Request for Expressions of Interest From Manufacturers and Developers in Forthcoming Gun Safety Technology Challenge and Request for Information, 68913-68914 [2014-27368]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 223 / Wednesday, November 19, 2014 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2014–27372 Filed 11–18–14; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
[OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1678]
Criminal Justice Restraints Standard,
NIJ Standard-1001.00
National Institute of Justice.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) announces publication of
Criminal Justice Restraints Standard,
NIJ Standard 1001.00. The document
can be found here: https://ncjrs.gov/
pdffiles1/nij/247988.pdf. Conformity
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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SUMMARY:
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[FR Doc. 2014–27367 Filed 11–18–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
[OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1676]
Request for Expressions of Interest
From Manufacturers and Developers in
Forthcoming Gun Safety Technology
Challenge and Request for Information
AGENCY:
National Institute of Justice,
DOJ.
ACTION:
Notice.
The National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) is requesting manufacturers
and developers of firearms that
incorporate advanced safety
technologies or firearms accessories
utilizing advanced safety technologies
that are intended to modify firearms to
submit an expression of interest in the
forthcoming Gun Safety Technology
Challenge (‘‘Challenge’’) and provide
information about their products or
technology. Through the Challenge, NIJ
will seek an objective demonstration
through testing and evaluation of the
reliability of firearms and firearms
accessories available today that are
typically known by various terms such
as smart guns, user-authorized
handguns, childproof guns, and
personalized firearms. These firearms or
firearms accessories can be understood
to utilize integrated components that
exclusively permit an authorized user or
set of users to operate or fire the gun
and automatically deactivate it under a
set of specific circumstances, reducing
the chances of accidental or purposeful
use by an unauthorized user. NIJ is
interested in receiving information
regarding which firearms and firearms
accessories that incorporate advanced
safety technologies that would be made
available by industry for testing and
evaluation in the Challenge. This
information will help inform NIJ
regarding the scope of the notional test
methods and test procedures for
firearms and firearms accessories
required for the Challenge, as described
below.
DATES: Manufacturers or developers
wishing to submit an expression of
interest and information to the National
Institute of Justice must do so by 5 p.m.
Eastern Time January 5, 2015, as
instructed below.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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68913
How to Respond and What
to Include: To submit an expression of
interest and information, please send an
email to gunsafetytechnology
@usdoj.gov. Please provide the business
contact information, including a point
of contact name, company name (if
applicable), mailing address, phone
number, and email address. The
minimum information requested about
the firearm or firearm accessory
responsive to the Challenge described in
this notice is as follows: (1) A written
description; (2) a photograph (or
diagram); (3) the type of cartridge that
would be used in the firearm; and (4) an
estimate of the technological maturity.
The information found in the report A
Review of Gun Safety Technologies is
suggested as a guide to assess the
maturity of technologies. The report can
be found here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/
pdffiles1/nij/242500.pdf. There is no
limit to the amount of information that
interested parties may submit. No
materials will be returned. All materials
submitted will be treated confidentially
and discreetly and may be shared with
U.S. Government staff or U.S.
Government contractors for evaluation
purposes. This notice is not a
solicitation for funding and does not
obligate the Government to fund any
research and development.
ADDRESSES:
The
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) was
tasked with supporting the President’s
Plan to Reduce Gun Violence,
specifically:
‘‘The President is directing the
Attorney General to work with
technology experts to review existing
and emerging gun safety technologies,
and to issue a report on the availability
and use of those technologies. In
addition, the Administration will issue
a challenge to the private sector to
develop innovative and cost-effective
gun safety technology and provide
prizes for those technologies that are
proven to be reliable and effective.’’
