UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

The Secretary of Commerce 

Washington, D.C. 20230 

August 4, 2009. 

The Honorable peter R. Orszag 

Director 

Office ofManagement and Budget 

Washington, DC 20503 ·. 

Dear D~_JZ;{dzr 

I enclose ·the Twelfth Annual Report on Federal Agency Use ofVoluntary Co,nsensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment. This document represents activities carried out by 

Federal agencies during fiscal year 2008, as required under Public Law 104-113, the National 

Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, and Office of Management and Budget (0MB) 

Circular A-119. I am pleased to submit this report to 0MB for review and subsequent 

forwarding to Congress. · 

As this report demonstrates, Federai agencies continue to rely on private-sector standards 

for ,their regulatory and procurement needs and are realiz~ng :the benefits from doing so. 

Reported use of government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus standards is at the 

lowest level in eight years and continues to represent a very small percentage of overall 

standards used by the Government.· 

Federal agencies also continue to develop a.better understanding ofthe requirements set 

forth in the Act and the Circular; resulting in more consistent interpretation and reporting of 

agency activities. The enclosed. report contains the most accurate data compiled to date 

regarding Federal agencies' use of government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus 

standards. · 

. . 

. If you require further information; please contact Gordon Gillerman, Chief, Standards 

Services Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, at (301) 975-8406. 

Sincerely, 

~. 

Enclosure 
NISTIR 7598 

Twelfth Annual Report on Federal 

Agency Use of Voluntary Consensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment 

Mary F. Donaldson 

Standards Coordination and Conformity Group 

Standards Services Division 

Technology Services 

National Institute of 

Standards and Technology 

U.S. Department of Commerce 
NISTIR 7598 

Twelfth Annual Report on Federal 

Agency Use of Voluntary Consensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment 

Mary F. Donaldson 

Standards Coordination and Conformity Group 

Standards Services Division 

Technology Services 

May 2009 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Gary Locke, Secretary 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Patrick D. Gallagher, Deputy Director 
Table of Contents 

1.0 - Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 2 

2.0 - Overview and Scope................................................................................................. 3 

3.0 - Federal Agency Use of Standards........................................................................... 3 

3.1- Government-Unique Standards Used in Lieu of Voluntary Consensus 

Standards ....................................................................................................................... 3 

3.2-New Uses of Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCSs) By Federal Agencies.. 4 

3.3 - Current Agency Reporting on Voluntary Consensus Standards Substituted 

for Government-Unique Standards............................................................................. 4 

4.0 - Federal Participation in Private Sector Standards Activities.............................. 5 

4.1 - Participation Data for FY 2008 .......................................................................... 5 

5.0 - Federal Agency Conformity Assessment Activities .............................................. 7 

6.0 - Evaluation of the Effectiveness of 0MB Circular A-119 ..................................... 9 

7.0 - The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP) .................................. 10 

8.0 - Success Stories: Examples from Federal Agencies ............................................ 10 

9.0 - Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................... 12 

Appendix A -- FY 2008 List of Reporting Federal Agencies ...................................... 13 

Appendix B -- FY 2008 Federal Agency Information on Participation/Adoption of 

Voluntary Standards Activities Required by 0MB Circular A-119.......................... 14 
Summary Report on Federal Agency Use of Private-Sector Standards 

and Conformity Assessment Activities for Fiscal Year 2008 

1.0 - Executive Summary 

The U.S. Department of Commerce presents this summary report for the Office of 

Management and Budget (0MB) in compliance with 0MB Circular A-119 and Public 

Law 104-113, the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA). As 

required by Section 9 of the Circular, this report, prepared by the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST), describes activities related to the use of voluntary 

consensus standards (VCSs) by 26 Federal agencies during fiscal year (FY) 2008. 

Since the inception of the NTTAA, Federal agencies have continued to make progress in 

relying on voluntary consensus standards in support of their regulatory and procurement 

activities. NIST, through its Standards Incorporated by Reference database, 

independently tracks governmental use of private-sector standards. As of the date of this 

report, NIST has identified over 9,000 citations of standards incorporated by reference in 

regulatory documents. Available online at http://standards.gov/sibr/query/index.cfm, this 

interactive database illustrates the extensive use of voluntary standards throughout the 

U.S. Government. 

