voluntary industry consensus standards plays a vital role in the 

ability of the NCS to fulfill its mission. 

Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) 

S&T is the primary research and development arm of the Department. It provides federal, 

state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland. 

S&T support the development of VCS for use by Department’s many components, 

subcomponents, offices, divisions, and programs. In 2009, S&T finalized and 

implemented over 15 VCS. Standards developed with S&T assistance are generally 

developed faster than the traditional processes employed by voluntary consensus 

standards bodies. Within S&T there are two Offices that invest and participate in 

development of VCS, which are ultimately used by DHS to achieve its mission 

Office of Standards: 

The Office of Standard 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 
64

establish capabilities to support the Department’s need for VCS. The Office of Standards 

manages the adoption of VCS as DHS National Standards. A list of DHS National 

Standards may be found at http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1218226975457.shtm. 

Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) 

The Command, Control and Interoperability Division’s Office for Interoperability and 

Compatibility (OIC) focuses on the research, development, testing, and evaluation 

necessary to improve emergency communications capabilities for day-to-day operations 

and major incidents. OIC improves these public safety communications by supporting the 

development of public safety standards, specifications, and usage guidance by working 

closely with Public Safety specific standards development organizations. OIC’s standards 

efforts are focused in the following areas: 

• Project 25 (P25) and Project 34 (P34): OIC actively participates within the Public 

Safety specific standards development organizations to assist in the development of the 

Project 25 (P25) and Project 34 (P34) suite of standards, which are focused on 

developing open interoperability standards for public safety land mobile radio (LMR) 

systems. Through direction from the US Congress, OIC has been instrumental in 

speeding the standards development process for the four critical interoperability 

interfaces in the P25 suite of standards. Serving as an objective technical expert, OIC 

advocates on behalf of practitioners during the technical development of the standards. 

The Office is also implementing a Compliance Assessment Program for P25 (P25 CAP), 

a voluntary system that provides a mechanism for the recognition of testing laboratories 

based on internationally accepted standards. The P25 CAP leverages the standards 

developed in the Project 25 standards development process, and governs itself through 

the use of International Standards Organization (ISO) standards. An initial group of eight 

laboratories were recognized by DHS as approved to test emergency response 

communications equipment for standards compliance as part of P25 CAP. In December 

2009, the first manufacturer completed communications equipment testing and published 

results on the FEMA Responder Knowledge Base web site at 

https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=227247. The P34 effort led by CCI 

leverages existing commercial standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and 

Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Additional information on P25 can be found at 

http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/currentprojects/project25cap/ 

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): Public safety agencies are investing millions of 

dollars in devices that allow agencies to patch non-interoperable radio systems together. 

These are commonly referred to as bridging systems, and many of these systems use 

VoIP technology. While IP itself is a formal standard that allows for interoperability, the 

VoIP technology built on top of that standard is often proprietary and prevents 

interoperability. To address these interoperability gaps, OIC is assisting in the 

development of VoIP specifications. These activities are currently being led by the Public 

Safety VoIP Working Group, which is comprised of emergency responders, industry 

representatives, and NIST’s Office of Law Enforcement Standards. In 2009, the project 

initiated virtual plugfest testing and evaluation of the first VoIP specification – the 

Bridging System Interface (BSI) Core Profile, by creating a set of best practices that will 
65

allow users to implement the BSI Core Specification with even greater ease, and by 

completing a BSI Core profile case study. Additional information can be found at 

http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/currentprojects/voip/ 

• Audio and Video Quality Measurements: The Department has also been involved in the 

development of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards regarding test 

methodologies used for public safety specific evaluation of audio and video quality 

measurements. Specifically, a new standard was developed by CCI for video quality 

assessment for recognition tasks through the ITU-T Study Group 9 as Recommendation 

ITU-T P.912. 

• Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL) Messaging Standards: OIC is partnering 

with emergency responders, Federal agencies, and standards development organizations, 

such as the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards 

(OASIS), to accelerate the creation of data messaging standards. The EDXL initiative is a 

practitioner-driven, public-private partnership to create information sharing capabilities 

between disparate emergency response software applications, systems, and devices. The 

resulting Extensible Markup Language (XML) standards assist the emergency response 

community in sharing data seamlessly and securely while responding to an incident. 

EDXL standards include Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Version 1.1 which provides 

the ability to exchange all-hazard emergency alerts, notifications, and public warnings 

that can be disseminated simultaneously over many different warning systems (e.g. 

computer systems, wireless, alarms, TV, radio). CAP is used by Emergency Operations 

Centers (EOCs) across the Nation as a means to share information. In 2007, the FCC 

endorsed the adoption of CAP for the Nation’s next generation emergency alert system. 

Additionally, CAP is used by other Federal agencies, including DHS, the National 

Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the United 

States Geological Survey, to send alerts and warnings. The Hospital AVailability 

Exchange (HAVE) messaging standard enables the exchange of hospital status, capacity, 

and resource availability/usage information among medical and health organizations and 

emergency information systems. HAVE allows dispatchers and emergency managers to 

make sound logistical decisions, such as where to route victims, based on up-to-date 

information about nearby hospitals’ availability and services. EOCs, 9-1-1 centers, EMS 

agencies, and the Department of Health and Human Services are already using HAVE to 

better respond to both day-to-day and major incidents. The Resource Messaging (RM) 

messaging standard enables the seamless exchange of resource information, such as 

requests for personnel or equipment, which are necessary to support emergency and 

incident preparedness, response, and recovery. OIC also continued to coordinate with the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Incident Management 

System Supporting Technology Evaluation Program to evaluate products for compliance 

to EDXL standards. 

• Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS): A component of the Integrated Public Alert 

and Warning System, CMAS is an alert system that will have the capability to deliver 

relevant, timely, effective, and targeted alert messages to the public through mobile 

devices, including cell phones and blackberries. This national capability will ensure more 
66

people receive Presidential, Imminent Threat, and AMBER alerts. OIC provides research, 

development, testing, and evaluation in support of CMAS. In FY 2010, with support from 

OIC and FEMA, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions and 

Telecommunications Industry Association formed a joint Standards Committee to 

develop the technical specifications that will be used to administer the C-Interface. The 

C-Interface will communicate alert messages to Commercial Mobile Service Providers 

for distribution to the public through mobile devices, including cell phones and 

blackberries.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 62

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 58

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

3rd Generation Partnership Project 3GPP

3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 3GPP2

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS

American Association for Budget and Program Analysis AABPA

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials AASHTO

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC

American Boat and Yacht Council ABYC

American Bureau of Shipping ABS

American Chemical Society ACS

American National Standards Institute ANSI
67

American Petroleum Institute API

American Public Transportation Association APTA

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way 

Association AREMA

American Society for Industrial Security ASIS

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

American Society of Naval Engineers ASNE

American Welding Society AWS

AOAC International AOAC

Association of Diving Contractors International ADCI

ASTM International ASTM

British Standards Institution BSI

Chlorine Institute CI

Committee on Marine Measurements COPM

Compressed Gas Association CGA

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA

Emergency Interoperability Consortium EIC

Emergency Management Accreditation Program EMAP

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

International Association of Drilling Contractors IADC

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities IALA

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO

International Code Council ICC

InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards INCITS

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress ISOSC

International Society of Automation ISA

International Telecommunication Union ITU

International Towing Tank Conference ITTC

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
68

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Marine Electronics Association NMEA

National Marine Manufacturers Association NMMA

NSF International NSFI

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards OASIS

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services RTCM

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers SNAME

Standards Engineering Society SES

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA

Underwriters Laboratories UL

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access Form WiMAX

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 212

Activities: 285

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 2009. 

none

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

recommendations for any changes:

none

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:

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]
69

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
70

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

 

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

Standards are used to guide the work of the grantees and other HUD supported agencies 

in providing quality housing and improvements in America's communities. 

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, such as model building codes that are adopted for use by communities nationwide. 

Because there are virtually no differences between HUD-assisted and market-based 

development, standards such are building codes that are developed for the entire 

construction industry are relevant. 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 2009: 2

1. Government Unique Standard: 24 CFR 200.935 - Administrator qualifications 

and procedures for HUD building products and certification 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.

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:
71

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 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 1

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 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

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 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 2009. 
72

n/a

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

recommendations for any changes:

Because many of the activities supported by HUD are similar to the activities in the 

commercial market, and rely on the commercial market for execution, it is reasonable to 

rely on a common set of standards. The use of model building codes (adopted at a 

community level) are particularly notable in this regard

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; 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; No

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 0
73

Department of the Interior (DOI)

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. Please include 

relevant internet links to your agency's standards website. 

Standards are a critical component to the successful execution of regulatory functions 

associated with our four primary missions of resource protection, resource management, 

recreation, and serving communities. We evaluate, adopt and apply standards across a 

wide array of disciplines to include scientific research, engineering, safety, contract 

administration, information technology, data management, law enforcement, and 

facilities management. There are several examples of how standards have contributed to 

mission success at the DOI. 

The adoption of geospatial standards has enabled the Minerals Management Service to 

integrate multiple geospatial layers within a single digital map viewer. This improved 

marine spatial planning efforts by permitting the standardization of previously 

incompatible geospatial data across federal, state, and local government uses, which 

improved the ability to identify the best location for renewable energy projects. 

