[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47899-47901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12191]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


National Conference on Weights and Measures 2024 Annual Meeting

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The 109th Annual Meeting of the National Conference on Weights 
and Measures (NCWM) will be held at the Hotel Cleveland in Cleveland, 
Ohio from Sunday, July 14, 2024, through Thursday, July 18, 2024. This 
notice contains information about significant items on the NCWM 
Committee agendas but does not include all agenda items. As a result, 
the items are not consecutively numbered.

DATES: The 2024 NCWM Annual Meeting will be held from Sunday, July 14, 
2024, through Thursday, July 18, 2024. The meeting schedule will be 
available on the NCWM website at https://www.ncwm.com/events-detail/2024-annual-OH.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Hotel Cleveland, located at 
24 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.

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, cities, and territories 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 to encourage cooperation between 
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 carry over 
agenda items that need additional maturation, and develop 
recommendations for the agenda items for consideration and

[[Page 47900]]

possible adoption during the voting session of the meeting.
    This notice is 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 Annual Meeting. 
This notice is also presented to invite the participation of 
manufacturers, experts, consumers, users, and others who may be 
interested in these efforts.
    Comments will be taken on these and other recommendations to amend 
NIST Handbook 44, ``Specifications, Tolerances, and other Technical 
Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices'' (NIST Handbook 44 or 
NIST HB 44), NIST Handbook 130, ``Uniform Laws and Regulations in the 
areas of Legal Metrology and Fuel Quality'' (NIST Handbook 130 or NIST 
HB 130), and NIST Handbook 133, ``Checking the Net Contents of Packaged 
Goods'' (NIST Handbook 133 or NIST HB 133).
    These NIST Handbooks are regularly adopted by reference or through 
the administrative procedures of all the states. At this stage these 
agenda items are only proposals to amend the handbooks.

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. These items address weighing and measuring devices 
used in commercial applications, that is, devices used to buy from or 
sell to the public or used to determine the quantity of products or the 
cost of services based on a weight or measurement. For a detailed 
technical review of the NCWM S&T Committee agenda items, see the 2024 
NIST OWM Analysis at 2024 NIST OWM Annual Analysis.

SCL--Scales

    SCL-23.3. Verification Scale Division e: Multiple Sections.
    The S&T Committee has assigned a Voting status to a proposal 
submitted by the NCWM Verification Scale Division e Task Group that is 
intended to update NIST Handbook 44, Section 2.20 Scales to clarify how 
error is determined in relation to the verification scale division (e) 
and the scale division (d), clarify which is the proper reference; the 
verification scale division (e) or the scale division (d) throughout 
this section, ensure proper selection of a scale in reference to the 
verification scale division (e) and the scale division (d), and clarify 
the relationship between the verification scale division (e) and the 
scale division (d).

WIM--Weigh-In-Motion Systems

    WIM-23.1. Add Section 2.26. Weigh-in-Motion Systems Used for 
Vehicle Direct Enforcement.
    The S&T Committee will consider a proposal to add Section 2.26. 
Weigh-in-Motion Systems Used for Vehicle Direct Enforcement. This also 
includes (but is not limited to): (1) specifications that direct how a 
device must be designed. (S); (2) the addition of test procedures 
specific to devices designed to enforce road weight limit restrictions 
for vehicles in the test procedures (N) section addressing test speeds, 
dynamic test loads, and vehicle configurations; (3) the designation of 
tolerances (T) to be applied to WIM scales used for enforcement 
purposes; and (4) the addition of selection, installation, maintenance, 
and violation parameters in the user requirements (UR) for the 
enforcement of road weight limit restrictions for vehicles based on 
axle, axle group, and gross vehicle weights. The proposal has been 
through several revisions since the release of the 2023 NCWM 
Publication 15. During the 2024 NCWM Interim Meeting, the Committee 
updated the item based on revised language proposed by the submitter 
and input received during the meeting. The item was assigned a Voting 
status.

EVF--Electric Vehicle Fueling Systems

    EVF-24.2--S.2.7. Indication of Delivery, N.3.2. Accuracy Testing., 
and T.2.1. EVSE Load Test Tolerances.
    This item proposes to amend the exemption date applicable to DC EV 
charging equipment from 2028 to 2025 for those paragraphs that include 
the exemption. Exempting DC systems currently placed into service up 
through December 31, 2024, from displaying specific sales information 
and accuracy testing and tolerances. Whereas all other AC and DC EVSE 
in service must meet all HB 44 display and accuracy requirements and be 
held to minimum test procedures.
    EVF-23.4--S.5.2. EVSE Identification and Marking Requirements, 
S.5.3. Abbreviations and Symbols, and N.3. Test of an EVSE System. This 
item proposes to expand EVSE test procedures and amend EVSE marking 
requirements which are used to identify that the system is in the 
proper state for testing.
    EVF-23.6--S.5.2. EVSE Identification and Marking Requirements., and 
T.2. Accuracy Test Tolerances. This item proposes to create a new 
accuracy class for DC EV charging equipment where a 5% 
performance tolerance would apply until 2034. This would permit DC 
systems currently in use and placed into service up through December 
31, 2023, a wider accuracy tolerance when marked with the designation 
``Accuracy Class 5'' while other DC systems operate and meet the 
current 2% tolerance.

OTH--Other Items

    OTH-16.1--Non-Utility Electricity-Measuring Systems (NUEMS)--
Tentative Code. This item proposes to create a new NIST HB 44 code 
section that would apply to electricity meters that are not under the 
authority of municipal and public utilities. If adopted the code would 
have a tentative designation which means it would have a trial or 
experimental status and is not intended to be enforced.

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 Annual Meeting in the 
2024 NIST OWM Annual Analysis.

NET--NIST Handbook 133

    NET-24.1. Section 3.11. Ice Cream Novelties. The L&R Committee will 
consider a proposal designated as ``Voting'' to modify NIST HB 133, 
Section 3.11. Ice Cream Novelties. This is a test procedure that will 
provide updated technical guidance on the preparation and maintenance 
of ice water at the required temperature to test ice cream novelties 
such as ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, or cones.
    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 designated as ``Voting'' 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 the 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.
    NET 22.1 Section 1.2.6. Deviations Caused by Moisture Loss or Gain 
and Section 2.3.8. Table 2-3 Moisture Allowances. The L&R Committee 
will

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consider a proposal that is designated as ``Voting'' to Section 1.2.6. 
Deviations Caused by Moisture Loss or Gain and Section 2.3.8. Table 2-3 
Moisture Allowances. This proposal would provide for a 3% moisture 
allowance for packages of Cannabis plant material containing more than 
0.3% total delta-9 THC (Cannabis, Marijuana, or Marihuana \1\) or 
containing 0.3% less total delta-9 THC (hemp). Deviations from the net 
quantity of contents caused by the loss or gain of moisture from the 
package are permitted when they are caused by ordinary and customary 
exposure to conditions that normally occur in good distribution 
practices and that unavoidably result in a change of weight or measure.
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    \1\ In contrast to hemp, marijuana, which is defined as cannabis 
with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of more than 0.3 
percent on a dry weight basis, remains a Schedule I substance under 
the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). 21 U.S.C. 812(d); 21 CFR 
1308.11(d)(23).

Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2024-12191 Filed 6-3-24; 8:45 am]
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