For the first time in the history ofNTTAA reporting, there were no new governmentunique standards in lieu of VCSs promulgated during the fiscal year. With three 

government-unique standards discontinued, the total number of government-unique 

standards used in lieu of VCSs stands at 45. Furthermore, for FY 2008, Federal agencies 

reported 634 new uses ofVCSs. The continued adoption of significant numbers ofVCSs 

and the low rate of adoption of new government-unique standards in lieu ofVCSs 

illustrates the NTTAA's success in encouraging agencies to look first to voluntary 

consensus standards to meet their regulatory, procurement, and conformity assessment 

needs, rather than to develop government-unique standards. 

Agencies reported 2,935 personnel participating in a total of 534 standards-developing 

organizations during FY 2008, representing an all-time high for organizations with 

Federal participation. 

Reports for FY 2008 show that agencies and affected stakeholders continue to realize 

benefits from Federal participation in the development and adoption of VCSs to support 

agency missions. The Federal investment in voluntary standards development helps 

provide sound technological underpinning and speeds the standards development process. 

Furthermore, adoption of VCSs for Federal agency use provides cost savings to Federal 

agencies, the Nation's businesses, and the taxpayer through reduced injuries and deaths, 

increased transactional efficiencies, reduced administrative burdens, and lower costs of 

products and services. 

During FY 2008, several agencies reported positive outcomes from participation in the 

development of voluntary consensus standards, as well as from their adoption and use. 

2 
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) use of the National Fire Protection 

Association (NFPA) standard 805-Perjormance-Based Standard/or Fire Protection for 

Light-Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants-in its fire protection regulations allows 

greater flexibility and minimal regulatory intervention for plants to meet fire protection 

requirements and manage their fire protection programs. Currently, more than 40 power 

plants in the United States are actively transitioning their current fire protection programs 

to ones based on NFPA 805. A NIST study released in 2008 measured positive benefits 

from Federal participation in the development of voluntary consensus standards, 

including reduced time to development and publication (1.5 years) and increased 

standards scopes. Within the Department of Defense, the Army realized a $31 million 

cost avoidance through the development of a new modification to the Common Air 

Defense Interrogator that will ensure interoperability with systems used by allied forces 

and a create a safer, more reliable system while also reducing the chance of "friendly 

fire" incidents. These examples illustrate a few of the various ways the government and 

the taxpayer derive benefits from the development, adoption, and use of voluntary 

consensus standards. 

2.0 - Overview and Scope 

NIST formulated this report in close consultation with 0MB, based on input submitted to 

NIST by 26 Federal agencies in fulfillment of the requirements of 0MB Circular A-119 

and the reporting requirements of Section 12 ( d)(3) of the NTT AA. The report describes 

Federal agency activities related to the use of private-sector standards in regulation, 

procurement, and conformity assessment during FY 2008. A list of reporting agencies 

may be found in Appendix A. 

3.0- Federal Agency Use of Standards 

The 0MB Circular requires that Federal agencies use voluntary consensus standards in 

lieu of government-unique standards in their regulatory and procurement activities. 

However, a Federal agency is given the discretion to decide whether to use existing 

voluntary consensus standards if the agency determines that use of such standards would 

either be inconsistent with applicable laws or otherwise impractical. The Circular also 

directs agencies to establish a process for continuing review of their use of standards for 

purposes of updating such use, including substitution of private-sector standards for 

government-unique standards wherever possible. 

3.1- Government-Unique Standards Used in Lieu of Voluntary 

Consensus Standards 

The 0MB Circular requires that agencies report their use of standards on either a 

"categorical" or a "transactional" basis. Those agencies that report on a "categorical" 

basis are not required to list each instance that a government-unique standard is used in 

lieu of a private-sector standard in procurement actions. However, such agencies are 

required to have a system in place to ensure that government-unique standards are 

developed only when suitable private-sector standards are not available for use. At 

3 
present, only the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) consistently report on a "categorical" basis. For all agencies, in 

those cases when government-unique standards are required because private-sector 

standards do not exist, use of the government-unique standard is not subject to reporting. 