Participation in electrical engineering standards committees (IEEE) has allowed the 

Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to identify the impacts of proposed changes, which has 

promoted the stability of the Western electric power grid, contributed to the prevention of 

billion-dollar regional blackouts, enhanced the safety of BOR managed hydroelectric 

facilities, and improving Operations & Maintenance (O&M) testing, and diagnostics. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has adopted the Dublin Core Metadata 

Element Set (endorsed by the International Standards Organization) to describe the FWS 

collection of digital photos, videos, and other media that are currently stored in the FWS 

National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). This enhancement will reduce data 

anomalies and improve interoperability for data exchanges between NCTC and other 

systems. 

The Office of Surface Mining (OSM) has defined geospatial standards for coal mining 

boundaries (surface and underground) that have been adopted as international standards 

by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). These standards have 

improved miner and public safety, reduced the cost of regulatory compliance, and map 

generation, and improved the electronic permitting process by reducing the time required 

to review regulatory permit requests. 

The incorporation of consensus Government geospatial standards (approved by the 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC) has resulted in improving the quality and 

reducing the cost of geospatial products produced by the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS).

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0
74

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 2

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 83

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Advisory Committee for Water Information ACWI

American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials AASHTO

American Concrete Institute ACI

American Concrete Pipe Association ACPA

American Hardware Manufacturers Association AHMA

American Institute of Steel Construction AISC

American Institute of Timber Construction AITC

American Iron and Steel Institute AISI

American National Standards Institute ANSI

American Petroleum Institute API

American Rock Mechanics Association ARMA

American Society for Industrial Security ASIS

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing ASPRS

American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE

American Society of Dam Safety Officials ASDSO

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers ASHRAE

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

American Water Works Association AWWA
75

American Welding Society AWS

American Wood Preservers Institute AWPI

Architectural Woodwork Institute AWI

ASCE Building Security Council BSC

ASTM International ASTM

Brick Industry Association BIA

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA

Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute CISPI

Center for Internet Security CIS

Concrete Pipe Association CPA

Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute CRSI

Construction Specifications Institute CSI

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

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA

Engineered Wood Association EWA

European Petroleum Survey Group EPSG

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC

Forest Stewardship Council FSC

Ground Water Protection Council GWPC

Gypsum Association GA

INCITS Technical Committee L1, Geographic Information 

Systems INCITS TC L1

Information Technology Service Management Forum ITSMF

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

Insulated Cable Engineers Association ICEA

Interagency Trails Data Standards ITDS

International Air Transport Association IATA

international Code Council ICC

InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards INCITS

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Security Council ISC

Internet Society IS

Metal Building Manufacturers Association MBMA
76

Modular Systems Building Council MSBC

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE

National CAS Standards NCS

National Digital Elevation Program NDEP

National Electric Reliability Corporation NERC

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA

National Environmental Methods Index NEMI

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Trust Banking Industry NTBI

National Water-Quality Monitoring Council NWQMC

National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group NWCG

North American Weeds Management Association NAWMA

Northwest Environmental Data Network NED

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards OASIS

Pacific Northwest Regional Geospatial Information Council PNW-RGIC

Petrotechnical Open Standards Consortium, Inc. POSC

Project Management Institute PMI

Public Petroleum Data Management PPDM

SAVE International SAVE

Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National 

Association SMACNA

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA

The National Digital Orthophoto Program NDOP

The Open Geospatial Consortium OGC

United States Committee on Large Dams USCOLD

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association URISA

US Green Building Council - Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design

USGBC -

LEEDS

Web Application Security Consortium WASC

Western Electricity Coordinating Council WECC

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 166
77

Activities: 149

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 2009. 

The Minerals Management Service of DOI is a member of the Federal Geographic Data 

Committee (FGDC) with representation on the Standards Working Group, the 

Coordinating Committee, the Steering Committee, the Marine Boundary Working Group, 

and ad hoc subcommittees developing standards for geospatial data. 

Bureau of Reclamation: The ISO 14001 standard requires that organizations conduct 

third- party conformance audits to determine conformance with the ISO Standard. 

Reclamation has adopted this requirement in a revised form and will conduct audits to 

determine conformance with both the Standard framework and the executive order. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA): BIA participated in the Federal Geospatial One-Stop and 

the Enterprise Geographic Information Management Committee. 

FWS: The FWS continues to implement key security standards and guidelines developed 

or approved by NIST to support the implementation of and compliance with the Federal 

Information Security Management Act (FISMA) including: 

• Standards for categorizing information and information systems by mission impact. 

• Standards for minimum security requirements for information and information systems. 

• Standards for encrypting government data. 

• Standards for applying and enforcing secure configuration baselines. 

• Standards for secure remote access. 

• Guidance for mapping types of information and information systems to appropriate 

security categories. 

• Guidance for planning and conducting technical information security testing. 

• Guidance for assessing security controls in information systems and determining 

security control effectiveness. 

• Guidance for certifying and accrediting information systems. 

The FWS is currently using secure configuration benchmarks developed by the Center for 

Internet Security (CIS), a non-profit organization whose mission is to help organizations 

reduce the risk of business and e-commerce disruptions resulting from inadequate 

technical security controls. These benchmarks have been deemed as "NIST" approved.

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

recommendations for any changes:

As a direct result of OMB Circular A-119, the Minerals Management Service of DOI 

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. 
78

The Minerals Management Service of DOI has not requested any exemptions, nor are we 

contemplating making such a request. We have no recommendations for changes to the 

Circular. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs strives to use VCS, whether as promulgated directly from a 

consensus standards body or as promulgated by regulatory body, are its first choice for 

guidance. This approach has helped us garner and retain options and flexibility in 

handling construction and new systems development. In that regard, A-119 has been of 

great use. 

FWS: The NIST and/or OMB should identify high priority VCS and Non-consensus

standards for implementation by Federal agencies, especially standards that pertain to EGov initiatives and IT security requirements. 

USGS: Since its issuance, Circular A-119 has worked in a straightforward manner to 

encourage the use of voluntary consensus standards. Some people, however, believe that 

there is an order of preference for voluntary consensus standards (for example, 

international VCS are to be preferred to domestic VCS). The USGS encourages NIST 

and OMB to adjudicate issues concerning interpretation of OMB Circular A-119. 

Circular A-119 allows exemptions where existing voluntary consensus standards are 

inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical and if each exemption is reported to OMB. 

The USGS has not requested any exemptions, nor is the FGDC 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.

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

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 1
79

Department of Justice (DOJ)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The Department, in its primary mission roles, does not specify products requiring 

voluntary consensus standards. Because of the nature of the Department's 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. 

REF: http://it.ojp.gov/default.aspx?area=nationalInitiatives&page=1012

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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 2009: 0

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 1
80

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 2009. 

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

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
81

Department of Labor (DOL) 

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) promulgates safety and health standards 

which provide minimum requirements for the protection of employees from workplace 

hazards. 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 inspections and investigations when there are 

no Federal standards that apply in specific circumstances.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 9

1. Government Unique Standard: 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S - Electrical Standard 

(Incorporated: 2007) (Incorporated: 2007) 

Voluntary Standard:

NFPA 70 - National Electric Code 

NFPA 70E - Electrical Safety Requirement for Employee Workplaces. 

ANSI/IEEE C2 - National Electrical Safety Code 

ANSI/ASME B30.4 - Portal, Tower, and Pedestal Cranes 

NFPA 33 - Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials 

ANSI Z133.1 Arboricultural Operations for Pruning, Repairing, Maintaining, and 

Removing Trees, and Cutting Brush

Rationale:

Several voluntary consensus standards were relied upon for the various provisions 

in the final rule, however, no single VCS is available to cover all the workplace 

applications that are addressed by OSHA. The Agency believes that it would be 

less burdensome for the regulated community to use one OSHA standard rather 

than purchase and use the 6 individual consensus standards it used to write the 

rule. 

2. Government Unique Standard: 29 CFR 1926.1002 Roll-Over Protective 

Structures (Incorporated: 2006) (Incorporated: 2006) 

Voluntary Standard:

SAE J1194-1999

Rationale:
82

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. 

3. Government Unique Standard: 30 CFR Part 75 - Sealing of Abandoned Areas -

Emergency Temporary Standard. (Incorporated: 2007) 

Voluntary Standard:

ACI 318-05 - Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and 

Commentary 

ACI 440.2R-02 - Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP 

Systems for Strengthening Concrete Structures 

ASTM E119-07 - Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building 

Construction and Materials 

ASTM E162-06 - Standard Test Method for Surface Flammability of Materials 

Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source

Rationale:

Four consensus standards were relied upon for various provisions in the 

emergency temporary standard, but no one consensus standard is available that 

covered all of the topics covered by MSHA's Emergency Temporary Standard. 

4. 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.

5. Government Unique Standard: Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, and Fire 

Prevention Plans, 29 CFR 1910, Subpart E (Incorporated: 2003) 
83

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.

6. 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 

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. 

7. Government Unique Standard: Longshoring and Marine Terminals; Vertical 

Tandem Lifts (Incorporated: 2009) 

Voluntary Standard:

ISO 668:1995 - Series 1 freight containers--Classification, dimensions and 

ratings. 

ISO 1161:1984 - Series 1 freight containers--Corner fittings--Specification. 

ISO 1161:1984/Cor. 1:1990 - Technical corrigendum 1:1990 to ISO 1161:1984. 

ISO 1496-1:1990 - Series 1 freight containers--Specifications and testing--Part 1: 

General cargo containers for general purposes. 

ISO 1496-1:1990/Amd. 1:1993 -

Rationale:
84

Several voluntary consensus standards were relied upon for the various provisions 

in the final rule, however, no single VCS is available to cover all the workplace 

applications that are addressed by OSHA. The Agency believes that it would be 

less burdensome for the regulated community to use one OSHA standard rather 

than purchase and use the nine individual consensus standards used in this rule.

