[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR10.1]

[Page 120-121]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
PART 10--PROCEDURES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY PRODUCT STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 10.1  Initiating development of a new standard.

    (a) Any group or association of producers, distributors, users, or 
consumers, or a testing laboratory, or a State or Federal agency, may 
request the Department to initiate the development and publication of a 
Voluntary Product Standard under these procedures. Requests shall be in 
writing, signed by a representative of the group or agency, and 
forwarded to the Department. The initial request may be accompanied by a 
copy of a draft of the suggested standard.
    (b) The request shall include a commitment to provide sufficient 
funding to cover all costs associated with the development and 
maintenance of the proposed Voluntary Product Standard.
    (c) The Department may require additional information such as 
technical, marketing, or other appropriate data essential to discussion 
and development of the proposed standard, including, but not limited to, 
physical, mechanical, chemical, or performance characteristics, and 
production figures.
    (d) Upon receipt of an appropriate request and after a determination 
by the Department that the development of a Voluntary Product Standard 
is justified, the Department may initiate the development by requesting 
that a draft of the suggested standard be prepared by an appropriate 
committee, provided such a draft has not previously been submitted under 
paragraph (a) of this section.

[[Page 121]]

    (e) The Department may initiate the development of a Voluntary 
Product Standard, if such action is deemed by the Department to be in 
the public interest, notwithstanding the absence of a request from an 
outside source. A voluntary standard initiated by the Department shall 
be processed in accordance with all requirements of these procedures and 
shall be developed in the same manner as a voluntary standard initiated 
by any group referred to in paragraph (a) of this section.
    (f) An agreement regarding funding procedures and receipt of a 
deposit estimated by the Department to be sufficient to cover the first 
year's costs shall occur prior to the initiation of any project.