Table 3.1 illustrates the cumulative use of government-unique standards (that is, the total 

number used in the U.S. Government, broken down by year and by agency) in lieu of 

private-sector standards since FY 1997, as well as the number of government-unique 

standards introduced and discontinued in each fiscal year. During FY 2008, Federal 

agencies reported I no new government-unique standards and discontinued three 

government-unique standards. These three discontinuations were reported by the 

Department of Health and Human Services. 

Table 3.1 - Government-unique Standards Used in Lieu of Private-Sector Standards j 

2 ~gency _}J~~ 1998119991200012001 2002 2003 200412005 20Q§j 20071 2008/ 

USDA i ! 1 Ii II Ii 

~HS 3 3 3 31 3 3 .-·3 21 2 4j 4! iJ 

IHUD 

poL -·- ··--·· 21 211 

2 21 2i 2 2/ 21 2/

2 ---4-·--57---5 --- -if--8. ----8 

DOT 2 2 21 2 31 3 3i 3 3 3 3 

EPA 3 28 29! 40 45 50 501 50· 50 23 23 

.GSA 3 2 2 3 21 2 3 3 3: 

INARA 1 1 ll 1 II 

K:;PSC ---t---······I ---'---"---1 21 2f 2 2 .. ·-~j ·-·-·1: l<ff'o= _ --l---·•··-i··· -~··-····· 4 4 41 41 41 0 0 01 ol

JACCESS 1 --+---+------·+ 1! 11 

5

L 121 91 ror~o~tl~ued-· ····-·· -

4

j- -~--.? 12 7! -~! 41 ~I 2~! ~: 

~otal In Use --·41 8! 331 451 5!1 631 721 71! 681 731 481 451 

For a complete listing of the government-unique standards used in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards and the justifications from FY 1997 through FY 2008, see NIST' s 

Standards website at http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency/index.cfm. 

3.2 - New Uses of Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCSs) By Federal 

Agencies 

For FY 2008, Federal agencies reported the adoption of 634 new Voluntary Consensus 

Standards, an 80 percent increase from FY 2007. Three agencies-the Department of 

Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and NASA-accounted for about 80 

percent of the reported new uses. 

1 The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported one new government-unique 

standard; however, this standard was not reported in lieu of an existing VCS and as such does not meet the 

criteria for reporting. 2 See Appendix A for list of agency acronyms. 

4 
3.3 - Current Agency Reporting on Voluntary Consensus Standards 

Substituted for Government-Unique Standards 

Federal agencies also report annually on the number of voluntary consensus standards 

that they have substituted for government-unique standards during the year. Figure 3.3 

illustrates the substitutions for each year since FY 1998. In FY 2008, Federal agencies 

substituted 489 voluntary consensus standards for government-unique standards.3 All but 

one of these substitutions were within the Department of Defense. Over the past seven 

years, there have been on average about 177 substitutions per year 

Figure 3.3- Number ofVoluntary Consensus Standards Substituted for 

Government-Unique Standards 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Fiscal Year 

4.0 - Federal Participation in Private-Sector Standards Activities 

0MB Circular A-119 states that Federal agencies "must consult with voluntary consensus 

standards bodies, both domestic and international, and must participate with such bodies 

in the development of voluntary consensus standards when consultation and participation 

is in the public interest and is compatible with their missions, authorities, priorities, and 

budget resources." The Circular goes on to declare that "agency support provided to a 

voluntary consensus standards activity must be limited to that which clearly furthers 

agency and departmental missions, authorities, priorities, and is consistent with budget 

resources." 

