Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§18952 Standards development organization grants

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 163— - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMPETITION, AND INNOVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE › Part Part B— - General Activities › § 18952

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a competitive grant program run by the Secretary of Commerce through the Director to give money to private standards groups. Grants must be used to create, approve, share, update, and review voluntary forensic science standards and best practices that reflect broad agreement and that the public can get for free. The Director may set the rules and procedures needed to run the program. $2,000,000 is authorized each fiscal year 2022 through 2026. Definition: nongovernmental standards development organization — a private group that follows OMB Circular A‑119 (or its successor) and the ANSI due‑process requirements.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §18952

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section, the term “nongovernmental standards development organization” means a nongovernmental standards development organization (as defined in section 2(e) of the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–119 (relating to Federal participation in the development and use of voluntary consensus standards in conformity assessment activities), or any successor document) that adheres to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Essential Requirements for Due Process for American National Standards.

(b)The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director, shall establish a competitive program of grants for nongovernmental standards development organizations for the purposes described in subsection (c).

(c)A grant awarded under subsection (b) shall be used to develop, approve, disseminate, maintain, and review forensic science voluntary consensus standards and best practices that shall be available to the public free of charge.

(d)The Director may promulgate such requirements, guidelines, and procedures as may be necessary to carry out this section.

(e)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 18952

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73