Operating Procedures for ASME U.S. Technical Advisory Groups for ISO Activities for TAGs Under BoS

Transcription

1 Operating Procedures for ASME U.S. Technical Advisory Groups for ISO Activities for TAGs Under BoS Approved by the Board on Standardization (BoS) Issue 1, Rev. 0 August 1997

2 ASME TAG Procedures Section T of C TABLE OF CONTENTS Page # Date Table of Contents... i 8/97 1 ANSI and ISO /97 2 U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) /97 3 TAG Administrator (ASME) /97 4 TAG Officers /97 5 TAG Membership /97 6 TAG Meetings /97 7 Voting /97 8 Adoption of ASME Documents by ISO or ISO Documents by ASME /97 9 Termination of TAG /97 10 Communications /97 11 Appeals /97 12 Parliamentary Procedures /97 Appendix A ISO Technical Reports /97 Appendix B Guidelines for Determining a U.S. Voting Position /97 i

3 ASME TAG Procedures Section 1 Operating Procedures for ASME U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ANSI for ISO Activities 1. ANSI and ISO 1.1 General. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a privately funded federation of business and industry, standards developers, trade associations, labor unions, professional societies, consumers, academia, and government agencies. ANSI does not itself write standards. Participation in international standards activities of interest to members of ANSI requires membership in two international nontreaty standardization organizations. These organizations are the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). All United States participation is implemented by the selection/establishment of U.S. technical advisory groups (TAGs) for ISO technical committees or subcommittees. 1.2 TMB and TC. The technical work of ISO is managed by a policy-level management board called the Technical Management Board (TMB), of which ANSI is a member. The TMB is made up of twelve national body members who are responsible for the organization, coordination, strategic planning, and programming of ISO s technical work. The actual technical work is carried out through technical committees (TCs), whose voting members are the national bodies which have expressed an interest in active participation (identified as P members) in the work of a given technical committee. As a P-member you are obliged to vote on draft International Standards and, whenever possible, to participate in meetings. National member bodies may also apply for membership as observers (identified as O members) which permits them to follow the work. As an O-member you would receive committee documents, and have the right to submit comments and attend meetings. Membership in the technical committee does not imply automatic membership in a subcommittee. Specific registration in a subcommittee is required. 1.3 TAG. ANSI normally looks to the body which develops national standards in a particular standards area to determine the U.S. position in a similar international standardization activity. Such bodies are designated by ANSI as TAGs for specific ISO activities. The makeup of TAGs includes participants from companies, technical and trade organizations, government agencies, and individuals. The scope of a U.S. technical advisory group shall be consistent with the applicable portion of the scope of the ISO technical committee or subcommittee. 1.4 Development of an ISO Standard. Normally, the development of an international standard is a multi-stage process. A new work item proposal, accompanied optionally by an initial draft for consideration, is submitted for a three-month letter ballot of the committee members. If approved (five member bodies must agree to participate actively), the item is assigned to the appropriate group for development and a project leader is appointed. The initial draft will then progress to a final working draft, a committee draft (CD - subjected to a three-month letter ballot review), a draft international standard (DIS - five-month letter ballot review), and a final draft international standard (FDIS - two-month yes/no vote - no comments permitted). Table 1 shows the sequence of project stages through which the technical work is developed, and gives the name of the document associated with each project stage. 1

4 ASME TAG Procedures Section 1 Exceptionally, and with the permission of the TMB, an existing standard may be submitted by a member body for fast-track processing. In this instance, the document starts at the DIS stage and can become an approved International Standard in less than twelve months. Candidate fasttrack standards are normally standards that have already achieved wide acceptance internationally. Table 1 - Project Stages and Associated Documents Project stage Associated document Name Abbreviation o Preliminary stage Preliminary work item PWI 1 Proposal stage New work item proposal NP 2 Preparatory stage Working draft(s) WD 3 Committee stage Committee draft(s) CD 4 Enquiry stage Enquiry draft, i.e. Draft International Standards (ISO) DIS 5 Approval stage Final Draft International Standard FDIS 6 Publication stage International Standard ISO, ISO/IEC 1.5 ISO Technical Reports. For information concerning the three types of ISO Technical Reports, and the circumstances in which they may be produced see Appendix A. 1.6 ASME Hosting an ISO Meeting. When appropriate, the U.S. TAG may propose to host an ISO technical committee, subcommittee, and/or working group meeting, in the United States. Proposals should include proposed meeting dates, location, and other required items. When possible, prior to the proposal being voted on by the TAG, the TAG Secretary should investigate the needs of the ISO Committee and prepare an estimate of the meeting cost which will then be presented to the appropriate ASME Director. The final decision to host an ISO meeting would be ASMEs when they are bearing the meeting costs. Proposals to host an ISO meeting shall be approved by the responsible U.S. technical advisory group (see 7.5), and must be confirmed by ANSI (for TC and SCs). 1.7 ANSI Annual Report. An annual report shall be prepared by the TAG Administrator or TAG Officer, describing in summary narrative form the TAG activity during the past year. The report shall be submitted to ANSI not later than January 31 of the following year. 2

