[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 121 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35370-35371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14087]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


National Conference on Weights and Measures 93rd Annual Meeting

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Annual Meeting of the 93rd National Conference on Weights 
and Measures (NCWM) will be held July 13 to 17, 2008. Publication of 
this notice on the NCWM's behalf is a public service; NIST does not 
endorse, approve, or recommend any of the proposals contained in this 
notice or in the NCWM publications listed. The meetings are open to the 
public but registration is required.

DATES: July 13-17, 2008.
    Meeting Location: Sheraton Burlington Hotel, Burlington, Vermont.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Hockert, Chief, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, Weights and Measures Division, 
Mailstop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600, or by telephone (301) 975-
5507, Fax: (301) 975-8091, or e-mail: [email protected]. Please 
see NCWM Publication 16 at http://www.ncwm.net, which contains meeting 
agendas, registration forms and hotel information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NCWM is an organization of state, county 
and city weights and measures officials, business and industry 
representatives, Federal Agencies and other members of the public that 
come together to, among other things, develop recommendations for 
standards and test procedures related to weights and measures 
technology, administration and enforcement. Pursuant to (15 U.S.C. 
272(b)(6)), the Weights and Measures Division of the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology (NIST) supports the NCWM as one of the 
forums it uses to solicit comments and recommendations on revising or 
updating a variety of publications related to legal metrology. NIST 
promotes uniformity among the states in their laws, regulations, test 
methods and equipment that are used in regulating the weighing and 
measuring devices, packaging and labeling and other

[[Page 35371]]

activities in trade and commerce. Publication of this notice on the 
NCWM's behalf is a public service; NIST does not endorse, approve, or 
recommend any of the proposals contained in this notice or in the NCWM 
publications listed. The meetings are open to the public but 
registration is required.
    The following are descriptions of some of the items that will be 
considered for adoption at the meeting. Comments will be taken on these 
and other issues during public hearings on July 14, 2008. The 
Committees will meet after the hearings to finalize the proposals for 
possible adoption at voting sessions on July 16 and 17, 2008. The 
Committees may withdraw or carryover items that need additional 
development.
    The Specifications and Tolerances Committee will consider proposed 
amendments to NIST Handbook 44, ``Specifications, Tolerances, and other 
Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices.'' Those 
items address weighing and measuring devices used in commercial 
measurement applications, that is, devices that are normally used to 
buy from or sell to the general public or used for determining the 
quantity of product sold among businesses. Issues on the agenda of the 
NCWM Laws and Regulations Committee relate to proposals to amend NIST 
Handbook 130, ``Uniform Laws and Regulations in the area of legal 
metrology, method of sale of commodities regulations and engine fuel 
labeling.'' This notice only contains information about significant 
items on the NCWM agenda so many others are not presented.

NCWM Specifications and Tolerances Committee

    The following items are proposals to amend NIST Handbook 44:

General Code

    Item 310-1. G.S.8. Provisions for Sealing Adjustable Components on 
Weighing and Measuring Devices: This proposal includes language that 
clarifies the means that can be used to prohibit devices from 
facilitating fraud as it applies to the electronically programmed and 
coded components of weighing or measuring devices. The intent of this 
proposal is to reduce electronic manipulation or alteration that 
results in consumers being overcharged for the products or services 
that they purchase. Examples of fraud issues in the past few years have 
involved: (1) Users altering, manipulating, or interfering with 
metrological software interfaced or installed in equipment; and (2) 
users gaining access to the calibration features of scales because the 
device was not set up in accordance with the manufacturer's 
instructions. The Committee is proposing to update the requirements for 
security seals and other access limitations to the accuracy and other 
metrological adjustments on weighing and measuring equipment.

Scales Code

    Item 320-2. Weight Units and Tare Determinations: This item will 
require scales to determine net weights with accurate mathematical 
calculations that take into account the value of the increments 
displayed at different capacities on devices with single or multiple 
weighing ranges.

Liquid-Measuring Devices

    Item 330-1. Temperature Compensation for Liquid-Measuring Devices: 
This proposal describes the design specifications, test procedures, and 
user responsibilities on retail liquid measuring devices that may be 
equipped with an automatic means to allow the delivery of fuel with its 
volume adjusted to a specific reference temperature.

NCWM Laws and Regulations Committee

    The following voting items are proposals to amend the Engine Fuel 
Law and Regulation and the Method of Sale of Commodities Regulation in 
NIST Handbook 130:
    Items 223-1 and 237-1. Revisions to the Uniform Engine Fuels, 
Petroleum Products and Automotive Lubricants Law and Regulation: These 
proposals include amendments that will update the laws and regulations 
to reflect the increased use of alternative fuels. They include new 
provisions for full disclosure of product information to consumers and 
allow state authorities to inspect records and grant waivers of fuel 
specifications in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
    Item 250-1. The Method of Sale of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: This 
proposal contains suggested methods of sale (e.g., weight, dry measure, 
or count) for a wide variety of fruit and vegetables offered for sale 
in retail stores, farmers markets, and at roadside stands. The intent 
of the recommendation is to provide consumers with information on the 
net quantity of contents in packages and to facilitate value 
comparison.

    Dated: June 16, 2008.
Richard F. Kayser,
Chief Scientist.
 [FR Doc. E8-14087 Filed 6-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P