In support of this Executive action,
NIJ has conducted a technology
assessment and market survey of
existing and emerging gun safety
technologies that would be of interest to
the law enforcement and criminal
justice communities and others with an
interest in gun safety and advanced
firearm technology. A report published
in June 2013 by NIJ entitled A Review
of Gun Safety Technologies examined
existing and emerging gun safety
technologies, and their availability and
use, to provide a comprehensive
perspective on firearms with integrated
advanced safety technologies.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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68914
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 223 / Wednesday, November 19, 2014 / Notices
Following the report, NIJ now seeks
an objective demonstration of the
reliability of firearms available today
with advanced gun safety technology
integrated into the firearm through a
forthcoming Gun Safety Technology
Challenge (‘‘Challenge’’). The reliability
of firearms with integrated advanced
safety technologies has been cited as a
concern regarding the potential
performance and user acceptance of
products that may incorporate such
technologies, as discussed in the report.
It is anticipated that the results of the
Challenge will provide a basis to
improve the general understanding of
whether the addition of a smart gun
technology does or does not
significantly reduce the reliability of the
firearm system compared to existing
firearms. It is believed that this
Challenge will be the first effort to apply
a methodology to provide a rigorous and
scientific assessment of the technical
performance characteristics of these
types of firearms.
Manufacturers and developers of
‘‘smart guns’’ are encouraged to respond
to this notice to help determine the
number of firearm products that are at
a commercial or pre-commercial level of
maturity that could reasonably be
considered safe to carry out testing with
live ammunition. Qualified interested
parties will be able to submit at a later
time their products for testing and
evaluation by a third-party testing entity
capable of assessing the performance
characteristics of firearms through the
Challenge. NIJ has partnered with the
U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC)
to perform firearm testing and
evaluation. While response to this
notice is not a prerequisite for
participation in the forthcoming
Challenge, the information provided
here would permit NIJ and ATC to
better assess whether the products or
technologies are viable from a testing
perspective. The types of firearms that
can reasonably be expected to be within
the scope of the Challenge include
pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns,
or accessories that can modify those
types of firearms.
The proposed testing and evaluation
in the forthcoming Challenge will
notionally proceed in an escalated
manner in three stages. Stage 1 will be
an information review. Participants will
deliver a white paper describing their
product or technology and will be
encouraged to provide any available test
data to substantiate claims regarding
performance or reliability. Stage 2 will
involve single product testing.
Participants will deliver two firearms or
firearm accessories with integrated gun
safety technology for initial testing to
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:16 Nov 18, 2014
Jkt 235001
confirm that the product performs at a
minimum performance level. Testing
would be limited to a thorough
inspection and tests tending toward
more light duty real-world use.
Participants will need to provide a
safety assessment report to ensure that
their products are safe for testing
personnel to handle and operate. Stage
3 will involve expanded product testing.
Participants will deliver additional
units for testing to boost the sample
size. This stage will be reserved for
mature products that are demonstrated
to perform at a minimum performance
level determined by Stage 2 testing with
Stage 3 tests tending toward more heavy
duty real-world use. More rounds of
ammunition will be used per unit tested
with additional environmental tests to
characterize functionality and durability
under different conditions.
The test procedures used in the
Challenge will be selected or designed
to better understand the impact of smart
gun technology on the reliability of the
firearm, which may include different
authentication technologies like radio
frequency identification and fingerprint
sensors. Test procedures shall be
applicable to any firearm or firearm
accessory eligible for entry into the
Challenge, which will be informed in
part by the response to this notice.
Failure definitions and scoring criteria
that can be used to draw conclusions
regarding the performance of the
participating firearms or firearms
accessories will be developed according
to established guidelines already in use
for reliability applications in U.S. Army
and Joint Service systems. It is also
anticipated that manufacturers or
developers of ‘‘smart guns’’ will be
invited at a later time to participate in
a voluntary informational workshop as
a part of the Challenge. Response to this
notice is not a prerequisite for
participation in the forthcoming
Challenge.
William Sabol,
Acting Director, National Institute of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2014–27368 Filed 11–18–14; 8:45 am]
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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS
ADMINISTRATION
[NARA–2015–012]
Records Schedules; Availability and
Request for Comments
National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA).
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00073
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Notice of availability of
proposed records schedules; request for
comments.
