Notice2023-14969
National Conference on Weights and Measures; 2023 Annual Meeting
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract
The 108th Annual Meeting of the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) will be held in at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, Virginia from Sunday, July 30, 2023, through Thursday, August 3, 2023. This notice contains information about significant items on the NCWM Committee agendas but does not include all agenda items. As a result, the items are not consecutively numbered.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45143-45146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14969]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Conference on Weights and Measures; 2023 Annual Meeting
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The 108th Annual Meeting of the National Conference on Weights
and Measures (NCWM) will be held in at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott
in Norfolk, Virginia from Sunday, July 30, 2023, through Thursday,
August 3, 2023. This notice contains information about significant
items on the NCWM Committee agendas but does not include
[[Page 45144]]
all agenda items. As a result, the items are not consecutively
numbered.
DATES: The 2023 NCWM Annual Meeting will be held from Sunday, July 30,
2023, through Thursday, August 3, 2023. The meeting schedule will be
available on the NCWM website at <a href="http://www.ncwm.com">www.ncwm.com</a>.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott,
235 East Main Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23510.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Katrice Lippa, NIST, Office of
Weights and Measures, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD
20899-2600. You may also contact Dr. Lippa at (301) 975-3116 or by
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#12797366607b71773c7e7b626273527c7b61663c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3853594c4a515b5d1654514848597856514b4c165f574e">[email protected]</span></a>. The meeting is open to the public, but
the payment of a registration fee is required. Please see the NCWM
website (<a href="http://www.ncwm.com">www.ncwm.com</a>) to view the meeting agendas, registration forms,
and hotel reservation information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Publication of this notice on the NCWM's
behalf is undertaken as a public service and does not itself constitute
an endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) of the content of the notice. NIST participates in the NCWM as
an NCWM member and pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 272(b)(10) and (c)(4) and in
accordance with Federal policy (e.g., OMB Circular A-119 ``Federal
Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus
Standards'').
The NCWM is an organization of weights and measures officials of
the states, counties, and cities of the United States, and
representatives from the private sector and federal agencies. These
meetings bring together government officials and representatives of
business, industry, trade associations, and consumer organizations on
subjects related to the field of weights and measures technology,
administration, and enforcement. NIST hosted the first meeting of the
NCWM in 1905. Since then, the conference has provided a model of
cooperation between Federal, State, and local governments and the
private sector. NIST participates to encourage cooperation between
federal agencies and the states in the development of legal metrology
requirements. NIST also promotes uniformity in state laws, regulations,
and testing procedures used in the regulatory control of commercial
weighing and measuring devices, packaged goods, and for other trade and
commerce issues.
The NCWM has established multiple Committees, Task Groups, and
other working bodies to address legal metrology issues of interest to
regulatory officials, industry, consumers, and others. The following
are brief descriptions of some of the significant agenda items that
will be considered by some of the NCWM Committees at the 2023 NCWM
Annual Meeting. Comments will be taken on these and other issues during
several public comment sessions. At this stage, the items are
proposals.
These notices are intended to make interested parties aware of
these development projects and to make them aware that reports on the
status of the project will be given at the 2023 NCWM Annual Meeting.
The notices are also presented to invite the participation of
manufacturers, experts, consumers, users, and others who may be
interested in these efforts.
The following are brief descriptions of some of the significant
agenda items that will be considered at the 2023 NCWM Annual Meeting.
Comments will be taken on these and other recommendations to amend NIST
Handbook 44, ``Specifications, Tolerances, and other Technical
Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices'' (NIST Handbook 44 or
NIST HB 44), NIST Handbook 130, ``Uniform Laws and Regulations in the
areas of Legal Metrology and Fuel Quality'' (NIST Handbook 130 or NIST
HB 130), and NIST Handbook 133 Checking the Net Contents of Packaged
Goods (NIST Handbook 133 or NIST HB 133). These NIST Handbooks are
regularly adopted by reference or through the administrative procedures
of all the states.
NCWM S&T Committee (S&T 2023 Annual Meeting)
The Specifications and Tolerances Committee (S&T Committee) will
consider proposed amendments to NIST HB 44. Those items address
weighing and measuring devices used in commercial applications, that
is, devices that are used to buy from or sell to the public or used for
determining the quantity of products or services sold among businesses.
For a detailed technical review of the NCWM S&T Committee agenda
items, see the 2023 NIST OWM Analysis at <a href="https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/publications/owm-technical-analysis">https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/publications/owm-technical-analysis</a>.