8. 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. 

9. 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.

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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
85

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 19

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

American Lift 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

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Society of Automation ISA

International Window Cleaning Association IWCA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Floor Safety Institute NFSI

National Safety Council NSC

Robotics Industries Association RIA

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 38

Activities: 98

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 2009. 

No comment at this time
86

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]

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
87

Department of State (DOS)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The Department of State, Economics & Energy Bureau, International Communications & 

Information Policy, Multilateral Affairs (EEB/CIP/MA) represents the nation at meetings 

of the United Nation's International Telecommunication Union (Telecommunication 

Development (ITU-D), Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T), and 

Radiocommunication (ITU-R)). Especially in the case of the ITU-T, these sectors 

develop standards which govern international telecommunications. The Department of 

State coordinates development of the Government's technical, policy, and regulatory 

positions based on advice provided by government agencies (such as the Federal 

Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce/National 

Telecommunications and Information Administration) and the U.S. telecommunications 

industry. The Department also leads delegations to these international meetings selected 

from the public and private sectors. In general the government does not participate in 

strictly technical discussions and the technical standards (Recommendations) are written 

almost exclusively by the international telecommunications industry. The resulting 

standards form the basis for the technical and policy aspects of international 

telecommunications and provide important input to the development of national 

regulatory policy. In particular, ITU-T standards are used to support standard quality of 

service and telecommunication transport mechanisms, among others.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 
88

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

participated in during FY 2009: 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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 9

Activities: 14

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 2009. 

none

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

recommendations for any changes:

none

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:

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
89

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 0
90

Department of Transportation (DOT)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and its operating administrations rely 

upon a 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 (VCS), 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. 

FY 2009 Standards Activities 

During FY 2009, DOT pursued research, rulemaking action, outreach or training on 

multiple standards-related issues. Some examples: 

• Hazardous Materials Safety -- Transportation of Lithium Batteries: The Pipeline and 

Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in consultation with the Federal 

Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to 

amend requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) on the transportation 

of lithium cells and batteries, including lithium cells and batteries packed with or 

contained in equipment. The proposed changes are intended to enhance safety by 

ensuring that all lithium batteries are designed to withstand normal transportation 

conditions, packaged to reduce the possibility of damage that could lead to a catastrophic 

incident, minimize the consequences of an incident and ensure packages of lithium 

batteries are accompanied by hazard communication that ensures appropriate and careful 

handling by air carrier personnel and informs both transport workers and emergency 

response personnel of actions to be taken in an emergency. These proposals are largely 

consistent with changes made to the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport 

of Dangerous Goods (UN Recommendations) and the International Civil Aviation 

Organization Technical Instructions on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air 

(ICAO Technical Instructions) and respond to recommendations issued by the National 

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). 

• How Proposed ARFF Standards Would Impact Airports: Transportation Research 

Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Results Digest 7: A 

Summary of How Proposed Firefighting Standards Would Impact Airports explores the 

potential cost implications for airports of implementing proposed airport rescue and fire 

fighting (ARFF) regulations that would be more closely aligned with voluntary consensus 

standards promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the National 
91

Fire Protection Association. Section 311 of H.R. 915 EH, the FAA Reauthorization Act 

of 2009, calls for more closely aligning ARFF regulations under part 139 of title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations, Certification of Airports, with voluntary consensus 

standards. 

• Participation in NIST Standards in Trade (SIT) Workshop Program: Research and 

Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) 

Joint Program Office (JPO) participated in a workshop on Transportation Management 

Systems (TMS) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Standards for Israel. This 

workshop was organized by NIST in collaboration with several U.S. public and private 

sector stakeholders in the ITS sector and the Department of Commerce, International 

Trade Administration, and was held at the Israel National Roads Company (MA’ATZ) in 

Tel Aviv, Israel. The workshop addressed various aspects of standards and codes related 

to the transportation sector, including general and technical discussions on pertinent 

standards and codes, their development processes, conformity assessment procedures, 

and emerging trends. 

• FTA Transit Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Research, Technical, and Policy 

Support Program: The Federal Transit Administration’s ITS support program continues 

to ensure that U.S. interests and upheld worldwide, including through active participation 

in Working Meetings of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 

Technical Committee 204 (Intelligent Transportation Systems), Working Group 8 (Public 

Transit/Emergency). The worldwide transit industry relies heavily upon harmonized 

international standards for cost-effective trade and equipment operations. 

• Training in Safety Standards: The Research and Innovative Technology 

Administration’s (RITA) Transportation Safety Institute continues to host safety 

standards training – for example, the AFS-640 Designee Standardization Training course, 

which is one of the many standardization seminars used by designees, certificated airmen 

and representatives of delegations for renewal purposes. 

DOT Standards Links 

Due to the varied nature of the standards activities and stakeholder communities of the 

DOT operating administrations, DOT has not developed a single standards website. 

Relevant operating administration websites include: 

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Construction Standards: 

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/airports/construction/construction_standards/ 

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Design Standards: 

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/airports/construction/design_standards/ 

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation System Standards: 

http://avn.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=index 

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards Service: 

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afs/ 

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-Industry Training Standards: 
92

http://www.faa.gov/education_research/training/fits/ 

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Design Standards: 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/standards.cfm 

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Freight Architecture and Data Standards: 

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/technology/standards/ 

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) 

Standards Implementation: 

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/int_its_deployment/standards_imp/standards.htm 

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inspection Standards: 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbis/ 

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Rules and Regulations: 

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/rules-regulations.htm 

• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Regulations, Orders, Notices, and Significant 

Guidance: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/49 

• Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Regulations: 

http://www.fta.dot.gov/leg_reg.html 

• Maritime Administration (MARAD) National Maritime Resource and Education 

Center: 

http://www.marad.dot.gov/ships_shipping_landing_page/nmrec_home/NMREC_home.ht

m 

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Regulations/Guidance: 

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.e649cd1b2b018c71d8eca01046108a

0c/ 

• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)/Hazardous 

Materials Safety Standards: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/regs 

• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)/Pipeline Safety 

Standards: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/regs 

• Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)/Bureau of Transportation 

Statistics (BTS) Standards Manual: 

http://www.bts.gov/programs/statistical_policy_and_research/ 

• Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)/Intelligent Transportation 

Systems (ITS) Standards Program: 

http://www.standards.its.dot.gov/ 

• St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation/Canadian and U.S. Regulations: 

http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/commercial/regulations-and-laws/index.html

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 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:
93

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 

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. 

At this time (February 22, 1999), a final decision is still pending regarding its 
94

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 judgment 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.

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 
95

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 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 4

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 56

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 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
96

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

Canadian General Standards Board CGSB

Canadian Standards Association CSA

Chlorine Institute CI

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance CVSA

Compressed Gas Association CGA

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA

Gas Technology Institute GTI

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. HFES

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA

Industrial Truck Association ITA

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 Maritime Organization IMO

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Society of Automation ISA

Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and 

Fittings Industry MSSVFI

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

National Petroleum Management Association NPMA

National Safety Council NSC

North American Transport of Dangerous Goods Standards NATDGS

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD

Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics RTCA

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services RTCM
97

Recreation Vehicle Industry Association RVIA

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society 

of North America RESNA

Society for Protective Coatings SPC

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers SNAME

Standards Engineering Society SES

Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association TTMA

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 162

Activities: 291

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 2009. 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): Under 15 CFR Part 286, 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 American Society of 

Mechanical Engineers Transportation Pressure Vessel Committee, as well as continuing 

to participate in the North American Transport of Dangerous Goods Standard Working 

Group and the Association of American Railroads Tank Car Committee. 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. 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)/Intelligent Transportation 

Systems (ITS) Program: The National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol 

(NTCIP) Testing and Conformity Assessment Working Group issued NCTIP 8007 -

Testing and Conformity Assessment Documentation within NTCIP Standards. NTCIP 

8007 defines the rules and guidelines to be used by the other NTCIP working groups 

when they produce NTCIP test documentation.
98

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 

provides efficiencies for regulatory agencies, and for regulated entities and industries. 

There continues to be a low volume of government-unique standards being used in lieu of 

voluntary consensus standards within DOT. 

DOT recommends that OMB Circular A-119 be revised to require NTTAA reporting 

only on instances of government-unique standards being used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards, with the default position being that agencies are using VCS for 

regulatory work as much as possible. 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:

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]

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
99

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 5
100

Department of the Treasury (TRES)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

U.S. Department of Treasury’s mission is to maintain a strong economy and create 

economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic 

growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating 

threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. 

Government’s finances and resources effectively. 

U.S. Department of Treasury’s technical standards program provides direction by 

defining the technical infrastructure of hardware, software, connectivity, and standards 

necessary to implement the application projects defined by the Enterprise Architecture. 

The standards provide an open systems environment with the functionality necessary to 

meet Treasury’s mission requirements. This process supports IT planning; introducing an 

orderly, repeatable, architecture-based planning process that better manages IT 

investments and supports crosscutting business needs. 

The Department uses all applicable Federal and generally accepted standards in carrying 

out its mission. 

The Enterprise Standards Profile or ESP is accessible on the IRS Intranet at the following 

link: The IRS ESP.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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
101

Rationale: The Department of Treasury maintains a list of IT Standards that are classified 

as Voluntary Consensus Standards. There were no Voluntary Consensus Standards 

beyond those prescribed by the Department.

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

participated in during FY 2009: 0

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 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 2009. 

1. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits 

2. Certification and Accreditations

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

recommendations for any changes:

The Department of the Treasury finds Circular A-119 to be effective in the identification 

of standards for use in the development and acquisition of information technology 

systems and equipment.