3 Government-unique standards being substituted include the universe of government-unique standards, i.e., 

those in use prior to the implementation ofNTTAA reporting, those that were not "in lieu ofVCSs"; and 

those that were in lieu ofVCSs. Since NIST began collecting data, there have been 2470 reported 

substitutions ofVCSs for government-unique standards across agencies. While we do not know the entire 

universe of government-unique standards, we know from published sources that the Department of 

Defense-the largest user of such standards-still uses over 20,000 government-unique standards, counting 

military, Federal, and NATO specifications, and as of FY 2006 was using more than 9,200 private-sector 

standards. The Department of Defense adopted 7,400 private-sector standards before 1997. 

5 
4.1 - Participation Data for FY 2008 

In FY 2008, agencies reported participation in 534 private-sector standards bodies, 

compared to 497 in FY 2007, reflecting a 7.4 percent increase and an all-time high. (See 

Figure 4. la.) The list of organizations includes voluntary consensus standards developers 

accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), other (non-ANSIaccredited) standards developers, industry and trade associations, international 

organizations, and consortia. 

Figure4.la - Number of Private-Sector Standards Bodies with 

Federal Agency Participation 

500 

400 -t+,~~ 

300 

200 

100 

0 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Federal agencies are also required by 0MB to report the number of Federal employees 

who participate in private-sector standards body activities. This includes not only those 

who serve on technical standards development committees, subcommittees, or 

workgroups, but also those who participate in management activities, annual meetings, or 

seminars. In FY 2008, agencies reported that 2,935 employees participated in privatesector standards body activities. Although this figure represents a reduction from the 

previous year, participation continues to remain above the annual average of 2,730 for 

reporting agencies. The Department of Energy reported the largest reduction in staff 

participation (-465), while the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human 

Services experienced the largest increases in staff participation ( +62 and +61 

respectively). Figure 4.1 b illustrates total Federal employee participation in privatesector standards body activities since FY 1998. Data detailing FY 2008 participation for 

each agency is provided in Appendix B. 

A complete listing of the standards-developing organizations in which Federal agencies 

participated can be viewed in the extended appendices to this report, located at 

http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency /index.cfm. 

6 
Figure 4.lb - Federal Employee Participation in Private-Sector 

Standards Body Activities* 

4500 r-====·====="~~-,==,=~~=--~~~~~~~~====~.,,, 4000 

3500 

3000 

2500 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 ..p..=~==...;+==..,.c.,;;="-';.==-'+'-==~=~ 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Fiscal Year 

* The upper series includes Department of Defense participation data prior to 2007, while the 

lower series excludes Department of Defense participation. 

5.0 - Federal Agency Conformity Assessment Activities 

The NTTAA requires NIST to coordinate Federal, State, and local government standards 

and conformity assessment activities with those of the private sector, with the goal of 

eliminating unnecessary duplication and complexity in the development and 

promulgation of conformity assessment requirements and measures. Federal conformity 

assessment activities are a means of providing assurance that the products and services 

regulated or procured by Federal agencies have the required characteristics and/or 

perform in a specified manner. Agency conformity assessment procedures may include 

sampling and testing; inspection; accreditation; certification; licensing; product listing; 

the submission to an agency of manufacturing, operational, and related data for review; 

manufacturer self-declaration of conformity to agency requirements; mandatory labeling 

and advertising requirements; establishment of national requirements, which are then 

adopted/enforced at the State and local government levels; issuance of regulatory 

guidelines; pre-marketing approval requirements; post-marketing monitoring 

requirements; and the conduct of environmental impact assessments. NIST publishes a 

number of directories and reports on conformity assessment-related issues and maintains 

a website at http://ts.nist.gov that provides a "one-stop shop" source for information on 

various conformity assessment issues. 

Throughout the fiscal year, numerous agencies enlisted NIST support to help design and 

implement appropriate and effective conformity assessment programs. Examples 

include: 

• Radiation Detectors - NIST's Technology Services, in cooperation with NIST's 

Radiation Physics Division, is assisting with the implementation of a conformity 

7 
assessment program for radiation detectors for the Department of Homeland Security's 

(DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, including accreditation for testing 

laboratories whose testing will support the Graduated Rad/Nuc Detector Evaluation and 

Reporting (GRaDER) program. For additional information, see 

http://www.dhs.gov/xres/programs/gc _1218637329931.shtm. 

• Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PSPrep), Business Continuity, and Preparedness Management- NIST Technology Services 

is working with DHS to implement a private-sector certification program for 

organizations to demonstrate their compliance with the requirements of adopted 

standards. This program is being developed under the authority of the Implementing 

Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. For additional information, see 

http://www.fema.gov/business/certification/index.htm. 

• National Institute of Justice Body Armor - NIST's Technology Services, in cooperation 

with NIST's Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), the Department of Justice's 

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

Technology Center, developed and implemented a significant enhancement to the current 

body armor certification program and including a revised NIJ performance standard for 

the safety oflaw enforcement officers. At the request ofNIJ, NIST's National Voluntary 

Laboratory Accreditation Program has implemented a laboratory accreditation program 

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

test body armor. 

• Interoperable Public Safety Communications Equipment-NIST's Technology 

Services, in cooperation with Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Project 

25, NIST's OLES, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's 

Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, and DHS Project SAFECOM, established the 

Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP) to assist emergency 

communications officials in procurement and deployment of public safety land mobile 

radios. The P25 CAP is a conformity assessment program based on recognition of testing 

competence, standardized test report forms, and a supplier's declaration of conformity. 

The P25 CAP is referenced in DHS grant guidance whereby grantees are urged to commit 

to the purchase of P25 equipment when using DHS grant funds. NIST published NIST 

Handbook I 53: Laboratory Recognition Process for Project 25 Compliance Assessment, 

which defines the test laboratory requirements for developing data to support the 

manufacturer's declarations of conformity. 

• Non-Intrusive Inspection Equipment-NIST's Technology Services is working with 

NIST Radiation Physics to develop a series of IEEE4 standards for the performance of 

non-intrusive inspection equipment. The Standard for the Performance and Evaluation 

ofCheckpoint Cabinet X-Ray Imaging Security-Screening Systems and the Standard for 

Performance ofCargo X-Ray Systems are published, and standards for body imagers and 

Computerized Tomographic checked baggage screening equipment are in development. 

4 Formerly the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., the organization is now known by its 

acronym, as its scope has expanded beyond electrical and electronics engineering into related fields. 

8 
• Toy Safety Initiative NIST's Technology Services is providing technical assistance to 

the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in CPSC's implementation 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. Both intend to 

use the international system for accreditation of test laboratories. 

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Project on Greener Cleanups NIST's 

Technology Services is providing assistance to the EPA in its development of a standard 

and certification program for brownfield remediation (cleanups). 

• EPA WaterSense Project - NIST' s Technology Services assisted EPA staff in the 

implementation ofEPA's WaterSense program, which is currently available for toilets 

and faucets. WaterSense-certified products are now a significant share of the 

marketplace. 

• Department of Defense Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program - NIST' s 

Technology Service's staff provided assistance to the Department of Defense's 

Environmental Data Quality Workgroup to create a Department-wide program to accredit 

laboratories that perform testing in support of the Department. 

The full report of FY 2008 agency conformity assessment activities may be found in the 

Addendum to the Twelfth Annual Report on Federal Use ofVoluntary Consensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment, available online at 

http://standards.gov/NTT AA/agency /index.cfm. 

6.0 - Evaluation of the Effectiveness of 0MB Circular A-119 

During FY 2008, the majority of reporting agencies either had no comment on the 

effectiveness of 0MB Circular A-119 or indicated that they found the Circular effective 

in helping them manage their standards development programs. However, several 

agencies did provide substantive comments concerning recommended changes to the 

Circular, and these are summarized below.5 

• Department of Homeland Security recommended that any revisions to the 

Circular consider addressing the use of standards in Federal assistance programs 

such as grants as well as the use of standards in "significant" Federal guidance 

documents, such as Executive Order 12866 as amended by Executive Orders 

13258 and 134226

. DHS also suggested updating the Circular to reflect the 

processes and procedures utilized by the information technology (IT) sector that 

result in "open" standards. The Circular should provide policy guidance on such 

standards as it relates to IT procurements. 

