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CHARLES F. DUCANDER, Executive Director and Chief Counsel
JOHN A. CARSTARPHEN, Jr., Chief Clerk and Counsel

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INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL STANDARDS

ACTIVITIES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1966

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS, AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE ON H.R. 17424, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, in room 2325, Rayburn House Office Building, at 10 a.m., Hon. J. Edward Roush (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. ROUSH. The committee will be in order.

This morning we begin 3 days of hearings to consider H.R. 17424 and H.R. 17598, which are identical bills, to promote and support representation of U.S. interests in voluntary international commercial standards activities, to establish a clearinghouse for commercial and procurement standards, and for other purposes. I would like the record to include a copy of the bill at this point, together with the statement of purpose and need.

(The material referred to follows:)

[H.R. 17424, 89th Cong., 2d sess.]

A BILL To promote and support representation of United States interests in voluntary international commercial standards activities, to establish a clearinghouse for commercial and procurement standards, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

DECLARATION OF PURPOSE

SECTION 1. That Congress finds that voluntary standardization of products, with appropriate participation in the international commercial standardization process, by producers, distributors, users, and consumers promotes the beneficial exchange of goods and services of high quality, internationally and domestically, all to the benefit of the general public. The Congress, therefore, declares that the purpose of this Act is to promote and support adequate representation for United States interests in voluntary international commercial standardization activities and to authorize the establishment and support of appropriate central information clearinghouses for commercial or procurement standards and standards activities for the benefit of producers, distributors, users, consumers, and the general public.

SEC. 2. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized, in cooperation with private United States standards organizations or bodies, and appropriate Federal and State agencies, and others

(a) to promote, develop, support, and improve United States participation in the international commercial standardization of products, processes, test methods, and performance characteristics of products and processes, including cooperation with foreign standards-making bodies in developing standards, through any appropriate international organizations or bodies or with the standards organizations or bodies of any country, for the purpose of issu

ing international commercial standards for products, processes, test methods, and performance characteristics of products and processes.

(b) to establish and maintain a clearinghouse service for the benefit of producers, distributors, users, consumers, and the general public, for the collection and dissemination of engineering or product standards and Federal, State, or local procurement standards and information pertaining to such standards from whatever sources, foreign and domestic, that may be available; to collect, translate, catalog, classify, coordinate, and integrate such standards and information pertaining thereto; and to make such standards and the information pertaining thereto available to producers, distributors, users, consumers, and the general public.

SEC. 3. The Secretary of Commerce shall have the authority, within the limits of available appropriations, to do all things necessary to carry out the functions described in section 2 of this Act, including, but without being limited thereto, the authority

(a) to make grants, enter into contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, with any private, nonprofit standards organization or body which he determines represents the general interests of producers, distributors, users, and consumers within a specific industry or in commerce and industry throughout the country generally and which he deems has established adequate procedures to permit participation in the organization by these interests;

(b) to enter into contracts or cooperative arrangements with any public or private organizations, institutions, firms, or persons deemed by the Secretary to be qualified to carry out any or all of the functions authorized herein without regard to any other provision of law; and

(c) to establish such policies, criteria, and procedures and to prescribe such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary for the administration of this Act and to carry out the functions authorized thereunder, including the fixing of reasonable prices, fees, or charges for information furnished or services rendered under section 2(b) hereof, notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of the Act of May 11, 1922 (ch. 189, 42 Stat. 541; 44 U.S.C. 72 as amended); and section 307 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (ch. 314, 47 Stat. 409; 44 U.S.C. 72a); and the amounts received shall be subject to the Act of March 3, 1901 (ch. 872, 31 Stat. 1449; 15 U.S.C. 271-278e), as amended. and the functions authorized herein shall be considered to be authorized by such Act. To the extent feasible and appropriate, such prices shall reflect the cost of collection, translation, cataloging, classification, coordination, integration, and disssemination of the information and services provided, including administrative costs.

SEC. 4. There are authorized to be appropriated, without fiscal year limitation, such amounts as may be necessary for the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 5. (a) Each recipient of financial assistance under this Act shall keep such records as the Secretary of Commerce shall prescribe, including records which fully disclose the amount and disposition of such financial assistance; the total cost of the related approved program; the amount and nature of the cost of the program supplied by other sources; and such other records as will facilitate an effective audit.

(b) The Secretary and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall have access to any books, documents, papers, and records of the recipient that are pertinent to amounts paid under this Act.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STATEMENT OF Purpose and NEED

1. INTRODUCTION

The National Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce has traditionally provided technical support to the activity of U.S. industry in voluntarily developing domestic standards for the United States. The proposed legislation is needed to clarify the authority of the Department through its National Bureau of Standards to promote and participate similarly in voluntary international standardization activities on behalf of U.S. interests. Since 1921 the National Bureau of Standards has provided industry and

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