---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 18952"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "18952"
heading: "Standards development organization grants"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/18952"
units:
  - "Chapter 163 — Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation"
  - "Subchapter II — National Institute of Standards and Technology for the Future"
  - "Part B — General Activities"
---

# §18952. Standards development organization grants

- (a) **Nongovernmental standards development organization defined—** In this section, the term “nongovernmental standards development organization” means a nongovernmental standards development organization (as defined in [section 2(e)](/usc/42/2.md) of the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–119 (relating to Federal participation in the development and use of voluntary consensus standards in conformity assessment activities), or any successor document) that adheres to the American National Standards [Institute](/usc/42/18921.md?p=4) (ANSI) Essential Requirements for Due Process for American National Standards.
- (b) **Grant authority—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18921.md?p=6) of Commerce, acting through the [Director](/usc/42/18921.md?p=1), shall establish a competitive program of [grants](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5) for nongovernmental standards development organizations for the purposes described in [subsection (c)](#c).
- (c) **Purposes—** A [grant](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5) awarded under [subsection (b)](#b) shall be used to develop, approve, disseminate, maintain, and review forensic science voluntary consensus standards and best [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19) that shall be available to the public free of charge.
- (d) **Additional requirements—** The [Director](/usc/42/18921.md?p=1) may promulgate such requirements, guidelines, and procedures as may be necessary to carry out this section.
- (e) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title II, § 10248, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1495.)