[105th Congress Public Law 234]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ234.105]


[[Page 112 STAT. 1536]]

Public Law 105-234
105th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 Amending the Fastener Quality Act to exempt from its coverage certain 
  fasteners approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for use in 
            aircraft. <<NOTE: Aug. 14, 1998 -  [H.R. 3824]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT.

    Section 15 of the Fastener Quality Act (15 U.S.C. 5414) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) Transitional Rule.--'' before ``The 
        requirements of this Act''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

    ``(b) Aircraft Exemption.--
            ``(1) In general.--The requirements of this Act shall not 
        apply to fasteners specifically manufactured or altered for use 
        on an aircraft if the quality and suitability of those fasteners 
        for that use has been approved by the Federal Aviation 
        Administration, except as provided in paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to fasteners 
        represented by the fastener manufacturer as having been 
        manufactured in conformance with standards or specifications 
        established by a consensus standards organization or a Federal 
        agency other than the Federal Aviation Administration.''.

SEC. 2. DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULATIONS. <<NOTE: Reports. 15 USC 
            5412 note.>> 

    The regulations issued under the Fastener Quality Act by the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology on April 14, 1998, and 
any other regulations issued by the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology pursuant to the Fastener Quality Act, shall not take effect 
until after the later of June 1, 1999, or the expiration of 120 days 
after the Secretary of Commerce transmits to the Committee on Science 
and the Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a 
report on--
            (1) changes in fastener manufacturing processes that have 
        occurred since the enactment of the Fastener Quality Act;
            (2) a comparison of the Fastener Quality Act to other 
        regulatory programs that regulate the various categories of 
        fasteners, and an analysis of any duplication that exists among 
        programs; and

[[Page 112 STAT. 1537]]

            (3) any changes in that Act that may be warranted because of 
        the changes reported under paragraphs (1) and (2).

The report required by this section shall be transmitted to the 
Committee on Science and the Committee on Commerce of the House of 
Representatives, and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate, by February 1, 1999.

    Approved August 14, 1998.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 3824:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 105-574, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Science).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 105-267 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 144 (1998):
            June 16, considered and passed House.
            July 31, considered and passed Senate, amended.
            Aug. 6, House concurred in Senate amendments.

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