National Institute of Standards and Technology 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises the public that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is distributing a proposed revision of Voluntary Product Standard (PS) 1-95, Construction and Industrial Plywood. This standard, prepared by the Standing Committee for PS 1, establishes requirements, for those who choose to adhere to the standard, for the principal types and grades of structural plywood and provides a basis for common understanding among producers, distributors, and users of the product. Interested parties are invited to review the proposed standard and submit comments to NIST.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the Precision Measurement Grants Program is soliciting applications for financial assistance for FY 2007. The Precision Measurement Grants Program is seeking proposals for significant research in the field of fundamental measurement or the determination of fundamental constants.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will meet Tuesday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, December 13, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology is composed of fifteen members appointed by the Director of NIST who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment, and international relations. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Institute, its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. The theme of this meeting is NIST's role in the international arena in ten years. The agenda will include an update on NIST, an introduction and overview of NIST's international activities, and other presentations that focus on the importance of NIST as a National Metrology Institute, NIST's evolving role for traceability of chemical and biological measurements, NIST's role in documentary standards, NIST's interactions with the American National Standards Institute and the International Organization for Standardization, and NIST's activities in Iraq. Two laboratory tours also will be featured. The meeting will conclude with an extended discussion on effectively implementing the NIST mission in a growing international marketplace. The agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST Web site at https://www.nist.gov/director/vcat/agenda.htm.

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) will hold a public workshop on December 8, 2006, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. The purpose of the workshop is the exchange of information among NVLAP, the NIST Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC), laboratories interested in seeking accreditation for the testing of personal body armor, and other interested parties. The results of the workshop discussions will be used in the development of the NVLAP Personal Body Armor Program. There is no charge for the workshop; however, because of security regulations, advance registration is mandatory. There will be no on- site, same-day registration. The registration deadline is Wednesday, December 6, 2006. Please note admittance instructions under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award will meet Monday, November 13, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, November 14, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, November 15, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, November 16, 2006, and Friday, November 17, 2006, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Judges Panel is composed of ten members prominent in the fields of business, health care, education, performance, and quality management and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program, processes, and procedures within the guidelines set forth by the Baldrige Program's Board of Overseers.

The purpose of this notice is to request comments on the technical reports that will be published in the NFPA's 2007 Fall Revision Cycle. The publication of this notice by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of NFPA is being undertaken as a public service; NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend any of the standards referenced in the notice. Since 1896, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has accomplished its mission by advocating scientifically based consensus codes and standards, research, and education for safety related issues. NFPA's National Fire Codes[supreg], which holds over 270 documents, are administered by more than 225 Technical Committees comprised of approximately 7,000 volunteers and are adopted and used throughout the world. NFPA is a nonprofit membership organization with approximately 80,000 members from over 70 nations, all working together to fulfill the Association's mission. The NFPA process provides ample opportunity for public participation in the development of its codes and standards. All NFPA codes and standards are revised and updated every three to five years in Revision Cycles that begin twice each year and that takes approximately two years to complete. Each Revision Cycle proceeds according to a published schedule that includes final dates for all major events in the process. The process contains five basic steps that are followed both for developing new documents as well as revising existing documents. These steps are: Calling for Proposals; Publishing the Proposals in the Report on Proposals; Calling for Comments on the Committee's disposition of the Proposals and these Comments are published in the Report on Comments; having a Technical Report Session at the NFPA Annual Meeting; and finally, the Standards Council Consideration and Issuance of documents.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposes to revise some of its safety codes and standards and requests proposals from the public to amend existing or begin the process of developing new NFPA safety codes and standards. The purpose of this request is to increase public participation in the system used by NFPA to develop its codes and standards. The publication of this notice of request for proposals by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of NFPA is being undertaken as a public service; NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend any of the standards referenced in the notice. The NFPA process provides ample opportunity for public participation in the development of its codes and standards. All NFPA codes and standards are revised and updated every three to five years in Revision Cycles that begin twice each year and that takes approximately two years to complete. Each Revision Cycle proceeds according to a published schedule that includes final dates for all major events in the process. The process contains five basic steps that are followed both for developing new documents as well as revising existing documents. These steps are: Calling for Proposals; Publishing the Proposals in the Report on Proposals; Calling for Comments on the Committee's disposition of the proposals and these Comments are published in the Report on Comments; having a Technical Report Session at the NFPA Annual Meeting; and finally, the Standards Council Consideration and Issuance of documents.

The invention listed below is jointly owned by the U.S. Government, as represented by the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Navy. The Department of Commerce's interest in the invention is available for non-exclusive licensing, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 and 37 CFR Part 404 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally funded research and development.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will meet Thursday, September 14, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Friday, September 15, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. All sessions will be open to the public. The Advisory Board was established by the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-235) and amended by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-347) to advise the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of NIST on security and privacy issues pertaining to Federal computer systems. Details regarding the Board's activities are available at https://csrc.nist.gov/ispab/.

The International Code Council (ICC), under whoseauspices the International Codes (``I-Codes'') are developed, maintains a process for updating these model codes based on receipt of proposals from interested individuals and organizations. The ICC's 14 separately published codes are each comprehensively updated and re-published every three years with a supplement released between each edition. The most current versions of the I-Codes are the 2006 editions. The 2007 supplement to the 2006 editions will be released in the Fall of 2007. The purpose of this notice is to invite public participation in the Code Development Hearings. At this session, all proposed changes submitted for the family of the 2006 I-Codes will be considered by the respective Code Development Committees, with the assembled body of the International Code Council members also afforded the opportunity to vote via an assembly action. The publication of this notice by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of ICC is being undertaken as a public service; NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend any of the codes or standards referenced in the notice. Session Dates: The Code Development Hearings of the 2006/2007 Code Development Cycle will occur between September 20 and October 1, 2006, at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, Walt Disney World, Florida. The agenda for the hearing as well as updates to the schedule are also posted on the ICC Web site at: https://www.iccsafe.org.