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

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:

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
102

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
103

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has not submitted a report for 2009.
104

Appendix E – Individual, Unabridged Commission and other Agency Reports

Access Board (ACCESS)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The Access Board is authorized to promulgate both guidelines and standards. The Board 

uses referenced standards to maintain harmonization with model codes and standards 

commonly used by entities covered by 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. The Access Board 

maintains one Standard 36 CFR Part 1194 Electronic and Information Technology 

Accessibility Standards which currently is under revision. The Board's guidelines are 

adopted as enforceable standards by other Federal agencies, these include: 

36 CFR Part 1191 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and 

Facilities; Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Guidelines 

36 CFR Part 1192 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation 

Vehicles 

36 CFR Part 1193 

Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 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 
105

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. 

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: The Access Board did not complete a rulemaking in FY 2009.

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

participated in during FY 2009: 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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 9

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 2009. 

n/a

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

recommendations for any changes:
106

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:

Our agency updates its referenced standards when out guidelines and standards are 

updated. There is no "set" schedule for this activity.

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
107

U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

USAID did not submit a report for 2009.
108

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for protecting the 

American public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with thousands 

of 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 2009, the Commission staff supported the development of over 460 

new, revised, or reaffirmed voluntary standards. Information on the Commission staff's 

involvement in voluntary standards activities can be found on CPSC's website at 

www.cpsc.gov

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 2

1. Government Unique Standard: 16 CFR 1500.17(a)(13), 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 68 

Fed. Reg. 19145-6, paragraph H2, Voluntary Standards for further information on 

this finding.

2. Government Unique Standard: CPSC 16 CFR Parts 1213, 1500, and 1513 for 

Bunk Beds (Incorporated: 2000) 

Voluntary Standard:

ASTM F1427-96

Rationale:

The CPSC rules go beyond the provisions of the ASTM voluntary standard to 

provide increased protection to children from the risk of death and serious injury 

from entrapment.
109

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 2

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 8

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

American National Standards Institute ANSI

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

Association of Pool and Spa Professionals APSP

ASTM International ASTM

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 22

Activities: 39

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 2009. 

On August 14, 2008, the President signed into law the Consumer Product Safety 

Improvement Act of 2008, hereinafter referred to as the Act. Among other things, this 

Act sets forth requirements for general conformity certification and third party testing for 

children's products subject to consumer product safety rules under the Act or similar 

rules, bans, standards, or regulations under any other Act enforced by the Commission. A 
110

copy of the Act and related information on CPSC conformity assessment activities are 

shown on CPSC's website at www.cpsc.gov under "Information on the Consumer 

Product Safety Improvement Act".

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

recommendations for any changes:

During FY 2009, 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. 

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. Congress passed the Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) in August 2008 that mandates several 

voluntary standards as mandatory standards, along with a mechanism to update them as 

the voluntary standards are updated. 

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 CFR 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:

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) made certain voluntary 

standards into mandatory consumer product standards. For example, section 106 of the 

CPSIA makes the provisions of ASTM F963-07 (regarding toys) and its successor 

standards “consumer product safety standards issued by the Commission under section 9 

of the Consumer Product Safety Act.” Section 232 of the CPSIA directed the 

Commission to publish, as a mandatory consumer product safety standard, ANSI/SVIA1-2007 (regarding four wheel all-terrain vehicles). In both cases, the rationale for using 

the standards was that the law directed the CPSC to do so. 
111

The CPSC reports on its voluntary consensus standards activities in its Voluntary 

Standards Activities reports which are published and posted every six months on the 

CPSC website at www.cpsc.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; 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; 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
112

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

EPA uses standards regularly in our regulatory programs and increasingly so in our 

outreach and partnership programs. In our regulations we often use voluntary consensus 

testing and measurement methods as either primary or alternate methods. Several of the 

partnership programs use voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment 

schemes as the basis for EPA recognition within a program's parameter. As 'greening' of 

products and sustainability are increasingly important in the public interest, there are a 

growing number of voluntary standards being developed with Agency participants at the 

table to provide our expertise in the efforts.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 23

1. 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.
113

2. 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.

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 PS-1.

3. 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 PS-1.

4. 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 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.
114

5. 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. 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 
115

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.

6. 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.

7. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 2 – Velocity and S-type Pitot 

(Incorporated: 1999) 

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:
116

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.

8. 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

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.

9. 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.

10. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 25A – Gaseous Organic 

Concentration, Flame Ionization (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard:
117

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.

11. 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:

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.

12. 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
118

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. 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.
119

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.

13. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 306 - Chromium Emissions, 

Electroplating and Anodizing (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).

14. 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).
120

15. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 3A – Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen 

Concentrations, IAP (Incorporated: 1999) 

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 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.

16. 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:

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 
121

analytes, as determined in each laboratory. Therefore, this method permits 

unacceptably large control limits, which may include 0 percent recovery.

17. 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 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.

18. Government Unique Standard: EPA Method 5i - Low Level Particulate Matter, 

Stationary Sources (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard:

ASTM D6331-98
122

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.

19. 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. 

20. 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:

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. 

21. Government Unique Standard: EPA Performance Specification 2 (nitrogen 

oxide portion only) (Incorporated: 2001) 

Voluntary Standard:
123

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.

22. 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.

23. 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, 

and internal standard and method of standard addition options for samples with 

interferences.
124

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 49

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 0

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 65

Activities: 42

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 2009. 

Continuation of use of conformity assessment in radon mitigation areas, Water Sense 

program and in green clean-up areas under Brownfields.

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

recommendations for any changes:

Look forward to continuing discussions with OMB and NIST on improvements that can 

aide federal agency use of the important tool that the voluntary standards and conformity 

assessment systems have to offer the government in fulfillment of our many important 

missions.

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

No additional comments 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:
125

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; No

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 0
126

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The FCC references many standards in support of the Commission’s regulatory 

responsibilities. These standards, referenced in the FCC rules, range from referencing 

measurement methods and conformity assessment procedures to radio carriage 

requirements for oceangoing vessels to promote safety of life. In addition, standards are 

used to promote compatibility between radios and to achieve coordination among 

Commission licensees. 

For example: In the Hearing Aid Compatibility Report and Order (WT Docket No. 01-

309), the Commission required that digital wireless phones be capable of operating 

effectively with hearing aids based on certain performance measurement standards 

contained in the 2001 version of ANSI C63.19, “American National Standard for 

Methods of Measurement of Compatibility between Wireless Communication Devices 

and Hearing Aids, ANSI C63.19-2001.” Pursuant to the Hearing Aid Compatibility 

Report and Order, the Commission encouraged the relevant stakeholders to review the 

standard periodically to determine whether improvements to the standard are warranted. 

The Accredited Standards Committee on Electromagnetic Compatibility, C63 (ASC C63) 

has been working to revise C63.19-2001 and in a public notice (DA 06-1215) issued on 

June 6, 2006, the Commission recognized the use of either ANSI C63.19 standard, 2001, 

2005 or 2006 for rating wireless phones, consistent with 47 C.F.R. § 2.947 (b). Allowing 

the use of the new measurement and rating procedures now should assist manufacturers 

and carriers in providing handset models that comply with the hearing aid compatibility 

requirements of 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(b). 

Another example is the successful use of the Telecommunications Industry Association 

Telecommunications System Bulletin 10-F, "Interference Criteria for Microwave 

Systems." This standard, referenced within several Commission rule parts has become the 

cornerstone for applicants and licensees to successfully coordinate the use of microwave 

communications systems.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: Optional: If possible, also please provide the total 

number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector your agency 
127

began to use during FY 2009. 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: 157

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: N/A

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

participated in during FY 2009: 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 Maritime Organization IMO

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

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 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 28

Activities: 31

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 2009. 

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 
128

“Declaration of Conformity” on their products to have the products tested by an 

accredited Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing laboratory. 

The FCC also recognizes accredited testing 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 (MRA); or if 

the testing 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. 

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-togovernment 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) 

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. 17 are 

located in the United States and 13 are located outside of the United States.
129

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:

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; No

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 0
130

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

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 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: See response to Question 1.

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

participated in during FY 2009: 0

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 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 2009. 
131

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

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
132

General Services Administration (GSA)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

Standards play a significant role in the Federal Supply 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. The most signification aspect of our use of standards is to ensure the 

safety and durability of the products purchased for government use. 

GSA maintains a standards website, http://www.gsa.gov Home>About 

GSA>Reference>Supply Standards

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 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 (KKK-A-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. 

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”. 
133

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. 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) 
134

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 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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 2009: 21

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Ambulance Manufacturers Division AMD

American National Standards Institute ANSI

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

ASTM International ASTM

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA

Institute of Packaging Professionals IOPP

International Safe Transit Association ISTA

Material Handling Equipment Industry Association MHIA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Institute of Packaging, Handling Engineers NIPHLE

National Truck Equipment Association NTEA

Network Address Space Working Group IPv6

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards OASIS

Performance Review Institute PRI

Qualified Products Management Council QPMC

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE
135

Technical Association for the Worldwide, Pulp Paper and 

Converting Industry TAPPI

The Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations TMC/ATA

The Society for Protective Coatings SSPC

Underwriters Laboratories UL

United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic 

Business UN/CEFACT

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 19

Activities: 57

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 2009. 

A variety of conformity assessment activities were used including direct inspection and 

testing, supplier and third party testing, and product qualification and listing. In addition 

GSA representatives in the GSA Automotive Center were actively engaged in performing 

technical reviews of new offers, participating in post award meetings, hosting in-process 

validation reviews, participating in on-site first article inspections at manufacturer’s 

plants and managing GSA’s quality defect reporting program.

