Fastener Quality Act Amendments Act of 1999

Summary

Fastener Quality Act Amendments Act of 1999 - Amends the Fastener Quality Act to define "accredited laboratory" to mean a fastener testing facility used to perform end-of-line testing required by a consensus standard to verify that a lot of fasteners conforms to the grade identification marking called for in the consensus standard to which they have been manufactured, and which meet certain requirements. Defines "consensus standard" to mean the provisions of a document that describes fastener characteristics published by a consensus standards organization or a Federal agency, and does not include a proprietary standard. (Sec. 3) Revises the definition of "fastener" to apply to fasteners only, not to components or products which can contain fasteners. Excludes from the definition (and coverage of the Act) any items: (1) sold in packages containing no more than 100 of any one screw, nut, bolt, stud, or washer; (2) produced to proprietary standards developed by private companies that use fasteners in the manufacture, assembly, or service of their products, and develop fastener standards under the company's name; (3) specifically manufactured for use on an aircraft if the quality and suitability of those fasteners for that use has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration or by a foreign airworthiness authority; or (4) manufactured in accordance with a fastener quality assurance system meeting International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 9000 and other specified criteria. (Sec. 4) Makes it unlawful for a manufacturer or distributor, in conjunction with a sale or offer for sale of a fastener, to knowingly misrepresent or falsify: (1) the record of conformance for the lot of fasteners; (2) the identification, characteristics, properties, mechanical or performance marks, chemistry, or strength of the lot of such fasteners; or (3) the manufacturer's insignia. Requires that mandatory end-of-line testing, in the case of fasteners manufactured solely to a consensus standard, be conducted by an accredited laboratory. (Sec. 5) Revises requirements for manufacturers' insignia on certain fasteners to require manufacturers to comply with insignia recordation requirements, unless the specifications provide otherwise. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to arbitrate civil penalties before a case is referred to the Attorney General. Directs the Secretary to establish a hotline system to facilitate the reporting of alleged violations of this Act and to investigate credible allegations reported through such system and report them to the Attorney General. (Sec. 7) Requires fastener manufacturers to: (1) retain the record of conformance for fasteners for five years, on paper or in photographic or electronic format; and (2) make available upon the request of a distributor who has purchased a fastener (or a person who has purchased a fastener for use in the production of a commercial product) information in the record of conformance. Repeals the requirement that importers, private label distributors, and persons who make significant alterations to fasteners, as well as manufacturers, also retain all inspection, testing, and certification records for five years. (Sec. 10) Authorizes any person publishing a document setting forth guidance or requirements for the certification of manufacturing systems (including fastener manufacturing systems) by an accredited third party (or for the approval of accreditation bodies to accredit such third parties), or for the accreditation of laboratories (or for the approval of accreditation bodies to accredit such laboratories), to petition the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to approve the document, if it provides equal or greater rigor and reliability as compared to ISO-IEC Guide 62, 61, 25, or 58, as appropriate.

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Documents

6 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN · 19 November 1999

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• Reported to Senate (PDF)

  Reported to Senate · EN · 19 November 1999

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• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 19 November 1999

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• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 14 April 1999

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• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 14 April 1999

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 14 April 1999

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