The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology announced in today’s Federal Register that the Secretary of Commerce will prepare a report for Congress on the Fastener Quality Act of 1990. The report, which must be submitted by Feb. 1, 1999, will address:
1. changes in fastener manufacturing processes that have occurred since the enactment of the FQA;
2. a comparison of the FQA to other regulatory programs that regulate the various categories of fasteners, and an analysis of any duplication that exists among programs; and
3. any changes in the FQA that may be warranted.
A previous Federal Register notice announced that the implementation date of regulations under the Fastener Quality Act of 1990 requiring fastener manufacturers to submit their fasteners for testing by laboratories accredited by various accreditation organizations was being extended until June 1, 1999. This notice, along with today’s, follows up on the passage of Public Law 105-234 (signed by President Clinton on Aug. 14, 1998) amending the FQA.
NIST continues to offer strictly voluntary accreditation to qualified fastener testing laboratories, as well as allowing voluntary compliance with other provisions of the regulations.
NIST will post updates on FQA developments periodically on the World Wide Web at http://www.nist.gov/fqa. Additional information-including the text of the original legislation and amendments, a frequently-asked-questions fact sheet, answers to inquiries submitted to industry, and the current list of accredited testing laboratories-is available at the same website.
As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, NIST promotes economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards through four partnerships: the Measurement and Standards Laboratories, the Advanced Technology Program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Baldrige National Quality Program.
