Part of the Commerce study made suggestions of how best to refocus the law and make it less burdensome. After several Congressional hearings, many of the suggestions made by Commerce and by fastener industry representatives were included in the Fastener Quality Act Amendments Act of 1999 - P.L.106-34. (FQA99)

The amendments were signed into law on June 8, 1999. Implementation date for FQA99 will take effect in two stages. Newly fabricated fasteners must become compliant after December 5, 1999, and the use of accredited laboratories will not take effect until June 2001.

Provisions of FQA99 include: (1) limiting coverage to high-strength fasteners, (2) allowing the electronic transmission and storage of certification reports, and (3) encouraging the use of recognized quality assurance systems. The amendments effectively eliminate all of the implementing regulations designed by NIST over several years.

The items that remain covered are bolts, nuts, screws and studs ¼ inch or 6 mm in diameter or larger and direct tension-indicating washers, that are through-hardened or represented as meeting a consensus standard that calls for through-hardening, and that is grade identification marked or represented as meeting a consensus standard that requires grade identification marking.

The following is a list of fasteners exempted by FQA99:

• Fasteners are exempt if they have a nominal diameter of less than 6 mm or less than ¼ inch.
• Any fasteners which are not through-hardened. (Through-harden means to heat above the transformation temperature followed by quenching and tempering for the purpose of achieving uniform hardness)
• All fasteners not represented as meeting a consensus standard (i.e., ANSI, ISO, DIN, ASTM, etc.) that requires grade identification marking.
• Any fasteners which are manufactured by using industry recognized quality assurance programs such as the ISO 9000 series, QS 9000, TS 16949, or other fastener quality assurance systems as may be defined by law. This could include manufacturing systems— (I) having as a stated goal the prevention of defects through continuous improvement; (ii) that seek to attain the goal stated in clause (I) by incorporating advanced quality planning, and (iii) undergoes regular or random evaluation and assessment by the end user of the fasteners to ensure that the system meets the requirements of (I) and (ii).
• Fasteners contained in a package of less than 75 pieces.
• Fasteners which are part of an assembly.
• Fasteners that are contained in an assembly kit, regardless of quantity
• Fasteners produced and marked as ASTM A307 Grade A.
• Fasteners produced in accordance with ASTM F432.
• Fasteners manufactured to a proprietary standard.
• Fasteners specifically manufactured for use on an aircraft if the quality and suitability of those fasteners for that use has been approved — (I) by the Federal Aviation Administration; of (ii) by a foreign air worthiness authority as described in part 21.29, 21.500, 21.502, or 21.617 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The law added a provision to deal with fastener fraud by creating a hot line system to facilitate the reporting of alleged violations of the law. A system will be created to evaluate reports to the hot line. All credible allegations would then be forwarded to the Attorney General. Specific misrepresentations and falsifications can be prosecuted as criminal offenses.

NIST will continue to operate a voluntary program to accredit fastener testing labs. They will also evaluate and accredit alternative quality assurance programs.

Congress has created a law which clearly establishes protections against the sale of mismarked, misrepresented and counterfeit fasteners while eliminating unnecessary requirements. Finally a workable law, upon which and industry and government agree.

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Submitted by Bonnie G. Carter,  
Coordinator - Metric Importers of North America (MINA),
A nationwide group of companies importing metric fasteners

June 23, 1999