[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89373-89374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28485]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


National Conference on Weights and Measures 2024 Interim Meeting

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The 2024 Interim Meeting of the National Conference on Weights 
and Measures (NCWM) will be held in-person at the Royal Sonesta New 
Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana from Sunday, January 7, 2024, through 
Wednesday, January 10, 2024. This notice contains information about 
some, but not all, significant agenda items of the NCWM committees. As 
a result, the items are not consecutively numbered.

DATES: The 2024 NCWM Interim Meeting will be held from Sunday, January 
7, 2024, through Wednesday, January 10, 2024. The meeting schedule will 
be available on the NCWM website at www.ncwm.com.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 
with an address at 300 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Katrice Lippa, NIST, Office of 
Weights and Measures, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-2600. You may also contact Dr. Lippa at (301) 975-3116 or by 
email at [email protected]. The meeting is open to the public, but 
the payment of a registration fee is required. Please see the NCWM 
website (www.ncwm.com) to view the meeting agendas, registration forms, 
and hotel reservation information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Publication of this notice on the NCWM's 
behalf is undertaken as a public service and does not itself constitute 
an endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST) of the content of the notice. NIST participates in the NCWM as 
an NCWM member and pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 272(b)(10) and (c)(4) and in 
accordance with Federal policy (e.g., OMB Circular A-119 ``Federal 
Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus 
Standards'').
    The NCWM is an organization of weights and measures officials of 
the states, counties, and cities of the United States, and 
representatives from the private sector and federal agencies. These 
meetings bring together government officials and representatives of 
business, industry, trade associations, and consumer organizations on 
subjects related to the field of weights and measures technology, 
administration, and enforcement. NIST hosted the first meeting of the 
NCWM in 1905. Since then, the conference has provided a model of 
cooperation between Federal, State, and local governments and the 
private sector. NIST participates in the NCWM to provide technical 
insights and expertise and encourage cooperation between the private 
sector, federal agencies, and the states in the development of legal 
metrology requirements. NIST also promotes uniformity in state laws, 
regulations, and testing procedures used in the regulatory control of 
commercial weighing and measuring devices, packaged goods, and for 
other trade and commerce issues.
    The NCWM has established multiple committees, task groups, and 
other working bodies to address legal metrology issues of interest to, 
inter alia, regulatory officials, industry representatives, and 
consumers. Comments will be taken by the various NCWM committees on 
agenda items during the open hearing portions of the conference 
identified in the meeting schedule. At this stage, the items are 
proposals. The open hearing sessions are accessible to all registered 
attendees of the conference, including both NCWM members and non-
members. The conference also includes committee work sessions in which 
the committees may, inter alia, accept comments, withdraw or carryover 
agenda items that need additional maturation, and develop 
recommendations for the agenda items for consideration and possible 
adoption at the NCWM 109th Annual Meeting.
    These notices are intended to make interested parties aware of 
significant agenda items and alert them to the committees' intentions 
to share reports on the status of each at the 2024 NCWM Interim 
Meeting. The notices are also presented to invite the participation of 
manufacturers, experts, consumers, users, and others who may be 
interested in these efforts.
    The following are brief descriptions of some of the significant 
agenda items that will receive further consideration by the standing 
committees at the upcoming 2024 NCWM Interim Meeting. The full agenda 
of each standing committee is provided in NCWM Publication 15 
(ncwm.com/publication-15). Comments will be taken on recommendations 
intended to amend NIST Handbook 44, ``Specifications, Tolerances, and 
Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices'' (NIST 
HB 44), NIST Handbook 130, ``Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas 
of Legal Metrology and Fuel Quality'' (NIST HB 130), and NIST Handbook 
133, ``Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods'' (NIST HB 133). The 
NIST Handbooks are regularly adopted by the states, either by reference 
or through administrative procedures.

NCWM S&T Committee

    The NCWM Specifications and Tolerances Committee (S&T Committee) 
will consider proposed amendments to NIST HB 44, including those 
identified below. A detailed technical review of the S&T Committee 
agenda items will be made available prior to the 2024 NCWM Interim 
Meeting in the 2024 NIST OWM Interim Technical Analysis at https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/publications/owm-technical-analysis.

SCL--Scales

    SCL-23.3. Verification Scale Division e: Multiple Sections.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by the NCWM 
Verification Scale Division e Task Group that has an Assigned Status 
and is intended to update NIST Handbook 44, Section 2.20 Scales to:
    1. Clarify how error is determined in relation to the verification 
scale division (e) and the scale division (d)
    2. Clarify which is the proper reference; the verification scale 
division (e) or the scale division (d) throughout this section
    3. Ensure proper selection of a scale in reference to the 
verification scale division (e) and the scale division (d)
    4. Clarify the relationship between the verification scale division 
(e) and the scale division (d).

WIM--Weigh-In-Motion Systems

    WIM-23.1. 2.26 Weigh-in-Motion Systems Used for Vehicle Direct 
Enforcement.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by New York 
City DOT, C2SMART, Kistler, and Maryland DOT that has an Informational 
Status. The proposal to include a new Section 2.26. Weigh-in-Motion 
Systems Used for Vehicle Direct Enforcement to NIST HB 44 is intended 
to provide a legal document that can be used by local and State 
agencies to certify Weigh-In-

[[Page 89374]]

Motion (WIM) systems used for automated weight enforcement.