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

recommendations for any changes:

The policy contained in OMB Circular A-119 provides the guidelines and incentive to 

partner with Industry in specifying material performance. The use of VCS 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:

General Services Administration (GSA) Fiscal Year 2008 Agency 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
136

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
137

Government Printing Office (GPO)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

The use of standards is very important in our procurement / acquisition process and 

defining our needs. When dealing with vendors, standards provide a level playing field 

for them when bidding on our Agency requirements. We use standards to inform 

potential bidders and offerers of our minimum requirements. The use of standards has 

ensured consistency in our manufacturing process and the ability to maintain the highest 

quality in the production of our documents. 

http://www.gpo.gov/customers/vol11.htm

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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 2009: 0

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 10

Activities: 0
138

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 2009. 

n/a

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

recommendations for any changes:

None

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

Standards are an important aspect of the Agency's day-to-day activities. We have a 

Quality Assurance office which oversees the efforts to establish internal procedures to 

document "standard operating procedures." Other visible efforts include development of 

process standards, including 5S and ISO 9001 certification.

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; No

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 5
139

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

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 support 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 2009:

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 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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 2009: 18

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers ASABE
140

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

American Welding Society AWS

ASTM International ASTM

Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems CCSDS

Government Electronics & Information Technology 

Association GEITA

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

Institute of Environmental Sciences & Technology IEST

International Organization for Standardization ISO

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries IPC

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE

National Defense Industrial Association NDIA

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

NCSL International NCSLI

Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information 

Standards OASIS

Society of Automotive Engineers SAE

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 124

Activities: 208

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 2009. 

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:
141

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.

The NASA Headquarters Office of Safety and Mission Assurance currently list 162 

standards as “mandatory standards” for required use throughout NASA's SMA 

community. Of these, 91 are VCS, 19 are published by other US Government agencies, 

26 are federal regulations/code and only 26 are published by NASA.

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

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 5
142

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

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. 

Information about incorporation by reference is among our Federal Register web pages at 

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. 

For example, NARA uses ISO 15489 as a framework for Federal records management 

training. ISO 15489 provides a systemic 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 2009: 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 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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.
143

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 2009: 12

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

American National Standards Institute ANSI

ARMA International ARMAI

ASTM International ASTM

Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems CCSDS

Enterprise Content Management Association AIIM

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE

International Council on Archives ICA

International Organization for Standardization ISO

National Information Standards Organization NISO

Object Management Group OMG

Product Data Exchange Standard, Inc. PDES

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 16

Activities: 24

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 2009. 

NARA did not participate in any conformity assessment activities in FY 2009.

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, 
144

-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:

Additional response for question 10-7: We review our use of standards on a rotating basis 

as we review our regulations that include IBRs.

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]: 5
145

National Science Foundation (NSF)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

Most if not all members of NSF staff do not get involved directly with development of 

standards. As funding decision makers, most NSF staff members support fundamental 

research performed by the academic community some of which leads to the development 

of new standards or revisions of existing standards. 

Through participation in professional societies that deal with standards, members of NSF 

staff are affiliated with professional societies that deal with standards development. In 

2009, NSF staff members were involved in the following societies. 

During the past year, NSF staff members participate in professional societies or 

associations that deal with standards development. These include: 

(1) IEEE Broadcast Technology Society: The Society promotes close cooperation and 

exchange of technical information among its members and affiliates, and holds meetings 

for the presentation and discussion or original contributions, publishes Transactions 

reporting advances within the scope of the Society, and establishes standards. The field of 

interest encompasses devices, equipment, techniques and systems related to broadcast 

technology, including the production, distribution, transmission, and propagation aspects. 

(2) IEEE Standards Society: The Society promotes the engineering process by creating, 

developing, integrating, sharing, and applying knowledge about electro- and information 

technologies and sciences. In addition to producing the prominent 802® Standards for 

Local and Metropolitan Area Network Wireless, the Society develops the standards for 

Intelligent highway systems and vehicular technology; distributed generation renewable 

energy; voting equipment electronic data interchange; rechargeable batteries for PCs; 

motor vehicle event data recorder public key infrastructure certificate issuing and 

management; and components architecture for encrypted shared media organic field

effect technology. 

(3) IEEE Vehicular Technology Society: The current approach of the Standards 

Committee is to stay abreast of VTS-Related standards activities in other organizations. 

Such activities tend to fall into three areas: Communications, Automotive Electronics, 

and Transportation. On a quarterly basis, the committee chairman reports to the Society 

on the status of relevant standards and regulatory activities of interest. 

In addition to the above, NSF staff in the Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS) 

are seeking to fulfill the legislative mandate of the National Science Foundation Act to 

provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on 

scientific and engineering resources, and to provide a source of information for policy 
146

formulation by other agencies of the Federal Government. 

To carry out this mandate, SRS personnel designs, supports, and directs about 11 periodic 

surveys as well as a variety of other data collections and research projects. These 

activities yield the materials for SRS staff to compile, analyze, and disseminate 

quantitative information about domestic and international resources devoted to science, 

engineering, and technology. 

In carrying out its mission, SRS complies with the Federal Information Security 

Management Act (FISMA), the government standards for shoring up its network security 

and to strengthen federal infrastructure. 

SRS uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to classify 

business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical 

data related to the U.S. business economy. 

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is used by staff in SRS to 

classify workers and jobs into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, 

calculating, analyzing, or disseminating data. 

SRS also adheres to Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), a taxonomic coding 

scheme that contains titles and descriptions of primarily postsecondary instructional 

programs. CIP was originally developed by the National Center for Education Statistics 

(NCES) of the United States Department of Education in 1980 and was revised in 1985 

and 1990. The 2000 edition (CIP-2000) is the third and current revision of the taxonomy. 

Instructional programs are classified by a six-digit CIP at the most granular level and are 

classified according to the two-digit and four-digit prefixes of the code. 

Finally SRS follows OMB standards for collecting data on race/ethnicity, and Section 

508 for access to IT (including copiers/fax machines for persons with disabilities).

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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
147

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: 

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

participated in during FY 2009: 5

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

ASTM International ASTM

IEEE Broadcast Technology Society BTS

IEEE Standards Society IEEE-SA

IEEE Vehicular Technology Society IEEE-VTS

International Telecommunication Union ITU

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 10

Activities: 10

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 2009. 

None.

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

recommendations for any changes:

We consider Circular A-119 policy to be effective. No change is recommended.

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:

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
148

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
149

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

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. Please include 

relevant Internet links and links to your agency's standards website.

It is the policy of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to increase the 

involvement of stakeholders in our regulatory development process and, consistent with 

the provisions of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 

(Public Law 104-113), to encourage NRC staff participation in the development of 

consensus standards in support of its mission. NRC involvement also encourages 

standards developing organizations (SDOs) to develop codes, standards, and guides that 

can be endorsed by the NRC and carried out by the industry, and increases the likelihood 

that the standards that SDOs develop will meet both public and private sector needs. 

The NRC uses voluntary consensus standards (VCSs) as a key part of our regulatory 

framework. Some standards are incorporated by reference into NRC regulations. The 

NRC staff also issues documents providing guidance on acceptable methods for 

complying with NRC regulations, such as regulatory guides. These guidance documents 

frequently reference consensus standards as acceptable methods for compliance with 

NRC regulations. The NRC’s reasons for using standards include providing the level of 

regulatory certainty and predictability desired by stakeholders, recognizing and 

considering the broad range of technical expertise and experience of the individuals who 

are represented on many consensus standards organizations, and minimizing the 

expenditure of NRC resources that would otherwise be necessary to develop regulations 

and guidance which provide the level of detail comparable to that provided by consensus 

standards. 

One example of improved regulation achieved through standards participation is the 

extensive effort by two SDOs (The American Nuclear Society, ANS, and the American 

Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME) to develop a joint standard on quality of 

probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). NRC staff participated in writing the standard, a 

process that took over ten years. Industry participants involved in development of the 

standard praised the NRC staff for their helpful support, based on work that NRC had 

already done on this topic. NRC has pointed to this standards development effort as a 

success story, in which potentially competing standards were avoided and consistent 

guidance was distilled into a single VCS. 

Work is underway with standards development organizations to update voluntary 

consensus standards that may be applied to license renewal or new nuclear plant 

construction, including advanced reactor technologies. For example, NRC is partnering 

with ASME Standards Technology, LLC, to develop a roadmap for ASME standards 

changes that will support advanced reactor design, construction, operation, and 

maintenance. Benefits of NRC staff participation in voluntary consensus standards 

development include cost savings, improved efficiency and transparency, and high 
150

technical quality of regulatory requirements. The NRC website on standards development 

is at: http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/standards-dev.html.

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

consensus standards during FY 2009: 0

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

Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2009 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 2009: 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 2009. 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: 2

Other Technical Standards: 0

Rationale: N/A

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

participated in during FY 2009: 15

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

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission ISO/IEC

International Society of Automation ISA

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP

National Fire Protection Association NFPA
151

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

voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2009 and the total number of 

activities these agency representatives participated in:

Agency Representatives: 181

Activities: 337

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 2009. 

None

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:

No comment

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
152

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

use? [enter the number of years]: 0
153

Appendix F – Federal Agency Activities Related to Conformity Assessment 

FY 2009 Responses to Question 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 2009.

