CIRCULAR NO. A-119
Revised

b. Provide incentives and opportunities to establish standards that serve national needs.

c. Encourage long-term growth for U.S. enterprises andpromote efficiency and economic competition through harmonization of standards.

d. Further the policy of reliance upon the private sector to supply Government needs for goods and services.

b. The term "standard" does not include the following:

c. "Performance standard" is a standard as defined above that states requirements in terms of required results with criteria for verifying compliance but without stating the methods for achieving required results. A performance standard may define the functional requirements for the item, operational requirements, and/or interface and interchangeability characteristics. A performance standard may be viewed in juxtaposition to a prescriptive standard which may specify design requirements, such as materials to be used, how a requirement is to be achieved, or how an item is to be fabricated or constructed.

d. "Non-government standard" is a standard as defined above that is in the form of a standardization document developed by a private sector association, organization or technical society which plans, develops, establishes or coordinates standards, specifications, handbooks, or related documents.

b. What must my agency do when such use is determined by my agency to be inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise impractical?

The head of your agency must transmit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an explanation of the reason(s) for using government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus standards. For more information on reporting, see section 9.

c. How does this policy affect my agency's regulatory authorities and responsibilities?

This policy does not preempt or restrict agencies' authorities and responsibilities to make regulatory decisions authorized by statute. Such regulatory authorities and responsibilities include determining the level of acceptable risk; setting the level of protection; and balancing risk, cost, and availability of technology in establishing regulatory standards. However, to determine whether established regulatory limits or targets have been met, agencies should use voluntary consensus standards for test methods, sampling procedures, or protocols.

d. How does this policy affect my agency's procurement authority?

This policy does not preempt or restrict agencies' authorities and responsibilities to identify the capabilities that they need to obtain through procurements. Rather, this policy limits an agency's authority to pursue an identified capability through reliance on a government-unique standard when a voluntary consensus standard exists (see Section 6a).

e. What are the goals of agency use of voluntary consensus standards?

Agencies should recognize the positive contribution of standards development and related activities. When properly conducted, standards development can increase productivity and efficiency in Government and industry, expand opportunities for international trade, conserve resources, improve health and safety, and protect the environment.

f. What considerations should my agency make when it is considering using a standard?

When considering using a standard, your agency should take full account of the effect of using the standard on the economy, and of applicable federal laws and policies, including laws and regulations relating to antitrust, national security, small business, product safety, environment, metrication, technology development, and conflicts of interest. Your agency should also recognize that use of standards, if improperly conducted, can suppress free and fair competition; impede innovation and technical progress; exclude safer or less expensive products; or otherwise adversely affect trade, commerce, health, or safety. If your agency is proposing to incorporate a standard into a proposed or final rulemaking, your agency must comply with the "Principles of Regulation" (enumerated in Section 1(b)) and with the other analytical requirements of Executive Order 12866, "Regulatory Planning and Review."

g. Does this policy establish a preference between consensus and non-consensus standards that are developed in the private sector?

This policy does not establish a preference among standards developed in the private sector. Specifically, agencies that promulgate regulations referencing non-consensus standards developed in the private sector are not required to report on these actions, and agencies that procure products or services based on non-consensus standards are not required to report on such procurements. For example, this policy allows agencies to select a non-consensus standard developed in the private sector as a means of establishing testing methods in a regulation and to choose among commercial-off-the-shelf products, regardless of whether the underlying standards are developed by voluntary consensus standards bodies or not.

h. Does this policy establish a preference between domestic and international voluntary consensus standards?

This policy does not establish a preference between domestic and international voluntary consensus standards. However, in the interests of promoting trade and implementing the provisions of international treaty agreements, your agency should consider international standards in procurement and regulatory applications.

i. Should my agency give preference to performance standards?

In using voluntary consensus standards, your agency should give preference to performance standards when such standards may reasonably be used in lieu of prescriptive standards.

j. How should my agency reference voluntary consensus standards?

