[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46444-46445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22404]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 960726208-6208-01]
RIN 0693-XX21


Proposed Withdrawal of Thirty-two Federal Information Processing 
Standards (FIPS) Publications

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The following Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 
Publications are proposed for withdrawal from the FIPS series:

--FIPS 1-2, Code for Information Interchange, Its Representations, 
Subsets, and Extension (ANSI X3.4-1986/R1992, X3.32-1990, X3.41-
1990)
--FIPS 11-3, Guideline: American National Dictionary for Information 
Systems (ANSI X3.172-1990 & X3.172A-1992)
--FIPS 16-1, Bit Sequencing of Code for Information Interchange in 
Serial-By-Bit Data Transmission (ANSI X3.15-1976/R1983&R1990)
FIPS 17-1, Character Structure and Character Parity Sense for 
Serial-By-Bit Data Communication in the Code for Information 
Interchange (ANSI X3.16-1976/R1983&R1990)
--FIPS 19-2, Catalog of Widely Used Code Sets
--FIPS 22-1, Synchronous Signaling Rates Between Data Terminal and 
Data Communication Equipment (ANSI X3.1-1976)
--FIPS 34, Guide for the Use of International System of Units (SI) 
in Federal Information Processing Standards Publications
--FIPS 49, Guideline on Computer Performance Management: An 
Introduction
--FIPS 57, Guidelines for the Measurement of Interactive Computer 
Service Response Time and Turnaround Time
--FIPS 58-1, Representations of Local Time of the Day for 
Information Interchange (ANSI X3.43-1986)
--FIPS 59, Representations of Universal Time, Local Time 
Differentials, and United States Time Zone References for 
Information Interchange (ANSI X3.51-1975)
--FIPS 68-2, BASIC (ANSI X3.113-1987)
--FIPS 70-1, Representation of Geographic Point Locations for 
Information Interchange (ANSI X3.61-1986)
--FIPS 75, Guideline on Constructing Benchmarks for ADP System 
Acquisitions
--FIPS 76, Guideline for Planning and Using a Data Dictionary System
--FIPS 77, Guideline for Planning and Management of Database 
Applications
--FIPS 86, Additional Controls for Use with American National 
Standard Code for Information Interchange (ANSI X3.64-1979/R1990)
--FIPS 88, Guideline on Integrity Assurance and Control in Database 
Administration
--FIPS 94, Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations
--FIPS 96, Guideline for Developing and Implementing a Charging 
System for Data Processing Services
--FIPS 99, Guideline: A Framework for the Evaluation and Comparison 
of Software Development Tools
--FIPS 103, Codes for the Identification of Hydrologic Units in the 
United States and the Caribbean Outlying Areas (USGS/CIRCULAR #878-A 
& ANSI X3.145-1986)
--FIPS 104-1, ANS Codes for the Representation of Names of 
Countries, Dependencies, and Areas of Special Sovereignty for 
Information Interchange
--FIPS 109, Pascal (ANSI/IEEE 770X3.97-1983/R1990)
--FIPS 110, Guideline for Choosing a Data Management Approach
--FIPS 123, Specification for a Data Descriptive File for 
Information Interchange (DDF) (ANSI/ISO 8211-1985/R1992)
--FIPS 124, Guideline on Functional Specifications for Database 
Management Systems
--FIPS 126, Database Language NDL (ANSI X3.133-1986)
--FIPS 152, Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) (ISO 8879-
1986)
--FIPS 156, Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) (ANSI 
X3.138-1988&X3.138A-1991)
--FIPS 157, Guideline for Quality Control of Image Scanners (ANSI/
AIIM MS44-1988)
--FIPS 158-1, The User Interface Component of the Applications 
Portability Profile (MIT X Version 11, Release 5)

    Many of these FIPS adopt voluntary industry standards for Federal 
government use, but the FIPS documents have not been updated to 
reference current or revised voluntary industry standards. In some 
cases, commercial products implementing the voluntary industry 
standards, such as the American National Code for Information 
Interchange, are widely available. In other cases, the industry 
specifications have not been implemented in commercial off-the-shelf 
products. As a result, it is no longer necessary for the government to 
mandate standards in these areas.
    Others of these FIPS provide advisory guidance to Federal agencies 
with no requirements for compulsory and binding use. They explain and

[[Page 46445]]

recommend practices in the management and selection of systems. The 
earliest of these guidelines is nearly twenty years old, and the most 
recent guideline is ten years old. Information technology has changed 
considerably since they were issued during the era of centralized 
computing on mainframe computers. Today, Federal organizations use a 
wide variety of hardware, software, distributed systems, and networks, 
and there are many sources of information on all aspects of managing 
these resources.
    NIST believes that it would not be cost effective to revise these 
standards and guidelines, thereby duplicating information that is 
broadly available from a variety of sources. Withdrawal means that the 
FIPS standards and guidelines will no longer be part of a subscription 
service that is provided by the National Technical Information Service, 
and that NIST will no longer be able to revise or answer questions 
about the FIPS.
    Current voluntary industry standards should be used by agencies in 
their procurement actions where appropriate, in accordance with OMB 
Circular A-119, Federal Participation and Use of Voluntary Industry 
Standards. NIST will continue to provide information about good 
information technology practices through publications, electronic 
bulletin boards and Internet pages.
    Prior to the submission of this proposed withdrawal to the 
Secretary of Commerce for review and approval, it is essential to 
assure that consideration is given to the needs and views of 
manufacturers, the public, and State and local governments. The purpose 
of this notice is to solicit such views.
    Interested parties may obtain copies of these standards and 
guidelines from the National Technical Information Service, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-
4650.

DATE: Comments on this proposed withdrawal of these FIPS must be 
received on or before December 2, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the withdrawal should be sent 
to: Director, Computer Systems Laboratory, ATTN: Proposed Withdrawal of 
32 FIPS, Technology Building, Room A-231, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Electronic comments 
should be sent to: [email protected].
    Comments received in response to this notice will be made part of 
the public record and will be made available for inspection and copying 
in the Central Reference and Records Inspection Facility, Room 6020, 
Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and 
Constitution Avenues, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Shirley M. Radack, telephone (301) 
975-2833, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, 
MD 20899.

    Authority: Federal Information Processing Standards Publications 
(FIPS PUBS) are issued by the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 
Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 
1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104-106.

    Dated: August 28, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-22404 Filed 8-30-96; 8:45 am]
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