Overview of the Federal Technical Standards Conference

Krista Johnsen Leuteritz, Office of Standards Services, Technology Services, National Institute of Standards and Technology

4/17/2008
(Original Publish Date: 2/1/1999)

For several years the Department of Energy (DOE) has held annual technical standards conferences. This year, for the first time, a number of agencies joined to co-sponsor the event. The decision to expand the conference’s scope was a direct result of the revision of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-119, promulgated in February 1998. The Circular was revised to reflect the intent of Public Law (PL) 104-113, the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995. The newly revised Circular states that Federal Agencies are “to use voluntary consensus standards in lieu of government-unique standards except where inconsistent with the law or otherwise impractical.” Since many agencies are working to fulfill the mandate of the law and the Circular, DOE and NIST encouraged other agencies to hold one joint conference, thereby pooling resources and eliminating duplication of efforts. NIST has been assigned the role under PL 104-113 to coordinate Federal, State, and local technical standards and conformity assessment activities and to cooperate with the private sector on technical standard and conformity assessment activities.