5 ASME TAG Procedures Section 2 2 U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) 2.1 General. U.S. technical advisory groups (TAGs) are committees accredited by ANSI for participation in ISO technical activities. Accredited TAGs must operate in compliance with the ANSI Criteria for the Development and Coordination of U.S. Positions in the International Standardization Activities of the ISO and IEC. Such TAGs are administered by U.S. technical advisory group Administrators (e.g., ASME). 2.2 Functions and Responsibilities of the TAG The functions and responsibilities of the TAG are as follows: 1. Determine the U.S. position on an ISO draft international standard, draft technical report, committee drafts, ISO questionnaires, draft reports of meetings, etc. 2. Provide adequate U.S. representation to ISO technical committee or subcommittee meetings, designate heads of delegations and members of delegations, and ensure compliance with the ANSI "Guide for U.S. Delegates to IEC/ISO Meetings" 3. Determine U.S. positions on agenda items of ISO technical committee or subcommittee meetings and advise the U.S. delegation of any flexibility it may have on these positions 4. Initiate and approve U.S. proposals for new work items for consideration by an ISO technical committee or subcommittee 5. Initiate and approve U.S. working drafts for submittal to ISO technical committee, and subcommittees (and, where appropriate, working groups) for consideration as committee drafts (see Section 8 if proposing an ASME standard to ISO) 6. Recommend registration of ANSI as a P or O-member of an ISO subcommittee or recommend a change in ANSI membership status on an ISO technical committee or subcommittee 7. Nominate U.S. technical experts to serve on ISO working groups 8. Recommend that ASME (through ANSI, see 1.6) invite the ISO technical committee or subcommittees to meet in the United States 9. Recommend to ANSI U.S. candidates for the chair of ISO technical committee or subcommittees and U.S. conveners of ISO working groups 10. Identify and establish close liaison with other U.S. technical advisory groups in related fields, or identify ISO or IEC activities that may overlap the TAG's scope 11. Recommend to ANSI the acceptance of secretariats for ISO technical committee or subcommittees 12. Provide assistance to U.S. secretariats of ISO technical committees or subcommittees, upon request; this includes resolving comments on draft international standards, draft technical reports, and committee drafts 3

6 ASME TAG Procedures Section 3,4 3 TAG Administrator (ASME) The TAG Administrator shall be designated by the Executive Standards Council (ExSC) or its designated standards board and shall accept the responsibilities described below. 1. Organize the U.S. technical advisory group and apply to ANSI for TAG accreditation. The Administrator shall submit the initial list of U.S. technical advisory group members and the organizations they represent (preferably prior to the initiation of work) to the ExSC or its designated standards board for approval. 2. Submit the U.S. technical advisory group membership list to ANSI on an annual basis for review by the ExSC or its designated standards board 3. Provide for administrative services, including arrangements for meetings, timely preparation and distribution of documents related to the work of the U.S. technical advisory group, and maintenance of appropriate records, including minutes of meetings and results of letter ballots 4. Transmit U.S. proposals and U.S. positions, as developed and approved by the U.S. technical advisory group, to ANSI 5. Advise the TAG of inactive participation by a TAG member 6. Establish a procedure to hear appeals of actions or inactions of the U.S. technical advisory group 7. Comply with the requirements associated with ANSI oversight and supervision of activities of the technical advisory group and its administration 8. Ensure compliance with applicable ANSI and ISO procedures 4 TAG Officers 4.1 TAG Chair and Vice Chair. There shall be a TAG Chair, and if needed, a Vice Chair. Officer appointments shall be approved by a majority of TAG members voting, and the ASME Parent Committee. Each term of office of the Chair and Vice Chair shall not exceed three years, and shall end in June of the appropriate year. In the absence or inability of the Chair to serve, the Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair. The Parent Committee may remove an ineffective Chair and/or Vice Chair and appoint a successor. The individual removed from office may appeal the action of the Parent Committee to the Board on Standardization. 4.2 TAG Officer Election. No more than two nominees for each office shall be selected from the TAG membership by one of the following methods: (a) Nominating Committee (b) Weighted vote (3,2,1) The Parent Committee may appoint the initial Chair for a new TAG. 4.3 TAG Secretary. The Secretary is a member of the TAG without vote, and shall be appointed by ASME. 4