Your agency should reference voluntary consensus standards, along with sources of availability, in appropriate publications, regulatory orders, and related internal documents. In regulations, the reference must include the date of issuance. For all other uses, your agency must determine the most appropriate form of reference, which may exclude the date of issuance as long as users are elsewhere directed to the latest issue. If a voluntary standard is used and published in an agency document, your agency must observe and protect the rights of the copyright holder and any other similar obligations.

k. What if no voluntary consensus standard exists?

In cases where no voluntary consensus standards exist, an agency may use government-unique standards (in addition to other standards, see Section 6g) and is not required to file a report on its use of government-unique standards. As explained above (see Section 6a), an agency may use government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus standards if the use of such standards would be inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise impractical; in such cases, the agency must file a report under Section 9a regarding its use of government-unique standards.

l. How may my agency identify voluntary consensus standards?

Your agency may identify voluntary consensus standards through databases of standards maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), or by other organizations including voluntary consensus standards bodies, other federal agencies, or standards publishing companies.

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. Agency support must not be contingent upon the outcome of the standards activity. Normally, the total amount of federal support should be no greater than that of other participants in that activity, except when it is in the direct and predominant interest of the Government to develop or revise a standard, and its timely development or revision appears unlikely in the absence of such support.

c. What forms of support may my agency provide?

The form of agency support, may include the following:

f. Do agency representatives participate equally with other members?

Agency representatives serving as members of voluntary consensus standards bodies should participate actively and on an equal basis with other members, consistent with the procedures of those bodies, particularly in matters such as establishing priorities, developing procedures for preparing, reviewing, and approving standards, and developing or adopting new standards. Active participation includes full involvement in discussions and technical debates, registering of opinions and, if selected, serving as chairpersons or in other official capacities. Agency representatives may vote, in accordance with the procedures of the voluntary consensus standards body, at each stage of the standards development process unless prohibited from doing so by law or their agencies.

g. Are there any limitations on participation by agency representatives?

In order to maintain the independence of voluntary consensus standards bodies, agency representatives must refrain from involvement in the internal management of such organizations (e.g., selection of salaried officers and employees, establishment of staff salaries, and administrative policies). Agency representatives must not dominate such bodies, and in any case are bound by voluntary consensus standards bodies' rules and procedures, including those regarding domination of proceedings by any individual. Regardless, such agency employees must avoid the practice or the appearance of undue influence relating to their agency representation and activities in voluntary consensus standards bodies.

h. Are there any limits on the number of federal participants in voluntary consensus standards bodies?

The number of individual agency participants in a given voluntary standards activity should be kept to the minimum required for effective representation of the various program, technical, or other concerns of federal agencies.

i. Is there anything else agency representatives should know?

This Circular does not provide guidance concerning the internal operating procedures that may be applicable to voluntary consensus standards bodies because of their relationships to agencies under this Circular. Agencies should, however, carefully consider what laws or rules may apply in a particular instance because of these relationships. For example, these relationships may involve the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. I), or a provision of an authorizing statute for a particular agency.

j. What if a voluntary consensus standards body is likely to develop an acceptable, needed standard in a timely fashion?

If a voluntary consensus standards body is in the process of developing or adopting a voluntary consensus standard that would likely be lawful and practical for an agency to use, and would likely be developed or adopted on a timely basis, an agency should not be developing its own government-unique standard and instead should be participating in the activities of the voluntary consensus standards body.

b. Publish a discussion in the preamble of a Final Rulemaking that restates the statement in the NPRM or IFR, acknowledges and summarizes any comments received and responds to them, and explains the agency's final decision. This discussion must provide the appropriate information, as follows:

b. How does my agency report the use of standards in procurements on a transaction basis?

Your agency should report on a transaction basis when your agency identifies, manages, and reviews the use of standards on a transaction basis rather than a category basis. Transaction based reporting is especially useful when your agency conducts procurement mostly through commercial products and services, but is occasionally involved in a procurement involving government-unique standards. To report use of government-unique standards on a transaction basis, your agency must follow the following procedures: