118 STAT. 661 PUBLIC LAW 108–237—JUNE 22, 2004 Public Law 108–237 108th Congress An Act To encourage the development and promulgation of voluntary consensus standards by providing relief under the antitrust laws to standards development organiza tions with respect to conduct engaged in for the purpose of developing voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, TITLE I—STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ADVANCEMENT ACT OF 2004 SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the ‘‘Standards Development Organization Advancement Act of 2004’’. SEC. 102. FINDINGS. The Congress finds the following: (1) In 1993, the Congress amended and renamed the National Cooperative Research Act of 1984 (now known as the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993 (15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.)) by enacting the National Cooperative Production Amendments of 1993 (Public Law 103–42) to encour age the use of collaborative, procompetitive activity in the form of research and production joint ventures that provide adequate disclosure to the antitrust enforcement agencies about the nature and scope of the activity involved. (2) Subsequently, in 1995, the Congress in enacting the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) recognized the importance of technical standards developed by voluntary consensus standards bodies to our national economy by requiring the use of such standards to the extent practicable by Federal agencies and by encour aging Federal agency representatives to participate in ongoing standards development activities. The Office of Management and Budget on February 18, 1998, revised Circular A–119 to reflect these changes made in law. (3) Following enactment of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, technical standards developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies have replaced thousands of unique Government standards and specifications allowing the national economy to operate in a more unified fashion. 15 USC 4301 note. 15 USC 4301 note. Standards Development Organization Advancement Act of 2004. June 22, 2004 [H.R. 1086]
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