Implementation of the Fastener Quality Act

The Director of NIST, under authority delegated by the Secretary of Commerce, and pursuant to Section 15 of the Fastener Quality Act (Act), (Pub. L. 101-592 as amended by Pub. L. 104-113), has determined that by May 27, 1997, the current implementation date of the Act, there will not be a sufficient number of laboratories accredited to conduct the level of required testing. Accordingly, the Director is extending the implementation date of the Act by one year, to May 26, 1998. NIST will amend 15 CFR 280.12 to reflect this new implementation date in a future document. By May 26, 1998, NIST believes it will have completed the approval/accreditation of a sufficient number of accreditation bodies/laboratories to implement the Act. The total number of laboratories to accredit by the new date of implementation is estimated to be four hundred twenty-five. To accomplish the task of getting these laboratories accredited prior to May 26, 1998, NIST requests all accreditation bodies seeking approval under the NIST Accreditation Body Evaluation Program (ABEP), all laboratories seeking accreditation under the NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and all laboratories seeking accreditation from accreditation bodies approved or pending approval by ABEP submit their completed applications to the respective programs by August 1, 1997, in order to be given full and fair consideration for approval/accreditation by the new implementation date.