ACTION:
The National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA)
publishes notice at least once monthly
of certain Federal agency requests for
records disposition authority (records
schedules). Once approved by NARA,
records schedules provide mandatory
instructions on what happens to records
when no longer needed for current
Government business. They authorize
the preservation of records of
continuing value in the National
Archives of the United States and the
destruction, after a specified period, of
records lacking administrative, legal,
research, or other value. Notice is
published for records schedules in
which agencies propose to destroy
records not previously authorized for
disposal or reduce the retention period
of records already authorized for
disposal. NARA invites public
comments on such records schedules, as
required by 44 U.S.C. 3303a(a).
DATES: Requests for copies must be
received in writing on or before
December 19, 2014. Once the appraisal
of the records is completed, NARA will
send a copy of the schedule. NARA staff
usually prepare appraisal
memorandums that contain additional
information concerning the records
covered by a proposed schedule. These,
too, may be requested and will be
provided once the appraisal is
completed. Requesters will be given 30
days to submit comments.
ADDRESSES: You may request a copy of
any records schedule identified in this
notice by contacting Records
Management Services (ACNR) using one
of the following means:
Mail: NARA (ACNR), 8601 Adelphi
Road, College Park, MD 20740–6001
Email: request.schedule@nara.gov
FAX: 301–837–3698
Requesters must cite the control
number, which appears in parentheses
after the name of the agency which
submitted the schedule, and must
provide a mailing address. Those who
desire appraisal reports should so
indicate in their request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Margaret Hawkins, Director, Records
Management Services (ACNR), National
Archives and Records Administration,
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD
20740–6001. Telephone: 301–837–1799.
Email: request.schedule@nara.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year
Federal agencies create billions of
records on paper, film, magnetic tape,
and other media. To control this
SUMMARY:
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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 223 (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68913-68914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27368]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
[OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1676]
Request for Expressions of Interest From Manufacturers and
Developers in Forthcoming Gun Safety Technology Challenge and Request
for Information
AGENCY: National Institute of Justice, DOJ.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is requesting
manufacturers and developers of firearms that incorporate advanced
safety technologies or firearms accessories utilizing advanced safety
technologies that are intended to modify firearms to submit an
expression of interest in the forthcoming Gun Safety Technology
Challenge (``Challenge'') and provide information about their products
or technology. Through the Challenge, NIJ will seek an objective
demonstration through testing and evaluation of the reliability of
firearms and firearms accessories available today that are typically
known by various terms such as smart guns, user-authorized handguns,
childproof guns, and personalized firearms. These firearms or firearms
accessories can be understood to utilize integrated components that
exclusively permit an authorized user or set of users to operate or
fire the gun and automatically deactivate it under a set of specific
circumstances, reducing the chances of accidental or purposeful use by
an unauthorized user. NIJ is interested in receiving information
regarding which firearms and firearms accessories that incorporate
advanced safety technologies that would be made available by industry
for testing and evaluation in the Challenge. This information will help
inform NIJ regarding the scope of the notional test methods and test
procedures for firearms and firearms accessories required for the
Challenge, as described below.
DATES: Manufacturers or developers wishing to submit an expression of
interest and information to the National Institute of Justice must do
so by 5 p.m. Eastern Time January 5, 2015, as instructed below.
ADDRESSES: How to Respond and What to Include: To submit an expression
of interest and information, please send an email to
gunsafetytechnology@usdoj.gov. Please provide the business contact
information, including a point of contact name, company name (if
applicable), mailing address, phone number, and email address. The
minimum information requested about the firearm or firearm accessory
responsive to the Challenge described in this notice is as follows: (1)
A written description; (2) a photograph (or diagram); (3) the type of
cartridge that would be used in the firearm; and (4) an estimate of the
technological maturity. The information found in the report A Review of
Gun Safety Technologies is suggested as a guide to assess the maturity
of technologies. The report can be found here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/242500.pdf. There is no limit to the amount of
information that interested parties may submit. No materials will be
returned. All materials submitted will be treated confidentially and
discreetly and may be shared with U.S. Government staff or U.S.
