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                     Billing Code: 3510-13
                                 
     
     DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
     
     NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
     
     Notice of Public Meeting on the Fastener Quality Act (FQA)
     
     [Docket No. 9814340]
     
     AGENCY:   National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Commerce
     
     ACTION:   Notice
     
     SUMMARY:  NIST will hold an open meeting on June 16, 1998, to provide details and
     interpretations on the regulations related to the Quality Assurance System (QAS) of
     fastener manufacturing contained in the April 14, 1998, final regulation under the
     Fastener Quality Act (FQA) (Public Law 101-592, as amended by Public Law 104-113). 
     The purpose of this meeting is to provide information on requirements relevant to the
     registration of manufacturing facilities practicing QAS, accreditation of registrars, and
     recognition of registrar accreditation bodies.  Fastener manufacturers, major end users of
     fasteners (automobile, aerospace, heavy machinery, and others), registrar accreditation
     bodies, quality system registrars, consensus standards bodies, and academics with interest
     in this subject may want to participate in this meeting.
     
     DATES:    The meeting will be held on June 16, 1998, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. 
     Individuals wishing to participate must register with NIST not later than June 10, 1998. 
     Questions on the QAS regulations to be addressed at the meeting should be sent to Dr.
     Subhas G. Malghan, by June 5, 1998.
     
     ADDRESSES:     The meeting will be held in the Red Auditorium, Administration
     Building (Building 101), at NIST, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 
     
     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:   All questions related to this meeting
     should be directed to Dr. Subhas G. Malghan, FQA Program Manager, Building 820,
     Room 306, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899; telephone (301) 975-5120, fax (301) 975-5414, E-mail: malghan@nist.gov.
     
     SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:    The agenda for the meeting is as follows:
     
       1.  Welcome and opening remarks
       2.  Overview of QAS regulations
       3.  Overview of requirements of the registrar accreditation bodies and registrars
       4.  Overview of the requirements of the QAS manufacturing facilities requiring
                registration
       5.  Discussion/answers to questions sent to NIST by participants by June 5, 1998 
       6.  Closing
     
     Following issuance of the final regulations on September 26, 1996, the automobile
     industry expressed concern to the Department of Commerce (Department) that the Act
     and the implementing regulations did not recognize modern manufacturing methods
     using prevention-based QAS employing statistical process controls (SPC).  On
     February 4, 1997, a public workshop was held at NIST to solicit information from all
     interested parties.  The Department published a notice of proposed rule making in the
     Federal Register on September 8, 1997, seeking public comments on proposed
     amendments to the regulations that recognize the use of prevention-based QAS under the
     FQA.  The final rule published on April 14, 1998, is based on comments received in
     response to the notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on
     September 8, 1997, (62 FR 47240-47260)(1997) amending regulations found at 15 CFR
     Part 280 implementing the FQA.  This final rule established the procedures for
     registration of in-process inspection activities of qualifying manufacturing facilities that
     use QAS, revised definitions and related sections for clarity, and corrected editorial
     errors.  These changes will facilitate the implementation of the Act and will better
     accommodate modern industry practices by incorporating these practices into the
     certification process of fasteners covered by the Act. 
     
     The purpose of the meeting is to address issues relevant to the implementation of the final
     regulations specific to QAS and provide a forum for discussion of questions on QAS.  To
     facilitate coverage of issues raised by the participants, NIST is requesting that all
     questions be sent to NIST by June 5, 1998.  Every attempt will be made to address these
     questions at the meeting.  Other questions not related to QAS may be sent, and if time
     permits, these questions will also be addressed.
     
     REGISTRATION FORM
     
     Open meeting at NIST on June 16, 1998, to provide details and interpretations on the
     regulations related to the Quality Assurance System (QAS) of fastener manufacturing
     contained in the April 14, 1998, final regulation under the Fastener Quality Act.
     
     Names and addresses of proposed participants:
     
       Name:
     
       Address:
     
       Telephone and fax numbers:
     
     Please fax this form to FQA Program Office, (301) 975-5414 by June 10, 1998.
     
                                            
     Robert E. Hebner
     Acting Deputy Director
     
     
                                            
     Dated