Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§18932 Greenhouse Gas Measurement Research

Title 42 › CHAPTER 163 — RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMPETITION, AND INNOVATION › SUBCHAPTER II — NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE › Part A — Measurement Research › § 18932

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director must run a research program, working with NOAA, EPA, NASA, NSF, the Secretary of Energy, and other federal agencies as needed. The program must help create and improve practical guidance, standard tests, methods, procedures, and technical rules for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. It must also check and improve how measurement systems work both on the ground and on satellites. Under the program, the Director can do research and testing to make measurements more accurate from individual parts or processes up through whole-atmosphere observations, invent new measurement tools, and bring agencies and stakeholders together to agree on common definitions and terms. The Director can share technical help with industry and standards groups to support wide use of good practices and consistent reference standards, work with NOAA, EPA, and Energy to make standard reference materials, make sure data are stored and shared openly, coordinate with international partners, and run testbeds with universities, industry, and state and local governments. The Director must also set up a Center for Greenhouse Gas Measurements, Standards, and Information to support research, testing, training, use of testbeds, and sharing tools and expertise with public and private partners.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §18932

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

(a)In general

The Director, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Secretary of Energy, and the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall carry out a measurement research program to inform the development or improvement of best practices, benchmarks, methodologies, procedures, and technical standards for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions and to assess and improve the performance of greenhouse gas emissions measurement systems placed in situ and on space-based platforms.

(b)Activities

In carrying out such a program, the Director may—

(1)conduct research and testing to improve the accuracy, efficacy, and reliability of the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions at a range of scales that covers direct measurement at the component or process level through atmospheric observations;

(2)conduct research to create novel measurement technologies and techniques for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions;

(3)convene and engage with relevant Federal agencies and stakeholders to establish common definitions and characterizations for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions, taking into account any existing United States and international technical standards and guidance;

(4)conduct outreach and coordination to share technical expertise with relevant industry and nonindustry stakeholders and standards development organizations to—

(A)assist such entities in the development and adoption of best practices and technical standards for greenhouse gas emissions measurements; and

(B)promote consistency and traceability in international reference standards and central calibration laboratories;

(5)in coordination with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary of Energy, develop such standard reference materials as the Director determines is necessary to further the development of such technical standards, taking into account any existing United States or international standards;

(6)coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ensure data are managed, stewarded, and archived at all levels and promote full and open exchange at Federal and State levels, and with academia, industry, and other users; and

(7)coordinate with international partners, including international standards organizations, to maintain global greenhouse gas measurement technical standards.

(c)Testbeds

In coordination with the private sector, institutions of higher education, State and local governments, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and other Federal agencies, as appropriate, the Director may continue to develop and manage testbeds to advance research and standards development for greenhouse gas emissions measurements from in situ and space-based platforms.

(d)Center for Greenhouse Gas Measurements, Standards, and Information

(1)In general

The Director, in collaboration with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall establish a Center for Greenhouse Gas Measurements, Standards, and Information (in this subsection referred to as the “Center”).

(2)Collaborations

The Director shall require that the activities of the Center include collaboration among public and private organizations, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, private sector entities, and State, Tribal, territorial, and local officials.

(3)Purpose

The purpose of the Center shall be to—

(A)advance measurement science, data analytics, and modeling at a range of scales that covers direct measurement and estimation at the component or process level through atmospheric observations and at the analysis level to improve the accuracy of spatially and temporally resolved greenhouse gas emissions measurement, validation, and attribution to specific underlying activities and processes;

(B)test and evaluate the performance of existing capabilities, and inform and improve best practices, benchmarks, methodologies, procedures, and technical standards, for the measurement and validation of greenhouse gas emissions at scales noted in subparagraph (A);

(C)educate and train students in measurement science, computational science, and systems engineering research relevant to greenhouse gas emissions measurements;

(D)foster collaboration among academic researchers, private sector stakeholders, and State, Tribal, territorial, and local officials in the use of Institute testbeds as described in subsection (c);

(E)conduct activities with research institutions, industry partners, and State and local officials to identify research, testing, and technical standards needs relevant to greenhouse gas emissions; and

(F)collaborate with other Federal agencies to conduct outreach and coordination to share and promote technical data, tools, and expertise with relevant public and private sector stakeholders, including State, Tribal, territorial, and local officials, to assist such in the accurate measurement of greenhouse gas emissions.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 18932

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110