Federal Register / Vol. 70, No.…

                                       Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 116 / Friday, June 17, 2005 / Notices                                            35225

      DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                                  the National Bureau of Standards) in                   nominated to serve as Approved
                                                              1976, is codified in the U.S. Code of                  Signatories of test or calibration reports
      National Institute of Standards and                     Federal Regulations, title 15, part 285                that reference NVLAP accreditation;
      Technology                                              (15 CFR part 285).                                       (5) Organization chart defining
      [Docket No.: 040609175­5128­02]
                                                                 The National Institute of Standards
                                                                                                                     relationships that are relevant to
                                                              and Technology (NIST) publishes this
                                                              notice to announce the availability of                 performing testing and calibrations
      Availability of Applications for the                                                                           covered in the accreditation request;
      Laboratory Accreditation Program for                    applications for the NVLAP
      Voting System Testing Under the                         accreditation program for laboratories                   (6) General description of the
      National Voluntary Laboratory                           that perform testing of voting systems                 laboratory, including its facilities and
      Accreditation Program                                   and components using the Voting                        scope of operation; and
                                                              System Standards of 2002 as augmented                    (7) Requested scope of accreditation.
      AGENCY: National Institute of Standards                 from time to time by the Election
      and Technology, Commerce.                               Assistance Commission (EAC). NIST has                    In addition, the laboratory shall
      ACTION: Notice.                                         established this program at the request                provide a copy of its quality manual and
                                                              of the EAC to fulfill requirements of                  related documentation, where
      SUMMARY: Under the National Voluntary                                                                          appropriate, prior to the on-site
                                                              Section 231(b)(1) of the Help America
      Laboratory Accreditation Program                        Vote Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107­252). This               assessment. NVLAP will review the
      (NVLAP), the National Institute of                      program is not intended for laboratories               quality system documentation and
      Standards and Technology (NIST)                         conducting tests for non-voting                        discuss any noted nonconformities with
      publishes this notice of availability of                requirements of the Voting System                      the Authorized Representative before
      applications for the NVLAP                              Standards.                                             the on-site visit. Laboratories that apply
      accreditation program for laboratories                     On June 23, 2004, in accordance with                for accreditation will be required to pay
      that perform testing of voting systems                  15 CFR part 285, NIST published a                      NVLAP fees and undergo on-site
      and components using the Voting                         Federal Register notice (69 FR 34993)                  assessment and shall meet proficiency
      System Standards of 2002 as augmented                   announcing the intent to establish a                   testing requirements before initial
      from time to time by the Election                       NVLAP program for laboratories testing
      Assistance Commission (EAC). NIST has                                                                          accreditation can be granted.
                                                              voting systems. A public workshop was                  Information on the fee structure and a
      established this program at the request                 held on August 17, 2004, for the
      of the EAC to fulfill requirements of the                                                                      description of the on-site assessment are
                                                              purpose of exchange of information                     found in sections 3.1.3 and 3.2
      Help America Vote Act of 2002 (Pub. L.                  among NVLAP, laboratories interested
      107­252).                                                                                                      respectively of NIST Handbook 150.
                                                              in seeking accreditation for the testing
      DATES: Application information and                      of voting systems under the Help                         NVLAP accreditation is a pre-
      forms are now available. Laboratories                   America Vote Act, and other interested                 requisite for a laboratory to be submitted
      wishing to be considered for                            parties. The results of the workshop                   by the Director of the National Institute
      accreditation in the first group must                   discussions were used in the                           of Standards and Technology to the
      submit an application to NVLAP and                      development of the NVLAP Voting                        Election Assistance Commission for
      pay required fees by August 16, 2005.                   Systems Laboratory Accreditation                       consideration pursuant to section
      The evaluation of the initial group of                  Program (Voting LAP).                                  231(b)(1) of the Help America Vote Act.
      applicant laboratories for accreditation                                                                       Under section 231(b)(2)(A), the EAC
      will commence on or about September                     Technical Requirements for the
                                                              Accreditation Process                                  accredits bodies that test, certify,
      15, 2005. Laboratories whose                                                                                   decertify and recertify voting systems.
      applications are received after that date                  General requirements for
      will be considered on an as-received                    accreditation are given in NIST                          Notwithstanding any other provision
      basis.                                                  Handbook 150 NVLAP Procedures and                      of law, no person is required to respond
                                                              General Requirements. The specific                     to nor shall a person be subject to a
      ADDRESSES:    Laboratories may obtain                                                                          penalty for failure to comply with a
      requirements documents and an                           technical and administrative
                                                              requirements for this program are given                collection of information subject to the
      application for accreditation for this                                                                         requirements of the Paperwork
      program by calling 301­975­4016, by                     in NIST Handbook 150­22 Voting
                                                              System Testing. Laboratories must meet                 Reduction Act unless that collection of
      writing to: Voting System Testing
                                                              all NVLAP criteria and requirements in                 information displays a currently valid
      Program Manager, NIST/NVLAP, 100
                                                              order to become accredited. To be                      Office of Management and Budget
      Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 2140,
      Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899­2140, or                  considered for accreditation, the                      (OMB) Control Number. The NVLAP
      sending an e-mail to nvlap@nist.gov.                    applicant laboratory must provide a                    application is approved by the Office of
                                                              completed application to NVLAP, pay                    Management and Budget under OMB
      FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                              all required fees, agree to conditions for             Control No. 0693­0003.
      Jeffrey Horlick, National Voluntary
                                                              accreditation, and provide a quality
      Laboratory Accreditation Program                                                                                 Dated: June 9, 2005.
                                                              manual to NVLAP (or a designated
      (NVLAP), NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop                                                                          Hratch G. Semerjian,
                                                              NVLAP assessor) prior to the beginning
      2140, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899­                                                                           Acting Director.
                                                              of the assessment process.
      2140, telephone: 301­975­4016, e-mail:                                                                         [FR Doc. 05­11999 Filed 6­16­05; 8:45 am]
      jeffrey.horlick@nist.gov.                               Application Requirements
                                                                                                                     BILLING CODE 3510­13­P
      SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                                (1) Legal name and full address of the
      Background                                              laboratory;
                                                                (2) Ownership of the laboratory;
        The National Voluntary Laboratory                       (3) Authorized Representative's name
      Accreditation Program (NVLAP),                          and contact information;
      established at the National Institute of                  (4) Names, titles and contact
      Standards and Technology (then called                   information for laboratory staff


VerDate jul2003   17:59 Jun 16, 2005   Jkt 205001   PO 00000   Frm 00005   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\17JNN1.SGM   17JNN1