The following items are proposals to amend NIST HB 44:
Item Block 4 (B4) Electronically Captured Tickets or Receipts
The S&T Committee will further consider a proposal to allow for the
expanded use of electronic captured tickets and receipts by amending
NIST HB 44 Sections 1.10. General, 3.30. LMD, 3.31. VTM, 3.32. LPG,
3.34. CLM, 3.37. MFM, 3.38. CDL, 3.39. HGM, 3.35. Milk Meters, and the
definition of ``recorded representation'' in Appendix D, Definitions.
The Committee amended this carry-over block of items during the 2020
NCWM Interim Meeting based on comments it received expressing a
continued need for printed tickets. As a result, the proposal now
references NIST HB 44 paragraph G-S.5.6. in various specific codes. At
the 2021 NCWM Annual Meeting, the S&T Committee designated this block
proposal as Developing for further comment and consideration. At the
2022 NCWM Interim and Annual Meetings, the S&T Committee designated a
Developing status for this block of items to provide stakeholders the
opportunity for further review and additional comments on the various
devices affected by this proposal. At the 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting,
the S&T Committee agreed to assign a Voting status for this item.
VTM--Vehicle Tank Meters
VTM-18.1. S.3.1 Diversion of Measured Liquid S.3.1.1. Means for
Clearing the Discharge Hose and UR.2.6.
Clearing the Discharge Hose on a multiple-product, single discharge
hose. The S&T Committee will further consider this item, which proposes
to provide specifications and user requirements for manifold flush
systems designed to eliminate product contamination on VTMs used for
multiple products. This proposal would add specifications on the design
of VTMs under S.3.1.1. ``Means for Clearing the Discharge Hose.'' and
add a new user requirement UR.2.6. ``Clearing the Discharge Hose.''
During open hearings of previous NCWM meetings, comments were heard
about the design of any system to clear the discharge hose of a product
prior to the delivery of a subsequent product which could provide
opportunities to fraudulently use this type of system. At the 2021 NCWM
Annual Meeting, the Committee agreed to keep this item Developing for
further comments and consideration. At the 2022 NCWM Interim Meeting,
the Committee agreed to add a new paragraph UR.2.6.2., Minimizing Cross
Contamination, to address issues raised about the possibility of cross
contamination in receiving tanks with the use of this equipment. The
Committee designated a Voting status for this item. At the 2022 NCWM
Annual Meeting, this item failed to receive adequate votes to pass and
was returned to the S&T Committee.
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After further review at the 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting, the S&T
Committee designated a Voting status for this item.
WIM--Weigh-In-Motion Systems
WIM-23.1. Remove Tentative Status and Amend Numerous Sections
Throughout.
The S&T Committee will consider a proposal to convert the current
Tentative Code of Section 2.25 Weigh-In-Motion Systems Used for Vehicle
Enforcement Screening to Permanent and to expand the code to include
``and Enforcement''. This also includes (but is not limited to): (1)
the addition of an Accuracy Class ``E'' WIM scale (in addition to Class
A) in the specifications (S); (2) the addition of test procedures to
address the new Accuracy Class E in the test procedures (N) section for
the determination of test speeds, dynamic test loads, and vehicle
positions; (3) the designation of more stringent tolerances (T) for
Accuracy Class E as compared to those for Accuracy Class A and a
designation noting Accuracy Class E tolerances are to be applied to WIM
scales used for enforcement purposes; and (4) the addition of a Class E
weighing application in the user requirements (UR) for the explicit
enforcement of vehicles based on axle, axle group, and gross vehicle
weights. Assessments during the 2022 Regional Weights and Measures
Association Meetings recommended a Developing status to allow the
submitters to address questions raised regarding the application of
tolerances and test procedures and allow input regarding the use of the
code for enforcement purposes (rather than screening) from those
jurisdictions impacted by the proposed change in scope and status as
well as input from other scale manufacturers. The submitters submitted
a revised proposal to the NCWM following the release of the 2023 NCWM
Publication 15. At the 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting, the Committee updated
the item to the latest version and the S&T continues to make changes to
this item and has assigned it an Informational status.
EVF--Electric Vehicle Fueling Systems
EVF-23.1. S.2.5.1. Money-Value Divisions Digital, S.5.2.(b) EVSE
Identification and Marking Information, S.5.3.(d) Abbreviations and
Symbols; J, S.8.(a) MMQ, N.1. No Load Test, T.5. No Load Test, N.2.
Starting Load Test, T.6. Starting Load, and Appendix D-Definitions;
Megajoule (MJ).
