Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3824 requires the Secretary of Commerce to review the Fastener Quality Act to assess if its provisions…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3824 requires the Secretary of Commerce to review the Fastener Quality Act to assess if its provisions are still needed and to report his findings back to Congress. The Senate amended H.R. 3824 to require the Secretary to specifically consider other regulatory programs which currently regulate fasteners in making his determination on the continued need for the Fastener Quality Act. Mr. Speaker, the Fastener Quality Act was signed into law in 1990. This well intended but misguided legislation requires a large percentage of metallic fasteners used in this country to be documented by a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certified laboratory. Although the legislation has been on the books for eight years and counting, difficulty in developing the regulations of the Act have delayed NIST from implementing the regulations until this year. H.R. 3824, as passed by the Senate, amends the Fastener Quality Act by exempting certain fasteners produced or altered to the specifications of aviation manufacturers from the new regulations. Subjecting the proprietary fasteners of aviation manufacturers to a second set of federal regulations is redundant and unnecessary.”