5 It is within OMB's purview to consider and respond to these comments, as appropriate. 6 Executive Orders 13258 and 13422 were revoked by Executive Order 13497, signed on January 30, 2009. 

9 
• The Department of Defense recommended that NIST continue to highlight in this 

report examples of how government agencies are participating in the development 

of voluntary consensus standards and using these documents to meet 

requirements. The Department suggested that the effectiveness ofCircular A-119 

would be enhanced if policymakers were made aware of the positive results that 

can be achieved by using voluntary consensus standards. 

The full text of agency comments may be found in the Addendum to the Twelfth Annual 

Report on Federal Use ofVoluntary Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment, 

online at http://standards.gov/NTT AA/agency/index.cfm. 

7.0 -The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP) 

During FY 2008, 60 individuals served on the ICSP, including agency Standards 

Executives, their alternates, NIST support staff, and representatives from 0MB and the 

Executive Office of the President. The ICSP met three times in FY 2008, including one 

joint meeting with the American National Standards Institute's Government Member 

Forum. Information concerning the ICSP, including membership, charter, and meeting 

minutes, may be found online at http://standards.gov/icsp/query/index.cfm. 

8.0 - Success Stories: Examples from Federal Agencies 

Leveraging the private-sector standards development process for government purposes 

has been demonstrated to provide substantial resource savings for agencies and 

stakeholders throughout the Federal Government. Additionally, benefits flow to the 

private sector through Federal involvement and support ofthe voluntary consensus 

standards development process. Reports for FY 2008 show that agencies and affected 

stakeholders continue to realize benefits from Federal participation in the development 

and adoption ofVCSs to support agency missions. Some examples of successes from the 

fiscal year 2008 report are: 

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - Through the Hearing Aid 

Compatibility Report and Order, the FCC required that digital wireless telephones 

be capable of operating effectively with hearing aids based on certain 

performance measurement standards contained in the 2001 version of ANSI 

C63.I9, American National Standard for Methods ofMeasurement of 

Compatibility between Wireless Communication Devices and Hearing Aids. The 

FCC encouraged relevant stakeholders to review the standard periodically to 

determine whether improvements to the standard are warranted. The Accredited 

Standards Committee on Electromagnetic Compatibility worked to revise 

C63. l 9-2001, and in a public notice the FCC recognized the use of any of the 

three versions ofthe ANSI C63.19 standard (2001, 2005, or 2006)-for rating 

wireless phones, consistent with 47 CFR § 2.947 (b). Allowing the use of the new 

measurement and rating procedures should assist manufacturers and carriers in 

providing handset models that comply with the hearing aid compatibility 

requirements of 47 CFR § 20.19(b). 

10 
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - An example of successful 

implementation of a consensus standard is the endorsement of the NFP A standard 

805, Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protectionfor Light-Water Reactor 

Electric Generating Plants. Title 10, Section 50.48(c), of the Code ofFederal 

Regulations (10 CFR 50.48(c)), which the Commission adoptedin 2004, 

incorporates the 2001 edition ofNFP A 805 by reference, with certain exceptions, 

and allows licensees to voluntarily adopt and maintain a fire protection program 

that meets the requirements ofNFPA 805 as an alternative to meeting the 

requirements of 10 CFR 50.48(b) or the plant-specific fire protection license 

conditions. The standard is applied to demonstrate that a proposed licensing basis 

change "would not adversely affect the ability to achieve and maintain safe 

shutdown in the event of a fire." Additional guidance is provided in the NRC's 

Regulatory Guide 1.205, "Risk-Informed, Performance-Based Fire Protection for 

Existing Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants." 

The prescriptive NRC regulations governing fire protection programs have been 

subject to different interpretations and have been difficult to enforce in a clear, 

consistent way. The revised rule allows plants to establish well-defined fire 

protection licensing bases and to manage their fire protection programs with 

minimal regulatory intervention. More than 40 power plants in the United States 

are actively transitioning their current fire protection programs to ones based on 

NFPA 805. The NRC staff has conducted visits to pilot plants and has conducted 

numerous public meetings to assist plants in the transition. As a result of the need 

for fire-related probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), there is increased interest in a 

joint PRA standard published by the American Nuclear Society and the American 

Society of Mechanical Engineers. 