The S&T Committee will consider a proposal that will further refine
electric vehicle fueling systems code requirements in NIST HB 44,
Section 3.40 Electric Vehicle Fueling Systems Code to: (1) remove the
``megajoule'' unit of measurement definition and all references to the
term cited in the design specifications; (2) base the computation of
the total sales price on a more appropriate quantity interval that does
not exceed 0.01 kWh rather than a 0.1 kWh; (3) decrease the permissible
sizes of the minimum measured quantity (MMQ) to those that are more
appropriate quantities for AC and DC systems deliveries and result in a
shorter duration for the light load test procedure; and (4) no longer
require an accuracy test and the applicable test tolerances at no load
and at starting load. At the 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting, the S&T
Committee made further edits to the proposal based on comments received
from the NIST-sponsored Electric Vehicle Fueling Equipment subgroup of
the U.S. National Working Group on Measuring Systems for Electric
Vehicle Fueling and Submetering and agreed to assign a Voting status to
this item.
GMA--Grain Moisture Meters 5.56. (A)
GMA-19.1. Table T.2.1. Acceptance and Maintenance Tolerances Air Oven
Method for All Grains and Oil Seeds.
The S&T Committee will further consider a proposal that would
reduce the tolerances for the air oven reference method in the Grain
Moisture Meters Code. The proposed new tolerances would apply to all
types of grains and oil seeds. This item is a carry-over proposal from
2019 and would replace the contents of Table T.2.1. with new criteria.
Additional inspection data will be collected and reviewed to assess
whether or not the proposed changes to the tolerances are appropriate.
At the 2022 NCWM Annual Meeting, the Committee recommended a Developing
status to allow for consideration of additional data. Data was
collected from one State and presented at the 2022 Grain Analyzer
Sector Meeting. At the 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting, the S&T Committee
assigned a Developing status to this item as additional data is
collected.
NCWM L&R Committee (L&R 2023 Annual Meeting)
The Laws and Regulations Committee (L&R Committee) will consider
proposed amendments to NIST HB 130.
Item MOS-20.5, Section 2.21 Liquefied Petroleum Gas.--The L&R
Committee will further consider a proposal to clarify the existing
language for the method of sale of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. This will
include changes to the existing language within NIST HB 130 that
references a value of ``15.6 [deg]C'' for temperature determinations in
metric units.
According to the current industry practice for sales of petroleum
products, the reference temperature for sales in metric are based on 15
[deg]C rather than the exact conversion from 60 [deg]F (which is 15.6
[deg]C). This will also add language specifying that a metering system
that automatically temperature compensation shall be used for all
metered sales with a maximum capacity equal to or greater than 20 gal/
min. For metering systems with a maximum capacity less than 20 gal/min,
an effective date of January 2030 will be added for all metered sales
to be automatic temperature compensated.
Item Block 4--E-Commerce Item OTH 22.1. Uniform Labeling Regulation
for Electronic Commerce (referred as e-commerce) Products--The L&R
Committee will further consider a proposal that is designated as a
``Voting'' item. This proposal would add a new regulation to NIST HB
130 that pertains to the labeling of products in e-commerce for
consumer commodities and non-consumer commodities. This regulation will
provide guidance to industry, as well as those states that adopt this
regulation for the purpose of inspecting e-commerce websites. This
regulation would also lay out terms that shall appear on an e-commerce
website including product identity, net quantity, responsible party,
unit price, and price information. Online businesses shall have this
regulation implemented 18 months after adoption.
Item Block 3 Cannabis--PAL-22.2 Section 10.XX. Cannabis and
Cannabis-Containing Products.\1\ The L&R Committee will consider
establishing definitions and labeling requirements for Cannabis and
Cannabis-Containing Products intended for human or animal consumption
or application. Also, within this block is B3: MOS-22.2. HB130 Section
1.XX. and Section 2.XX. Cannabis and Cannabis-Containing Products. The
Committee will consider a proposal to amend these two sections to
establish a definition and include language for a method of sale for
Cannabis. Included within this proposal is a water activity limit of
0.60 (<plus-minus> 0.05) when unprocessed Cannabis is sold or
transferred.
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\1\ In contrast to hemp, marijuana, which is defined as cannabis
with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of more than 0.3
percent on a dry weight basis, remains a Schedule I substance under
the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). 21 U.S.C. 812(d); 21 CFR
1308.11(d)(23).
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The Committee will be provided an update from the NCWM Cannabis
Task
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Group on Item NET-22.1 NIST HB 133, Section 1.2.6. Deviations Caused by
Moisture Loss or Gain and Section 2.3.8. Table 2-3 Moisture Allowances
which provides for a 3% moisture allowance for Cannabis plant material
containing more than 0.3% total delta-9 THC (Cannabis, Marijuana, or
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Marihuana) or containing 0.3% less total delta-9 THC (hemp).
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2023-14969 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.