Agency Response

ACCESS n/a

CPSC On August 14, 2008, the President signed into law the Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act of 2008, hereinafter referred to as the Act. Among 

other things, this Act sets forth requirements for general conformity 

certification and third party testing for children's products subject to consumer 

product safety rules under the Act or similar rules, bans, standards, or 

regulations under any other Act enforced by the Commission. A copy of the 

Act and related information on CPSC conformity assessment activities are 

shown on CPSC's website at www.cpsc.gov under "Information on the 

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act".

DHS none

DOC National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) 

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) provides 

third-party accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories. NVLAP's 

accreditation programs are established in response to legislative or 

administrative actions by the Federal Government or to requests from 

government agencies and private-sector organizations. NVLAP operates its 

accreditation system in accordance with the international conformity 

assessment standard ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment – General 

requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment 

bodies, which is published by the International Organization for 

Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission 

(IEC). NVLAP accredits laboratories that are found competent to perform 

specific tests or calibrations through a rigorous assessment against the 

requirements of ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of 

testing and calibration laboratories. Information about accredited laboratories 

is published in NVLAP Directory of Accredited Laboratories, which is 

published online and updated monthly. 

NVLAP is a signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation 

Cooperation (ILAC), the Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation 

(APLAC), and the InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) Mutual 

Recognition Arrangements. In May 2009, NVLAP’s status as a signatory to 

the ILAC and APLAC arrangements was reaffirmed for both testing and 
154

calibration. In September 2009, NVLAP was accepted as a signatory to the 

IAAC Arrangement, also with a scope in testing and calibration laboratories. 

By participating in these cooperations, NVLAP facilitates the mutual 

recognition of accredited test and measurement results of its signatory 

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

customers. 

NVLAP Certificate of Accreditation 

When NVLAP grants initial or continuing accreditation to a laboratory, it 

issues a Certificate of Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005, which includes 

the following statement to convey that an accredited laboratory management 

system meets the principles of ISO 9001:2000, Quality management system –

requirements. 

"This laboratory is accredited in accordance with the recognized International 

Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005. This accreditation demonstrates technical 

competence for a defined scope and the operation of a laboratory quality 

management system (refer to joint ISO-ILAC-IAF Communique dated January 

2009)" 

NVLAP-accredited laboratories may use the above statement on their test 

reports and calibration certificates if they supply, or provide access to via a 

website, the Joint ISO-ILAC-IAF Communique as part of the package for their 

laboratory customers. 

The Joint ISO-ILAC-IAF Communique was issued to counter a perception that 

accredited laboratories do not operate a recognized quality management 

system. Many accredited laboratories have had difficulty convincing their 

customers that they should be asking laboratories to be accredited to ISO/IEC 

17025 rather than be certified (or registered) to ISO 9001. The situation 

became more acute with the publication of ISO 9001:2000, as some customers 

continually asked laboratories to be certified, when they really meant 

accredited. It is anticipated that the use of the above statement by both 

accreditation bodies and accredited laboratories will help to address the market 

issues caused by the confusion between these two terms. 

Accreditation Program Activities in 2009 

Electromagnetic Compatibility and Testing 

In May 2009, NVLAP renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with the 

Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology 

Equipment (VCCI). The signing occurred after the Second International 

Workshop on Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for Conformity 

Assessment of Electromagnetic Compatibility and Telecommunications 
155

Regulations held at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

This MOU allows for NVLAP-accredited laboratories in the Electromagnetic 

Compatibility and Telecommunications (ECT) program to gain ease of access 

to the VCCI mark used in Japan. The VCCI mark is required for shipment of 

Information Technology Equipment (ITE) in the domestic marketplace in 

Japan. In addition, VCCI works to harmonize test methods for ECT and 

Electromagnetic Interference. More importantly, this MOU facilitates good 

customer service, value, and cost savings for the laboratories accredited under 

the NVLAP ECT Laboratory Accreditation Program, as VCCI will 

automatically recognize the accreditation from NVLAP. There are currently 

more than 175 NVLAP-accredited laboratories in this program. 

Biometrics Testing 

2009 brought advancements in the development of the NVLAP Biometrics 

Testing laboratory accreditation program (LAP). Concurrent with the release 

of NIST Handbook 150-25 (2009), which sets forth the specific technical 

requirements for accreditation under the Biometrics LAP, the program 

application process was defined and application documents released onto the 

NVLAP web site. In September, the first biometrics technical assessor 

candidate received NVLAP training, and NVLAP staff attended and exhibited 

at the 2009 Biometrics Consortium conference in Tampa, FL. NVLAP 

contributions at the consortium included educating the biometrics laboratory 

community as to the differences between “Certification” and laboratory 

“Accreditation.” Full Biometrics Testing program details are located at 

http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Accreditation/bio-lap.cfm. 

Personal Body Armor 

In 2009 NVLAP added the stab resistance standard to the Personal Body 

Armor laboratory accreditation program. This program was established in 

2007 in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DoJ), 

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for a program to accredit laboratories that 

test body armor for the DoJ law enforcement certification program. Laboratory 

test results are used for the purposes of preparing NIJ's Personal Body Armor 

Consumer Product List. 

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 
156

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

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement for 

Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (APEC TEL 

MRA) 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 TEL Mutual Recognition Arrangement, NISTdesignated 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 
157

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 Standards 

Development and 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 the ISO Council Committee on Conformity Assessment 

(CASCO). SSD staff is 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 Electrotechnical Equipment and 

Components). 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 
158

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. FY09 NIST activities in this area include: 

Health and Human Service’s (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) 

–NIST has consulted with and advised the ONC on the development of 

proposed testing and certification programs for health information technology. 

This consultation and collaboration between ONC and NIST will continue 

during the implementation and operational phases of both temporary and 

certification programs Additionally NIST is developing the functional and 

conformance testing requirements, test cases, and test tools to support the 

proposed Health IT Certification Programs. These conformance test methods 

(test procedures, test data, and test tools) will help ensure compliance with the 

meaningful use of technical requirements and standards. 

Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 – Under EISA, NIST 

has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that 

includes protocols and model standards for information management to 

achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems..." NIST, in 

consultation with industry, government, and other stakeholders, is working to 

develop a plan for a testing and certification framework for Smart Grid related 

devices, systems, and processes. This is essential to ensure interoperability and 

security under realistic operating conditions. 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Conformity Assessment Activities -

NIST’s continues its work with the Department of Homeland Security 

Standards Executive to develop the DHS Science and Technology standards 

and conformity assessment infrastructure as well as requirements, standards, 

testing protocols, and conformity assessment methods. For example, NIST’s 

Radiation Physics Division and NIST's Technology Services is assisting with 

the implementation of a conformity assessment program for radiation detectors 

for DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office including accreditation for 

testing laboratories whose testing will support the Graduated Rad/Nuc 

Detector Evaluation and Reporting (GRaDER) program. See 

http://www.dhs.gov/xres/programs/gc_1218637329931.shtm for additional 

information. 

National Institute of Justice Body Armor Program - In cooperation with 

NIST’s Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), NIST’s Technology 

Services along with the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice 

(NIJ), and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center 
159

(NLECTC) developed and implemented a significant enhancement to the 

current body armor certification program including a revised NIJ performance 

standard for the safety of law enforcement officers. NVLAP, at the request of 

NIJ, has implemented a laboratory accreditation program to accredit body 

armor testing laboratories. Several laboratories have been accredited to test 

body armor. 

National Toy Safety Initiative - NIST continues to provide technical assistance 

to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in their implementations of the 

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and to the private sector 

in the development of model certification programs to address toy safety 

issues. CPSC successfully implemented their program utilizing existing 

conformity assessment schemes and there are now over 200 laboratories listed 

from 25 countries accredited by 17 different accreditation bodies. 

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Project on Greener Cleanups –

NIST’s Technology Services is providing assistance to EPA to develop a 

standard and certification program for Brownfield remediation (clean ups). 

DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (DoD ELAP) –

NIST’s Technology Service’s staff provided assistance to the DoD 

Environmental Data Quality Workgroup (EDQW) to create a DoD wide 

program to accredit laboratories that perform testing in support of DoD. This 

effort resulted in DOD EDWQ implementing a program which utilizes 

internationally recognized accreditation bodies. 

(http://www.navylabs.navy.mil/) 

USGv6 - OMB Memorandum M-05-22 directed the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology to develop the technical infrastructure (standards 

and testing) necessary to support wide scale adoption of IPv6 in the US 

Government (USG). Upon detailed inspection of the state of the industry and 

the scope of IPv6 technology, it was decided prudent to develop the USGv6 

standard profile to assist agencies in the development of acquisition 

requirements for IPv6 products and the USGv6 Test Program to provide the 

means to assess product compliance to such requirements. NIST accomplished 

this by utilizing test laboratories which are accredited by internationally 

recognized laboratory accreditation bodies and allowing suppliers to issue a 

Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity, based on the test reports, to assert their 

products' compliance. ( http://w3.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/testing.html) 

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.

DoD The Department does not collect conformity assessment activity information.
160

DOE The Department of Energy does not track conformity assessment activities.

DOI The Minerals Management Service of DOI is a member of the Federal 

Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) with representation on the Standards 

Working Group, the Coordinating Committee, the Steering Committee, the 

Marine Boundary Working Group, and ad hoc subcommittees developing 

standards for geospatial data. 

Bureau of Reclamation: The ISO 14001 standard requires that organizations 

conduct third- party conformance audits to determine conformance with the 

ISO Standard. Reclamation has adopted this requirement in a revised form and 

will conduct audits to determine conformance with both the Standard 

framework and the executive order. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA): BIA participated in the Federal Geospatial 

One-Stop and the Enterprise Geographic Information Management Committee. 