EVF--Electric Vehicle Fueling Systems

    EVF-24.1. S.1.3. Mobile Device as Indicating Element for AC 
Chargers.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by Siemens 
Industry Inc.'s Smart Infrastructure eMobility; it is intended to 
clarify that use of a hand-held mobile device such as a mobile phone to 
provide the Indicating Elements for an EVSE is an acceptable 
alternative to having the Indicating Elements built into the EVSE. This 
option is already accepted by the National Type Evaluation Program for 
certification.
    EVF-23.4. S.5.2. EVSE Identification and Marking Requirements, 
S.5.3. Abbreviations and Symbols, and N.5. Test of an EVSE System.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by Power 
Measurements LLC that is intended to update the existing required tests 
in NIST HB 44 (Section 3.40. Electric Vehicle Fueling Systems) that are 
used to determine the accuracy of alternating current (AC) and direct 
current (DC) systems. The proposal has a Developing status and would 
expand the number of test points over a specific range of operating 
conditions for the test of an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) 
system. The S&T Committee has requested that stakeholders present an 
alternate proposal by exploring the option of combining the test 
procedures in this proposal with the test procedures and related 
terminology under consideration in EVF-23.7, a proposal submitted by 
Electrify America.
    EVF-23.6. S.5.2. EVSE Identification and Marking Requirements, and 
T.2. Tolerances. The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted 
by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 
Electrify America, Tesla, EVGo, and Siemens. This proposal was revised 
by the S&T Committee after comments during the 2023 NCWM Interim and 
Annual Meetings, and it would amend NIST HB 44, Section 3.40, to allow 
DC systems placed in service prior to January 1, 2024, that are marked 
as a Class 5 device, to have an error of  5% through 2034. 
DC systems installed on or after January 1, 2024, would be required to 
comply with the current 1% (acceptance)/2% (maintenance) tolerance.

LPG--Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Anhydrous Ammonia Liquid-Measuring 
Devices

    LPG-24.2. S.2.5. Zero-Set-Back Interlock.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by the 
National Propane Gas Association; it is intended to address practical 
issues that propane retailers encounter when trying to comply with the 
zero setback requirements for propane stationary meters in NIST HB 44.
    LPG-23.1. S.2.5. Zero-Set-Back Interlock.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by the 
National Propane Gas Association and U-Haul International. The proposal 
has an Informational status and addresses issues that propane retailers 
encounter that do not have dispensers typically designed to be used to 
dispense retail motor fuel when trying to comply with zero-set-back 
interlock requirements in NIST HB 44 for electronic stationary and 
electronic vehicle-mounted propane meters and stationary retail motor-
fuel devices used to dispense propane. The intent of the proposal is to 
exempt the required use of zero-set-back interlock mechanisms when a 
device is used in multiple applications to dispense liquefied petroleum 
gas as a vehicle motor-fuel and in filling containers/cylinders for 
other than motor-fuel applications.

OTH--Other Items

    OTH 16.1. Electric Watthour Meters Tentative Code.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal submitted by NIST, 
Office of Weights and Measures, which has an Informational status and 
is intended to make stakeholders aware of the work being done within 
the NIST U.S. National Work Group (USNWG) on Electric Vehicle Fueling 
and to develop proposed requirements for electric watthour meters used 
in submeter applications in residences and businesses (not intended to 
address utility metering under the authority of entities such as the 
local utility commission).

NCWM L&R Committee

    The NCWM Laws and Regulations Committee (L&R Committee) will 
consider proposed amendments to NIST HB 133, including those identified 
below. A detailed technical review of the L&R Committee agenda items 
will be made available prior to the 2024 NCWM Interim Meeting in the 
2024 NIST OWM Interim Analysis at https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/publications/owm-technical-analysis.

NET--NIST Handbook 133

    NET-24.1. Section 3.11. Ice Cream Novelties.
    The L&R Committee will consider a proposal submitted by the County 
of Los Angeles Department of Agriculture Commissioner/Weights and 
Measures to modify NIST HB 133, Section 3.11. Ice Cream Novelties. The 
proposal would, inter alia, provide technical guidance on the 
preparation and maintenance of ice water at the required temperature to 
test ice cream novelties.

NET-24.2. Section 4.9. Procedure for Checking the Contents of Specific 
Agriculture Seed Packages Labeled by Count and Appendix D. AOSA Rules 
for Testing Seeds.

    The L&R Committee will consider a proposal submitted by the 
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to align NIST HB 133, 
Section 4.9. Procedure for Checking the Contents of Specific 
Agriculture Seed Packages Labeled by Count and Appendix D. AOSA Rules 
for Testing Seeds with recent changes to Association of Official Seed 
Analyst (AOSA) Rules. This proposal would provide a standardized 
mechanical seed counter calibration procedure for all models of 
mechanical seed counters being used across the United States, to 
determine the number of seeds per pound and/or for the purpose of 
packaging seeds by count.

Tamiko Ford,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2023-28485 Filed 12-26-23; 8:45 am]
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