Government contractors for evaluation purposes. This notice is not a
solicitation for funding and does not obligate the Government to fund
any research and development.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) was
tasked with supporting the President's Plan to Reduce Gun Violence,
specifically:
``The President is directing the Attorney General to work with
technology experts to review existing and emerging gun safety
technologies, and to issue a report on the availability and use of
those technologies. In addition, the Administration will issue a
challenge to the private sector to develop innovative and cost-
effective gun safety technology and provide prizes for those
technologies that are proven to be reliable and effective.''
In support of this Executive action, NIJ has conducted a technology
assessment and market survey of existing and emerging gun safety
technologies that would be of interest to the law enforcement and
criminal justice communities and others with an interest in gun safety
and advanced firearm technology. A report published in June 2013 by NIJ
entitled A Review of Gun Safety Technologies examined existing and
emerging gun safety technologies, and their availability and use, to
provide a comprehensive perspective on firearms with integrated
advanced safety technologies.
[[Page 68914]]
Following the report, NIJ now seeks an objective demonstration of
the reliability of firearms available today with advanced gun safety
technology integrated into the firearm through a forthcoming Gun Safety
Technology Challenge (``Challenge''). The reliability of firearms with
integrated advanced safety technologies has been cited as a concern
regarding the potential performance and user acceptance of products
that may incorporate such technologies, as discussed in the report. It
is anticipated that the results of the Challenge will provide a basis
to improve the general understanding of whether the addition of a smart
gun technology does or does not significantly reduce the reliability of
the firearm system compared to existing firearms. It is believed that
this Challenge will be the first effort to apply a methodology to
provide a rigorous and scientific assessment of the technical
performance characteristics of these types of firearms.
Manufacturers and developers of ``smart guns'' are encouraged to
respond to this notice to help determine the number of firearm products
that are at a commercial or pre-commercial level of maturity that could
reasonably be considered safe to carry out testing with live
ammunition. Qualified interested parties will be able to submit at a
later time their products for testing and evaluation by a third-party
testing entity capable of assessing the performance characteristics of
firearms through the Challenge. NIJ has partnered with the U.S. Army
Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) to perform firearm testing and evaluation.
While response to this notice is not a prerequisite for participation
in the forthcoming Challenge, the information provided here would
permit NIJ and ATC to better assess whether the products or
technologies are viable from a testing perspective. The types of
firearms that can reasonably be expected to be within the scope of the
Challenge include pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, or
accessories that can modify those types of firearms.
The proposed testing and evaluation in the forthcoming Challenge
will notionally proceed in an escalated manner in three stages. Stage 1
will be an information review. Participants will deliver a white paper
describing their product or technology and will be encouraged to
provide any available test data to substantiate claims regarding
performance or reliability. Stage 2 will involve single product
testing. Participants will deliver two firearms or firearm accessories
with integrated gun safety technology for initial testing to confirm
that the product performs at a minimum performance level. Testing would
be limited to a thorough inspection and tests tending toward more light
duty real-world use. Participants will need to provide a safety
assessment report to ensure that their products are safe for testing
personnel to handle and operate. Stage 3 will involve expanded product
testing. Participants will deliver additional units for testing to
boost the sample size. This stage will be reserved for mature products
that are demonstrated to perform at a minimum performance level
determined by Stage 2 testing with Stage 3 tests tending toward more
heavy duty real-world use. More rounds of ammunition will be used per
unit tested with additional environmental tests to characterize
functionality and durability under different conditions.
The test procedures used in the Challenge will be selected or
designed to better understand the impact of smart gun technology on the
reliability of the firearm, which may include different authentication
technologies like radio frequency identification and fingerprint
sensors. Test procedures shall be applicable to any firearm or firearm
accessory eligible for entry into the Challenge, which will be informed
in part by the response to this notice. Failure definitions and scoring
criteria that can be used to draw conclusions regarding the performance
of the participating firearms or firearms accessories will be developed
according to established guidelines already in use for reliability
applications in U.S. Army and Joint Service systems. It is also
anticipated that manufacturers or developers of ``smart guns'' will be
invited at a later time to participate in a voluntary informational
workshop as a part of the Challenge. Response to this notice is not a
prerequisite for participation in the forthcoming Challenge.
William Sabol,
Acting Director, National Institute of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2014-27368 Filed 11-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P