FWS: The FWS continues to implement key security standards and guidelines 

developed or approved by NIST to support the implementation of and 

compliance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) 

including: 

• Standards for categorizing information and information systems by mission 

impact. 

• Standards for minimum security requirements for information and 

information systems. 

• Standards for encrypting government data. 

• Standards for applying and enforcing secure configuration baselines. 

• Standards for secure remote access. 

• Guidance for mapping types of information and information systems to 

appropriate security categories. 

• Guidance for planning and conducting technical information security testing. 

• Guidance for assessing security controls in information systems and 

determining security control effectiveness. 

• Guidance for certifying and accrediting information systems. 

The FWS is currently using secure configuration benchmarks developed by the 

Center for Internet Security (CIS), a non-profit organization whose mission is 

to help organizations reduce the risk of business and e-commerce disruptions 

resulting from inadequate technical security controls. These benchmarks have 

been deemed as "NIST" approved.

DOJ N/A

DOL No comment at this time

DOS none

DOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): Under 15 CFR Part 286, 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 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Transportation 
161

Pressure Vessel Committee, as well as continuing to participate in the North 

American Transport of Dangerous Goods Standard Working Group and the 

Association of American Railroads Tank Car Committee. 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. 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)/Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS) Program: The National Transportation 

Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) Testing and Conformity 

Assessment Working Group issued NCTIP 8007 - Testing and Conformity 

Assessment Documentation within NTCIP Standards. NTCIP 8007 defines the 

rules and guidelines to be used by the other NTCIP working groups when they 

produce NTCIP test documentation.

ED None

EPA Continuation of use of conformity assessment in radon mitigation areas, Water 

Sense program and in green clean-up areas under Brownfields.

FCC 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) testing laboratory. 

The FCC also recognizes accredited testing 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 (MRA); or if the testing 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. 

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. 
162

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-togovernment 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) 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 reevaluation 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. 17 are located in the United States and 13 are located outside of the 

United States.

FTC See response to Question 1.

GPO n/a

GSA A variety of conformity assessment activities were used including direct 

inspection and testing, supplier and third party testing, and product 

qualification and listing. In addition GSA representatives in the GSA 

Automotive Center were actively engaged in performing technical reviews of 

new offers, participating in post award meetings, hosting in-process validation 

reviews, participating in on-site first article inspections at manufacturer’s 

plants and managing GSA’s quality defect reporting program.

HHS Conformance activities are conducted under applicable regulations and 
163

guidance. Standards may become part of conformance activities as they may 

provide an acceptable approach to be in compliance with applicable laws and 

regulations. 

FDA laboratories conducting official product testing are, or soon will be, 

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited. The FDA has conducted staff training, is 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, is 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.

HUD n/a

NARA NARA did not participate in any conformity assessment activities in FY 2009.

NASA 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 NASASTDs 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.

NRC None

NSF None.

TRES 1. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits 

2. Certification and Accreditations

USDA USDA personnel were involved with conformity assessment activities (as 

defined in the Guidance) with each of the Voluntary Consensus Standards 

bodies listed in the response to Question No. 5, as well as with the U.S. 

Government Interagency Council on Standards Policy (ICSP).
164

Appendix G – Federal Agency Activities Related to Use of Private Sector Standards

FY 2009 Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies in which Federal Agencies 

Participated

Voluntary Consensus Standards Body Acronym

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc 3-A SSI

3A/NSF International Meat and Poultry Equipment Standards 3A/NSF

3rd Generation Partnership Project 3GPP

3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 3GPP2

Accredited Standards Committee X12 X12

Acoustical Society of America ASA

Adeno Associated Virus Reference Materials Working Group ARMWG

Adeno Associated Virus Reference Standard Working Group AAVSWG

Advisory Committee for Water Information ACWI

Advisory Committee on Casualty Assessment Health Canada ACCA

Aerospace & Defense Industries Association of Europe ASD

Aerospace Industries Association of America AIA

Air Movement and Control Association AMCA

Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute ARI

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions ATIS

Almond Board of California ABC

Aluminum Association AA

Ambulance Manufacturers Division AMD

AMCA International AMCA

American Academy of Pediatrics AAP

American Architectural Manufacturers Association AAMA

American Association for Budget and Program Analysis AABPA
165

American Association for Clinical Chemistry AACC

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation A2LA

American Association of Blood Banks AABB

American Association of Cereal Chemists AACC

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 Chemistry Council ACC

American College of Nuclear Physicians ACNP

American College of Radiology ACR

American College of Surgeons Cancer Programs COC

American Concrete Institute ACI

American Concrete Pipe Association ACPA

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH

American Dental Association ADA

American Foundation for the Accreditation of Haematopoietic 

Cell Therapy

FAHCT

American Gas Association AGA

American Gear Manufacturers Association AGMA
166

American Hardboard Association AHA

American Hardware Manufacturers Association AHMA

American Healthcare Information Community AHIC

American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA

American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE

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 Leather Chemists Association ALCA

American Lift Institute ALI

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 Pacific Economic Conference APEC

American Petroleum Institute API

American Plywood Association APA

American Psychiatric Association APA

American Public Health Association APHA

American Public Transportation Association APTA

American Pyrotechnics Association APA

American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association AREMA
167

American Rock Mechanics Association ARMA

American Society for Gene Therapy ASGT

American Society for Healthcare Engineering ASHE

American Society for Industrial Security ASIS

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 Dam Safety Officials ASDSO

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning 

Engineers

ASHRAE

American Society of Mass Spectrometry ASMS

American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME

American Society of Naval Engineers ASNE

American Society of Quality Control ASQ

American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE

American Society of Sanitary Engineering ASSE

American Trucking Association ATA

American Type Culture Collection ATCC

American Vacuum Society AVS

American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA

American Water Works Association AWWA

American Welding Society AWS
168

American Wood Preservers Association AWPA

American Wood Preservers Institute AWPI

American Wood Protection Association AWPA

Analytical Environmental Immunochemical Consortium AEIC

ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board ANAB

AOAC International AOAC

APA - The Engineered Wood Association APA

Architectural Woodwork Institute AWI

ARMA International ARMAI

ASC X9, Inc. ASC X9

ASCE Building Security Council BSC

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 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 Automatic Indentification and Data Capture 

Technologies

AIM

Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities ABRF

Association of Diving Contractors International ADCI

Association of Official Seed Analysts AOSA
169

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies AOSCA

Association of Pool and Spa Professionals APSP

Association of Public Health Laboratories APHL

ASTM International ASTM

Baking Industry Sanitary Standards Committee BISSC

Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms Technical Forum BLAS

Biometrics Application Programming Interface Consortium BioAPI

Brick Industry Association BIA

Brighton Collaboration BC

British Standards Institution BSI

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association BHMA

Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc BOCA*

California Strawberry Commission CSC

Canadian General Standards Board CGSB

Canadian Standards Association CSA

Cantaloupe Board of California CBC

Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute CISPI

Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association CISCA

Center for Applied Special Technology CAST

Center for Internet Security CIS

Central Laboratory for Blood Transfusion CLBT

Certification Commission for Health Information Technology CCHIT

Chlorine Institute CI

Chocolate Manufacturers Association CMS

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI

Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium CDISC
170

Codex Alimentarius Commission CODEX

College of American Pathologists CAP

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance CVSA

Committee on Data for Science and Technology CODATA

Committee on Marine Measurements COPM

Committee on Operating Rules CORE

Compressed Gas Association CGA

Concrete Pipe Association CPA

Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute CRSI

Conference for Food Protection CFP

Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity COP/CBD

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

Corn Refiners Association CRA

Cosmetic Ingredient Review CIR

Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association CTFA

Council for International Organizations of Medical Science CIOMS

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 SHPO
171

Offices

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

Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium DMSC

Electronic Commerce Code Management Association ECCMA

Electronic Components Assemblies & Materials Association ECAMA

Electronic Industries Alliance EIA

Electronic Products Codes Global EPCG

Electrostatic Discharge Association ESDA

Emergency Interoperability Consortium EIC

Emergency Management Accreditation Program EMAP

Engineered Wood Association EWA

Engineering Sciences Data Unit International ESDU

Enterprise Content Management Association AIIM

ESD Association ESD

European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods ECVAM

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization CENELEC

European Committee for Standardization CEN

European Directorate for Quality of Medicines EDQM

European Petroleum Survey Group EPSG

External RNA Controls Consortium ERCC

Eye Bank Association of America EBAA

Facility Guidelines Institute FGI
172

Factory Mutual Research Corporation FMRC

Federal Facilities Council FFC

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC

FM Global FMG

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO

Forest Stewardship Council FSC

Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapies FACT

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association FFVA

Fresh Produce Association of America FPAA

Gas Technology Institute GTI

Gelatin Manufacturers of America GMA

Glass Association of North America GANA

Global Harmonization Task Force GHTF

Government Electronics & Information Technology Association GEITA

Graphic Communications Association GCA

Ground Water Protection Council GWPC

GS1 GS1

Gypsum Association GA

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association HPVA

Health Canada Advisory Committee on Causality Assessment HCAA

Health Level Seven HL7

Health Physics Society HPS

Health Protection Branch Health Canada HPB

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society HIMSS

Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel HITSP

Healthcare Interpretations Task Force HITF
173

High Frequency Industry Association HFIA

Honey Board HB

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. HFES

IEEE Broadcast Technology Society BTS

IEEE Standards Society IEEE-SA

IEEE Vehicular Technology Society IEEE-VTS

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America IESNA

INCITS Technical Committee L1, Geographic Information Systems INCITS TC L1

Industrial Safety and Equipment Association ISEA

Industrial Truck Association ITA

Industry-wide Cooperative Meat Identification Standards 

Committee

ICMISC

Information Technology Industry Council ITI

Information Technology Service Management Forum ITSMF

Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits IPC

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 Packaging Professionals IOPP

Institute of Transportation Engineers ITE

Insulated Cable Engineers Association ICEA

Insulated Steel Door Systems Institute ISDSI

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise IHE

Intelligent Transportation Society of America ITSA

Inter-American Metrology System SIM
174

Interagency Trails Data Standards ITDS

International Air Transport Association IATA

International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam IAPWS

International Association of Cancer Registrars IACR

International Association of Color Manufacturers IACM

International Association of Drilling Contractors IADC

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities IALA

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials IAPMO

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA

International Blood Group Reference Laboratory IBRGL

International Bottled Water Association IBWA

International Bureau of Weights and Measures BIPM

International Cartographic Association ICA

International Cellular Therapy Coding and Labeling Advisory 

Group

CTCLAG

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO

International Code Council ICC

International Commission of Non-ionizing Radiation Protection 

and Measurements

ICNIRP

International Commission on Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Veterinary 

Use

VICH

International Commission on Illumination CIE

International Commission on Radiation Protection ICRP

International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, 

Inc.

ICRU

International Committee for Cosmetic Harmonization and 

International Cooperation

CHIC
175

InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards INCITS

International Committee for Weights and Measures CIPM

International Conference of Building Officials ICBO*

International Conference on the Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use

ICH

International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical 

Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Products

VICH

International Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 

Alternative Methods

ICCVAM

International Council for Science ICSU

International Council on Archives ICA

International Crystal Foundation ICF

International Dairy Federation IDF

International Dairy Foods Association IDFA

International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service IERS

International Electrotechnical Commission IEC

International Federation of Fruit Juice Producers IFFJP

International Federation on Information Processing IFIP

International Fragrance Association IFRA

International Fresh-cut Produce Association IFPA

International Health Terminology Standard Development 

Organization

IHTSDO

International Hydrographic Organization IHO

International Institute of Welding IIW

International Life Sciences Institute ILSI

International Maritime Organization IMO

International Natural Sausage Casing Association INSCA
176

International Nomenclature Committee INC

International Organization for Standardization ISO

International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission

ISO/IEC

International Organization of Legal Metrology OIML

International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council IPEC

International Plant Protection Convention/International 

Standards for Phytosanitary Measures

IPPC/ISPM

International Safe Transit Association ISTA

International Security Council ISC

International Seed Testing Association ISTA

International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress ISOSC

International Society for Analytical Cytology ISAC

International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery ISCVS

International Society for Cell Therapy ISCT

International Society for Measurement and Control ISA

International Society of Automation ISA

International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners ISOPP

International Society on Thrombosis and Homeostasis ISTH

International Sprout Growers Association ISGA

International Telecommunication Union ITU

International Towing Tank Conference ITTC

International Union Against Cancer UICC

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants UPOV

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, 

Systems and Structures

RILEM

International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Materials, RILEM/CIB
177

Systems and Structures/International Council for Research and 

Innovation in Building and Construction

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics IUPAP

International Window Cleaning Association IWCA

International Working Group on Standardization of Genomic 

Amplification Techniques

SoGAT

Internet Engineering Task Force IETF

Internet Society IS

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 FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives JECFA

Laser Institute of America LIA

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

Material Handling Equipment Industry Association MHIA

Meat and Poultry Business-to-Business Data Standards 

Organization

mpXML

Metal Building Manufacturers Association MBMA

Metal Lath/Steel Framing Association, A Division of NAAMM MLSFA
178

Modular Systems Building Council MSBC

National Academies of Science Institute of Medicine IOM

National Aerospace Standards Committee NASC

National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers NAAMM

National Association of Chain Manufacturers NACM

National Association of Corrosion Engineers International NACE

National Association of Photographic Manufacturers NAPM

National Association of Relay Manufacturers NARM

National Association of State Fire Marshals NASFM

National Automatic Merchandising Association NAMA

National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors NBBPVI

National Cancer Registrar Association NCRA

National Cargo Bureau, Inc NCB

National CAS Standards NCS

National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards NCCLS

National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices NCUTCD

National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics NCVHS

National Concrete Masonry Association NCMA

National Conference for Interstate Milk Shipments NCIMS

National Conference on Weights and Measures NCWM

National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation NACLA

National Council for Prescription Drug Program NCPDP

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements NCRP

National Defense Industrial Association NDIA

National Digital Elevation Program NDEP

National Egg Regulators Association NERO
179

National eHealth Collaboration NeHC

National Electric Reliability Corporation NERC

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA

National Environmental Methods Index NEMI

National Fire Protection Association NFPA

National Floor Safety Institute NFSI

National Fluid Power Association NFLPA

National Food Processors Association NFPA

National Forum on Education Statistics NCES Forum

National Ground Water Association NGWA

National Information Standards Organization NISO

National Institute for Biological Sciences and Controls NIBSC

National Institute of Packaging, Handling Engineers NIPHLE

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST

National Marine Electronics Association NMEA

National Marine Manufacturers Association NMMA

National Marrow Donor Program NMDP

National Oilseed Processors Association NOPA

National Petroleum Management Association NPMA

National Quality Forum NQF

National Roofing Contractors Association NRCA

National Safety Council NSC

National Sanitary Foundation International NSFI

National Spa and Pool Institute NSPI

National Toxicology Program NTP

National Truck Equipment Association NTEA
180

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 Wildland Fire Coordinating Group NWCG

National Window and Door Association NWDA

NCSL International NCSLI

Network Address Space Working Group IPv6

North America Free Trade Association NAFTA

North America Millers Association NAMA

North American Association of Central Cancer Registries NAACCR

North American Electric Reliability Corporation NERC

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

Northwest Environmental Data Network NED

Northwest Horticultural Council NHC

NSF International NSFI

Object Management Group OMG

Open Applications Group OAGi

Open DeviceNet Vendor Association ODVA

Open Geospatial Consortium OGC

Open Math Society OMS

Optical Laboratories Association OLA
181

Optical Society of America OSA

Optical Storage Technology Association OSTA

Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council OEOSC

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 Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization PANDRH

Pan-American Standards Commission COPANT

Parachute Industry Association PIA

Parenteral Drug Association PDA

Performance Review Institute PRI

Personal Care Products Council PCPC

Petrotechnical Open Standards Consortium, Inc. POSC

Pipe Fabrication Institute PFI

Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association PPTA

Plastic Pipe Institute PPI

Plumbing and Draining Institute PDI

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association PHCCA

Portland Cement Association PCA

Post-Tensioning Institute PTI

Postsecondary Electronic Standards Organization PESC

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute PCI

Produce Marketing Association PMA

Product Data Exchange Standard, Inc. PDES
182

Project Management Institute PMI

Public Petroleum Data Management PPDM

Qualified Products Management Council QPMC

Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc. QCDS

Rack Manufacturers Institute RMI

Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics RTCA

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services RTCM

Recreation Vehicle Industry Association RVIA

Regulated Product Submission RPS

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

SAVE International SAVE

Scaffolding, Shoring, and Forming Institute, Inc. SSFI

Schools Interoperability Framework Association SIFA

Scientific Apparatus Makers Association SAMA

Screen Manufacturers Association SMA

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 for Glassware and Ceramic Decorations SGCD

Society for Protective Coatings SPC
183

Society for Toxicology SOT

Society of Allied Weight Engineers SAWE

Society of American Value Engineers SAVE

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 Toxicologic Pathology STP

Standards Engineering Society SES

Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (El/Sec) SLDS

Steel Deck Institute SDI

Steel Door Institute SDI

Steel Founders Society of America SFSA

Steel Joist Institute SJI

Steel Window Institute SWI

Tea Association of America TAA

Technical Association for the Worldwide, Pulp Paper and 

Converting Industry

TAPPI

Technical Committee for Juice and Juice Products TCJJP

Telecommunications Industry Association TIA

The Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations TMC/ATA

The National Digital Orthophoto Program NDOP

The Open Geospatial Consortium OGC

The Soap and Detergent Association SDA

The Society for Protective Coatings SSPC

The Tire and Rim Association, Inc. TRAI
184

Therapeutic Goods Administration TGA

Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association TTMA

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society UHMS

Underwriters Laboratories UL

United Egg Producers UEP

United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association UFFVA

United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic 

Business

UN/CEFACT

United Nations Committee on the Transport of Dangerous Goods UNTDG

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE

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

United States Adopted Names Council USANC

United States Animal Health Association USAHA

United States Committee on Large Dams USCOLD

United States Egg and Poultry Association USEPA

United States Pharmacopoeia USP

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association URISA

US Green Building Council - Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design

USGBC -

LEEDS

Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards VAMAS

Water Environment Federation WEF

Web Application Security Consortium WASC

Web3D Consortium Web3D

Western Electricity Coordinating Council WECC

Western Growers Association WGA

Window and Door Manufacturers Association WDMA

Window Covering Manufacturers Association WCMA
185

World Health Organization WHO

World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO

World Meteorological Organization WMO

World Organization for Animal Health OIE

World Wide Web Consortium W3C

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access Form WiMAX

There were 5311 total Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies in which Federal Agencies 

Participated during fiscal year 2009.

 

1 Excluding duplicates (in shaded text) results in 528 VCSBs which were reported in the 

main summary report.
186

Appendix H – 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
187

Appendix I – 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.