DOLLARS IN MILLIONS legislation, yet failure to respond is likely to result in even more severe criticism and action from the Congress. Figures 5 and 6 show NBS estimates of an annual deficit of about $31 million and 180 people in the programs that respond to recent congressional assignments. The current total annual NBS effort toward these Acts is only $28 million and 433 people (of those totals, only $5.6M and 48 staff positions have been directly appropriated since the acts were passed.) See Table 3, Appendix E for complete figures. (Based on FY 1977 Data) Resource deficits exist for eleven of the new assignments. assignment is listed in Figure 7. Each new Figure 7. Additions to NBS/DOC Authority 1965-1977 Standard Reference Data Act Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act Noise Control Act of 1972 Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974 1968 1968 1972 1972 1974 1974 1974 1974 1975 1975 1975 1976 1976 Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 FY 1976 Appropriation Act (Corrosion Study) Energy Conservation and Production Act of 1976 New assignments are discussed below (in chronological order) in terms of responsibilities, accomplishments, and resources. с The Brooks Act requires NES to: provide scientific and technological advisory services to Federal agencies relating to automatic data processing (ADP) and related systems. make recommendations relating to the establishment of uniform Federal ADP undertake necessary research in the sciences and technologies of ADP and related systems. Most NBS programs in the computer area are devoted to fulfilling the responsibilities assigned to NBS by this Act. Currently priority is directed to resolving two major issues in the ADP standards area; namely, identification of standards requirements, the assignment of relative priorities and the establishment of ar interagency advisory committee to assist NBS in obtaining inputs from Federal agencies on standards policies and actions. The current funding is $4 million, which covers only a few of the highest priority standards efforts. The Bureau has planned programis responsive to the Brooks Act, has requested necessary funding to carry them out and has reprogrammed $2 million of its Own funding. NBS, however, has not been successful in obtaining the funding necessary to adequately respond to these responsibilities. NBS estimates that an additional $18 million is necessary to respond fully to the Brooks Act. Congressional hearings of 1976, as reported in the October 1976 "Report on Federal ADP Procurement" by the House Committee on Government Operations, and the February 1977 "Staff Study on Computer Security in Federal Program" by the Serate Committee on Government Operations," have highlighted the deficiency of past appropriations to carry out the mandates. These hearings also resulted in direct demands to put forward a more responsive Government-wide program to be managed by the National Bureau of Standards. Discussions of such a Government-wide program with the General Services Administration (GSA), OMB, and the 12 operating agencies which manage over 97 percent of all Federal computer expenditures have already identified a $100 million, five-year Federal effort required in ADP standards alone. These standards are needed to facilitate cost avoidance savings identified by the Brooks hearings of approximately $100 million annually. Responsibility for the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act has been delegated by the Secretary of Commerce to NBS. The Act calls for a resolution of the undue proliferation of quantities of packaged consumer commodities and the issuance of voluntary standards for their control. NBS has received a total of $1M in direct appropriations over the past ten years which have proved adequate to carry out these responsibilities. In that time, 50 package quantity standards have been established, addressing those commodities determined most in need of attention. A majority of products covered have achieved a 100 percent compliance level with the voluntary standards. In addition, NBS has worked with the National Conference on Weights and Measures to develop the Model с State Packaging and Labeling Regulation which has been adopted by 35 states. This model regulation contributes to the effective regulation of all goods subject to the Act while still providing for control of packaged goods not subject to the Act. Current NPS program emphasis is directed to resclving potential problems in metric labeling and nonuniformity conflicts between Federal and State regulation of consumer products. The Standard Reference Data Act: This Act authorizes and directs the Secretary of Commerce tc provide standard reference data needed by scientists, engineers, and the general public. NBS implements the Act through about 20 data centers, some located at NBS and some at universities and other institutions. NBS disseminates the output of these centers via compilations of evaluated data on physical and chemical properties, which go to a broad range of users in Government, industry, and academic research. net During congressional hearings in 1967, an $18 million annual program was projected to cover all types of data of scientific and technological importance. However, the actual budget of the program is still under $3 million, and inflation has led to a reduction in activity over the last five years. As a result, coverage is still extremely limited and many important fields are neglected. Even in the covered areas, there is a large backlog of unevaluated data; most published compilations are five years or more out of date. Budgetary limitations have also prevented NBS from developing new mechanisms for disseminating standard reference data, such as on-line access through computer networks. As a result of our inability to carry out the intent of the Standard Reference Data Act, important national programs are being adversely affected by the lack of reliable data bases. For example, properties of compounds in aqueous solution are central. to the alleviation of water pollution and are important in many industrial processes, but NBS has the resources for only a minimal effort. Conversion of coal to gas or liquid form will bring out major reeds for data on the constituent compounds which are not now available. The large and important area of mechanical properties of materials has been completely reglected. As a result, many technical decisions are being made without an adequate data base leading to inefficiency, overdesign, and possible hazards. The failure to develop a comprehensive Standard Reference Data program will have increasingly serious consequences 23-301 - 78 - 10 as the technological problems facing the U.S. grow in number and complexity. The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act Requires the Bureau of Radiological Health (BRH) to consult and maintain liaison with NBS on (a) techniques, equipment, and programs for testing and evaluating electronic product radiation, and (b) the development of performance standards to control such emissions. In response, NBS has developed physical measurement stardards, transfer standards, measurement methods, and a measurement assurance program for laser power and energy. Similar activities have been conducted in the areas of RF and microwave radiation, ultrasonic radiation, and ionizing radiation. Due to limited NBS resources, the comprehensive measurement services required to support the Act have not been developed. These include development of basic physical standards, calibrations of field instruments and conduct of measurement assurance programs which maintain field measurements at an acceptable level of quality. More assistance must be provided the electronic product industry to improve the accuracy and reliability of measurements made by manufacturers. Activities to date have been piecemeal and have not produced the national system needed to provide meaningful traceability of field measurements to national standards at NBS. to The total resources required to conduct a comprehensive program are approximately $2.1 million and 34 positions per year. Of this amount, it is assumed that funding from other agencies (mostly BRI) will remain at the current level of $350 thousand. Current support totals $1.3 million and 21 positions, of which $930 thousand and 17 positions is direct NBS funding. If funding is not provided at the increased level, some services essential for public health and safety cannot be provided. Examples include measurement assurance and calibrations for medical uses of x-rays; calibration standards for use of ultraviolet radiation in industrial processing, artificial illumination, and medical therapy; documentation of measurements made by manufacturers and users of lasers; and basic standards, procedures, ard performance standards for ultrasonic devices used in medical applications. The severity of the problem is well illustrated with the applications of ionizing radiation for the treatment of cancer. Here the trade-off between adequate treatment and serious cellular damage is very delicate allowing excursions of no more than + 7 percent from the optimum dosage. |