• Department of Defense - Common Air Defense Interrogator - The Army's 

development of a new modification (Mode 5) to the existing Common Air 

Defense Interrogator (ADI) will ensure interoperability with systems used by 

allied forces and will create a safer, more reliable system that will reduce the 

chance of "friendly fire" incidents. Also, by implementing the new Mode 5 ADI, 

the Army will avoid an estimated $31 million in costs. As a result ofthe 

standardization efforts of this program, the performance standards put in place 

will ensure interoperability between U.S. military and North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization (NA TO) platforms; the Mode 5 performance standards will be used 

to certify military transponders installed on aviation, unmanned aerial vehicle, and 

watercraft platforms, as well as interrogators installed on air defense systems and 

air traffic control platforms; interoperability and compatibility across platforms 

were demonstrated to be an achievable goal; and standardization was shown to 

simplify maintenance and reduce the number of manuals required for training and 

operation. 

• Department of Commerce - In FY 2008, NIST released Selected Impacts of 

Documentary Standards Supported by NIST, a study that is part of a broader 

11 
initiative to assess the impact of documentary standards on global competitiveness 

and innovation. This study canvassed NIST Laboratories to gather information on 

high-impact documentary standards development projects involving NIST 

support. The research identified 78 high-impact documentary standards projects. 

Key findings ofthe study were: (1) NIST participation accelerated standards 

development by an average of 1.5 years; (2) without NIST participation, the scope 

of the standards would have been narrower in one-third ofthe cases; and (3) many 

new products and services resulted directly from the standard being developed. It 

became clear that the leveraging ofNIST expertise substantially enabled the 

development of high-impact standards that underpinned new product 

development, enabled service improvements, and resulted in general societal 

benefits to the United States. 

9.0 - Summary and Conclusions 

As of FY 2008, 12 years since the start of the NTTAA reporting requirement, Federal 

agencies indicate that they use 45 government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary 

consensus standards. This small number of government-unique standards reflects a real 

and continuing reliance on voluntary consensus standards. The NTTAA has successfully 

encouraged agencies to look first to use voluntary consensus standards to meet their 

needs rather than to develop unnecessary government-unique standards. 

NIST continues to assist Federal agencies and their stakeholders involved in standards 

management. NIST hosts the portal http://standards.gov, which provides a "one-stop" 

e-government location for information related to the use of voluntary consensus 

standards. This portal offers background, materials, useful links, and search tools for 

locating information about the use ofstandards in government, including the searchable 

Standards Incorporated by Reference database. The website also serves as a forum for 

providing ongoing, practical guidance; tools and information needed by agencies to 

successfully implement the NTTAA; and a means to electronically report standards 

activities required by the NTTAA and 0MB Circular A-119. 

Building on the NTTAA's success in reducing reliance on government-unique standards, 

and in keeping with the trend toward e-government, NIST is working with agencies to 

provide more timely, accurate, and meaningful information to the standards community 

to better reflect the intent of the NTTAA and direction from 0MB. In addition, NIST is 

working with agency standards executives and 0MB to integrate standards participation 

and use more directly into the missions, decisionmaking processes, operating procedures, 

and strategic goals of Federal agencies. In addition to preparing and transmitting the 

required annual reports to 0MB, NIST will continue to provide resources on the 

standards.gov website to facilitate Federal agency participation in the development and 

use of private-sector standards. NIST will also work with agencies as they establish 

websites that reflect required NTTAA and 0MB Circular A-119 data and up-to-date 

information on agency standards activities. Expanded use of standards.gov and agency 

websites will consolidate information gathering and support efficient communication 

12 
between agencies and stakeholders. This report fulfills the annual reporting requirements 

of both the NTTAA and 0MB Circular. 