NIST invites and requests nomination of individuals for appointment to Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (Board). The terms of some of the members of the Board will soon expire. NIST will consider nominations received in response to this notice for appointment to the Committee, in addition to nominations already received.

NIST invites and requests nomination of individuals for appointment to the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT). The terms of some of the members of the VCAT will soon expire. NIST will consider nominations received in response to this notice for appointment to the Committee, in addition to nominations already received.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award will meet Thursday, July 27, 2006. The Judges Panel is composed of ten members prominent in the field of quality management and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The purpose of this meeting is to review the stage 1 process, Judges' individual review of the stage 1 scoring data, consideration for moving applicants forward, discussion of stage 1 data and selection of applicants for consensus, questions and answers on stage 2 and stage 3 process documentation, and summary of Improvements Day . The applications under review contain trade secrets and proprietary commercial information submitted to the Government in confidence.

The Annual Meeting of the 91st National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) will be held July 9 to 13, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois. This meeting is open to the public. Detailed meeting agendas and information on registration requirements, fees and hotel information can be found at https://www.ncwm.net. The NCWM is an organization of weights and measures officials of the states, counties, and cities of the United States, Federal Agencies, and private sector representatives. This meeting brings together government officials and representatives of business, industry, trade associations, and consumer organizations to consider subjects related to the field of weights and measures technology, administration, and enforcement. Pursuant to (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(6)), the National Institute of Standards and Technology supports the National Conference on Weights and Measures in order to promote uniformity among the States in the complexity of laws, regulations, methods, and testing equipment that comprises regulatory control by the states of commercial weighing and measuring. Publication of this notice by the NIST on the NCWM's behalf is being undertaken as a public service; NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend any of the proposals contained in the notice.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will meet Thursday, June 8, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Friday, June 9, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. All sessions will be open to the public. The Advisory Board was established by the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-235) and amended by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107- 347) to advise the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of NIST on security and privacy issues pertaining to federal computer systems. Details regarding the Board's activities are available at https:// csrc.nist.gov/ispab/.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will meet Tuesday, June 13, from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology is composed of fifteen members appointed by the Director of NIST who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment, and international relations. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Institute, its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. The agenda will include updates on NIST's activities, safety, strategic planning, and the NIST U.S. Measurement System project; a presentation on the vision for the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology; a presentation on the NIST reconnaissance of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita; a VCAT Panel on How to Maximize NIST Impact on U.S. Innovation; and selected laboratory tours. The agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST Web site at https://www.nist.gov/director/vcat/agenda.htm.

In accordance with the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) regulations, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is announcing that the NVLAP Chemical Calibration, Providers of Proficiency Testing Program (PPT) will be terminated, effective at the close of business on September 30, 2006. For further information, interested parties may contact Mr. C. Douglas Faison at the address below.

The Department of Commerce (DOC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the continuing and proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Advanced Technology Program Advisory Committee, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will meet Tuesday, May 9, 2006 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Advanced Technology Program Advisory Committee is composed of ten members appointed by the Director of NIST; who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, education, and management consulting. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress.

This notice announces the Secretary of Commerce's approval of Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 201-1, Standard for Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors. The changes to Section 2.2, PIV Identify Proofing and Registration Requirements, Section 4.3, Cryptographic Specifications, Section 5.2, PIV Identity Proofing and Registration Requirements, and to Section 5.3.1, PIV Card Issuance, clarify the identity proofing and registration process that departments and agencies should follow when issuing identity credentials. These changes are needed to make FIPS 201-1 consistent with the Memorandum for All Departments and Agencies (M-05-24), issued by the Office of Management and Budget on August 5, 2005, Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors.

This notice announces Draft Federal Information Processing Standard 186-3, Digital Signature Standard, for public review and comment. The draft standard, designated ``Draft FIPS 186-3,'' is proposed to revise and supersede FIPS 186-2. FIPS 186, first published in 1994, specifies a digital signature algorithm (DSA) to generate and verify digital signatures. Later revisions (FIPS 186-1 and FIPS 186-2, adopted in 1998 and 1999, respectively) adopt two additional algorithms specified in American National Standards (ANS) X9.31 (Digital Signatures Using Reversible Public Key Cryptography for the Financial Services Industry (rDSA)), and X9.62 (The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA)). The original DSA algorithm, as specified in FIPS 186, 186-1 and 186-2, allows key sizes of 512 to 1024 bits. With advances in technology, it is prudent to consider larger key sizes. Draft FIPS 186- 3 allows the use of 1024, 2048 and 3072-bit keys. Other requirements have also been added concerning the use of ANS X9.31 and ANS X9.62. In addition, the use of the RSA algorithm as specified in Public Key Cryptography Standard (PKCS) 1 (RSA Cryptography Standard) is allowed. Prior to the submission of this proposed standard to the Secretary of Commerce for review and approval, it is essential that consideration is given to the needs and views of the public, users, the information technology industry, and Federal, State and local government organizations. The purpose of this notice is to solicit such views.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), with the assistance of other interested parties, continues to develop standards, both national and international, in several areas. This notice lists the standardization efforts currently being conducted by API committees. The publication of this notice by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of API is being undertaken as a public service. NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend the standards referenced.