[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 222 (Friday, November 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58533-58534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29378]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology


Public Meeting on a National Council for Laboratory Accreditation 
(NACLA)

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting to discuss a proposal 
to establish a National Council for Laboratory Accreditation (NACLA). 
The ACIL (formerly American Council of Independent laboratories), the 
American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) organized and have been 
co-sponsoring an informal Laboratory Accreditation Working Group (LAWG) 
with the aim of reducing inefficient duplication of accreditation 
requirements. The LAWG now seeks consensus to implement a unified and 
comprehensive U.S. infrastructure to meet national laboratory 
accreditation needs in both the public and private sectors. All 
interested parties are invited to attend this meeting and to 
participate in discussions of proposed implementation plans.
    The proposed organization is intended to serve as an infrastructure 
with broad U.S. acceptance that provides uniform procedures for 
accreditation and recognition of laboratory competence in product 
testing or calibration. Meeting participants will have an opportunity 
to review and discuss documents and concepts developed as a basis for 
realizing and implementing a more

[[Page 58534]]

effective U.S. laboratory accreditation infrastructure. This 
infrastructure will foster national and international recognition and 
will effectively reduce the current duplication and unnecessary costs 
of laboratory accreditation.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 7, 1997, at 9:00 
a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Green Auditorium at the 
national Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
    To obtain a registration form to attend the meeting, or for further 
information, interested parties are requested to contact Mrs. Judith 
Baker at NIST, telephone (301) 975-4000, facsimile (301) 963-2871, e-
mail [email protected]. The registration fee is expected to be $60.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 For technical content contact Belinda Collins, Director, Office of 
Standard Services, telephone (301) 975-4000, facsimile (301) 963-2871, 
e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The LAWG, consisting of the three original sponsoring organizations 
joined by other representatives of government and private sector users 
of laboratory accreditation, accreditors and laboratories, undertook 
preliminary planning for NACLA based on inputs from a variety of 
sources concerned with laboratory accreditation. After evaluating 
problems, surveying needs, and identifying key issues, the LAWG drafted 
a ``Proposed Structure for the National Council for Laboratory 
Accreditation'' which contains a plan for establishing and implementing 
NACLA. It is anticipated that NACLA will be established and 
incorporated by representatives of the U.S. private sector, but that 
governmental agencies will subsequently participate actively to derive 
benefit for themselves and for the nation's economic well-being.
    The ``Proposed Structure for the National Council for Laboratory 
Accreditation,'' which will be published in a later Federal Register 
notice prior to the meeting, includes organizational and operational 
concepts to satisfy the needs identified by public and private sector 
organizations.
    An earlier public forum was held in October 1995 and reported in 
NIST Special Publication 902, ``Proceedings of the Open Forum on 
Laboratory Accreditation at the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, October 13, 1995.'' At that meeting, representatives of 
accreditors, laboratories, and users of laboratory accreditation from 
industry and government agreed that a unified national system is 
essential to satisfy domestic economic requirements and to facilitate 
trade. It was agreed that any infrastructure, to be successful, must be 
acceptable to all affected parties. It was also agreed that, for any 
given product, the goal is one test by a laboratory accredited by a 
competent authority, with the results accepted nationally, and even 
globally. The essential concept was put forth in the challenges raised 
by the National Research Council study of Standards, Conformity, 
Assessment and Trade, ``* * * domestic policies and procedures for 
assessing conformity of products and processes to standards require 
urgent improvement.'' The National Technology Transfer and Advancement 
Act of 1995 (Pub.L. 104-113), charges NIST with coordinating Federal, 
state and local conformity assessment activities with those of the 
private sector to eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity. The 
planned NACLA activities respond to this challenge.
    ACIL, ANSI, and NIST are cosponsoring another Public Forum on 
January 7, 1997, on establishing the National Council for Laboratory 
Accreditation; to describe the initial plans; discuss issues for 
implementing efficient and appropriate accreditation procedures; and to 
provide for reciprocity in mutual recognition of laboratory competence. 
NACLA aims to address the widely recognized need to eliminate 
unnecessary burdens of laboratory accreditation by a streamlined system 
that eliminates current duplication in laboratory accreditation and to 
reduce costs. The LAWG seeks to achieve consensus on the planning 
documents so that an organization which reflects national priorities 
and needs can be established by the private sector parties at interest 
with broad governmental participation and support. All organizations 
and individuals concerned with laboratory accreditation are invited to 
attend and to express their views.
    On January 7, 1997, participants are encouraged to join in an open 
exchange of ideas and to comment on the proposed establishment of 
NACLA. Specific topics include discussion of NACLA purposes and 
functions, operational procedures and processes, composition of a Board 
of Directors, Stakeholder(s) Committees and their scope, Secretariat, 
membership, and other issues leading to ``one-stop-shopping'' in 
testing and laboratory accreditation.

    Dated: November 12, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-29378 Filed 11-14-96; 8:45 am]
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