13 
Appendix A -- FY 2008 List of Reporting Federal Agencies 

I Agenc~ I! Acronim I! Standards Program Website I 

I DeQartment of Agriculture II USDA II * I 

I Deeartment of Commerce II DOC 11 httQ://ts.nist.gov/commerce/ I 

I Deeartment of Defense II DoD I! httr://www.dSQ.dla.mil I 

I Deeartment of Energy II DOE 11 htte://www.hss.energy.gov/nuclearsafety/ns/techstds/ I 

I Deeartment of Education I! ED 11 * I 

I Dep~rtment of Health and Human 11 HHS 

I Services 1 11 * I 

I Department of Homeland II DHS 11 http://www.dhs.gov/xfrstresp/standards/ I I S . 1 ecunty 

/ Depmiment of Housing and 

I Urban Development II HUD 11 http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/mps/mpshome.cfm I 

I Deeartment ofthe Interior II DOI II * I 

I Department of Justice II DOJ 11 http://www.ojp.gov/nij/topics/technology/standardsI development.htm l

I Deeartment of Labor Ii DOL I1 * I 

I Deeartment of State 11 DOS II * I 

I Department of Transportation II DOT 

: http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency/index.cfm 

11 Various - see DOT's report, available via I 

I Deeartment of the Treasury II TRES 11 htte://www.treas.gov/offices/international-affairs/standards/ I 

\ Department of Veterans Affairs II VA 11 htte://wwwl .va.gov/oamm/ I 

I Environmental Protection Agency II EPA II * I 

I General Services Administration II GSA 11 from http://www.gsa.gov, click on "About GSA," then 

I "Reference," then "Supply Standards" I

I National Archives and Records 

I Administration II NARA II* I 

j National Aeronautics and Space 

1 Administration 

II NASA 11 http://standards.nasa.gov I 

I National Science Foundation Ii NSF 11 * I 

r Consumer Product Safety 

Commission 

II CPSC 11 http://www.cpsc.gov/volstd/standards.html I 

I Federal Communications 

, Commission II FCC II * I 

I Federal Trade Commission II FTC II * I 

I Nuclear Regulatory Commission II NRC 11 htte://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/standards-dev.html I 

I Government Printing Office II GPO II * I 

I Access Board II ACCESS 11 htte://www.access-board.gov/gs.htm I 

*Not available or not reported 

14 
Appendix B -- FY 2008 Federal Agency Information on Participation/ Adoption of 

o unary ,y V I t Standards ACfIVI·r1es Reqmredb 0MB C"ircuIar A -119 

Government- Voluntary 

unique consensus Voluntary Employee Voluntary 

standards consensus standards used substituted consensus participation in standards Agency in lieu of for standards used voluntary bodies with voluntary governmentthis year consensus 

consensus (new uses) standards bodies agency 

standards unique participation 

standards 

---- 1 /\ 7 -- 39 

i DOC 0 0 A 479 108 

! DoD * 488 47 na 123 

II" , .. iE 0 i 0 1 430 

I ED 0 0 A 12 ~ 

HHS 1 0 16 854 195 

DHS 0 0 164 187 61 

J 2 0 0 4 

DOI 0 1 1 LL n 

- ~1 0 0 0 I ' 0 

DOL 8 0 0 58 16 

DOS 0 0 7 I 

DOT 3 0 n 184 48 

TRES 0 0 0 0 I 

VA 0 0 0 4 20 

I EPA 23 0 32 ~5 

GSA 3 ' 0 0 )~ 26 

NARA I A I 19 14 

NASA * 0 179 98 21 

NSF 0 0 0 3 2 

CPSC 2 I 0 ?5 11 

FCC 0 0 Ii r 11 

0 0 0 /\ 

NRC 0 0 6 172 15 

GPO 0 I 0 0 10 I 0 

Arrbs:s: I 0 A 11 6 

Totals 489 6 2935 ** *Agencies reporting on a categorical basis per 0MB Circular A-119, Section 12. 

** Total not provided. Total would result in multiple counting due to participation in standards bodies 

by two or more Federal agencies. 

15