(ANSI: New York) -- Nine leading standards organizations have announced that they will sponsor a free event on Oct. 2, introducing Congressional staff to the U.S. private sector–led approach to standards. Attendees will learn how standards and conformity assessment measures help companies meet their global needs, and how the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA – Public Law 104-113) affects the U.S. standardization system.
“Our nation’s system for standards and conformity assessment is multifaceted and market driven, and operates as a collaborative partnership between the public and private sectors,” says Scott Cooper, vice president of government relations, American National Standards Institute (ANSI). “It’s critical that Congressional staff and all workers on Capitol Hill understand this system in order to best implement measures that save money and protect the safety of consumers nationwide.”
The event will be held from noon to 1 p.m. EDT at the Cannon House Office Building’s Cannon Caucus Room in Washington, D.C. Attendance is open to all interested Congressional staff but advance registration is required.
Presentations on relevant topics will be given by three speakers. S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO, will begin with a discussion on “The U.S. Standards System.” Next, Jim Thomas, president of ASTM International, will follow with a presentation on “How Standards Impact Trade.” Finally, Gordon Gillerman, chief of standards services at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will address “The Public/Private Partnership.”
The event is sponsored ASTM International, the ANSI, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), SAE International, ASME, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), and the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Each sponsor will display a booth detailing their organization’s activities and role in the standards community. These booths will provide information on how standards and conformity assessment programs help to increase safety and improve the overall quality of lives for Americans.
This event will also give Congressional staff an opportunity to learn about the NTTAA, which requires government agencies to use privately developed standards whenever possible. This saves taxpayer dollars, reduces duplication of effort, maximizes the use of well-established expertise within industry, academia, and government, and gives all stakeholders a voice in the standards development process.
As the voice of the U.S. standards and conformity assessment system, the American National Standards Institute empowers its members and constituents to strengthen the U.S. marketplace position in the global economy while helping to assure the safety and health of consumers and the protection of the environment. The Institute oversees the creation, promulgation, and use of thousands of norms and guidelines that directly impact businesses in nearly every sector: from acoustical devices to construction equipment, from dairy and livestock production to energy distribution, and many more.
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