7 ASME TAG Procedures Section 5 5 TAG Membership Membership shall be open to all U.S. national persons (organizations, companies, government agencies, individuals, etc.) who, once informed of the TAG working procedures and scope of activities, indicate that they are directly and materially affected by the activity of the TAG. Membership actions (i.e., appointments, reappointments and termination of membership) shall be approved by a majority of the TAG members voting, and the ASME Parent Committee. The TAG may consider reasonable limits on the size of the TAG (preferably not more than 35 members). 5.1 Application. A request for membership shall be addressed to ASME (the TAG Administrator), and shall indicate the applicant's direct and material interest in the TAG's work and a willingness to participate actively (see 5.10). 5.2 Recommendation. In recommending appropriate action on applications for membership, the TAG shall consider: 1. The appropriateness of the involvement of each interest in the work of the TAG 2. The potential for dominance by a single interest (TAG balance) 3. The extent of interest expressed by the applicant, and the applicant's willingness to participate actively 4. Diverse Interest and Combined Interest of an organization, if applicable 5.3 Diverse Interests. If representatives from distinct divisions of an organization can demonstrate independent interests and authority to make independent decisions in the area of the activity of the TAG, each may apply for membership. 5.4 Combined Interests. When appropriate, the TAG may recommend that the applicant seek representation through an organization that is already represented by a member who represents the same or similar interests. 5.5 Observers. Individuals and representatives of organizations having an interest in the TAG's work may request listing as observers. Observers shall be advised of the TAG activities, may attend meetings, and may submit comments for consideration, but shall not vote. 5.6 Classification of Members. Members shall be classified in accordance with the business interest of their primary source of support for Committee participation. The TAG should be balanced with no single category having a majority. All directly and materially affected U.S. national persons (organizations, companies, government agencies, individuals, etc.) shall have the opportunity for fair and equitable participation without dominance by any single interest. Dominance is defined as a position or exercise of dominant authority, leadership, or influence by reason of superior leverage, strength, or representation. The requirement implicit in the phrase "without dominance by any single interest" normally will be satisfied if a reasonable balance among interests can be achieved. No alternate shall be counted in determining the balance of the TAG. The Board on Standardization approved categories of interest shall be used and are as follows: 5

8 ASME TAG Procedures Section 5 AD Distributor Those independently concerned with the marketing of the product between producer and consumer AF General Interest Educators, individuals from a technical society or other society and public interest persons AI Laboratory AS Producer/ Manufacturer AT Regulatory/ Government AV Services AW User A national laboratory or an organization furnishing testing and examination services Those directly concerned with the production of the product involved Government employee using the standard but not producing a product Consultants using the standard to provide a service Those who use the product involved but are not involved with its production or distribution 5.8 Alternates. Representation of an absent member may be by an alternate. An alternate is a person selected by a member of the TAG to attend the meeting and act for him/her during an absence. Such selection, if intended to serve for two or more consecutive meetings or, if intended to vote in place of the member on letter ballots, shall be subject to acceptance by the TAG and approval of the Parent Committee. An approved alternate shall be from the same interest classification as the member (see 5.7) and has all the privileges of a member during the period of his/her service in this capacity. Such service by an alternate automatically terminates on request of the member, on the member s return from absence, or when the member is no longer on the TAG. 5.9 Membership Roster. The roster should include the following: 1. Title and designation of the TAG. 2. TAG Administrator (name of organization, name of secretary, address, telephone number). 3. TAG officers (chair and other officers). 4. Members: Name of the individuals and alternate, (as applicable) and their addresses and business affiliations including name of the organization they are representing on the TAG. Name of any self-employed member, address, and business affiliation. Retired persons and independent consultants shall be considered as self-employed Membership Obligations. Members are expected to participate actively by fulfilling attendance, voting, correspondence, and other obligations Review of Membership. The TAG Chair should review the membership list annually with respect to the criteria of Section 5. Members are expected to participate actively by fulfilling attendance, voting, correspondence, and other obligations. Where a member is found in default of these obligations, the TAG shall take appropriate action. This may include termination of membership. 6

9 ASME TAG Procedures Section 6 6 TAG Meetings Meetings of the TAG and meetings of the U.S. delegates to international meetings should be scheduled to respond to international activities. TAG meetings shall be held, as determined by the Chair/TAG Administrator, or by petition of a majority of the members. In the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair at a meeting of the TAG, the Secretary shall take the Chair for the purpose of nominating and selection of a Chair pro tem, who shall then preside at the meeting. 6.1 Open Meetings. Meetings of the TAG shall be open to all members and others having direct and material interest. Members of the public may express their views on items being discussed but shall not have voting privileges. A notice of regularly scheduled meetings shall be given by the Administrator and placed in ANSI's STANDARDS ACTION or in other media designed to reach directly and materially affected interests. The notice shall identify a readily available source for further information. A portion of a meeting may be in executive session, when considering subjects such as personnel and other administrative matters. 6.2 Quorum. At meetings, a quorum shall consist of at least 50 percent of the TAG membership qualified to vote. In the absence of a quorum, any voted actions shall be subject to letter ballot approval by the membership. 6.3 Agenda. An agenda shall be available and shall be distributed in advance of the meeting to members. 7

10 ASME TAG Procedures Section 7 7 Voting 7.1 Authorization of Letter Ballots. A letter ballot may be authorized by any of the following: 1. Majority vote of those present at a TAG meeting 2. The Chair or Vice Chair 3. The TAG Administrator 4. Petition of five members of the TAG or a majority of the TAG, whichever is less. 7.2 Voting Obligations. Each member or alternate shall exercise his/her voting privilege within prescribed time limits. An alternate's vote shall be counted only if the member s vote is not returned. When a member and the alternate fail repeatedly to return ballots when due, or consistently abstain from voting, the member s appointment shall be subject to termination by the TAG. The individual may appeal such action (see Section 11). 7.3 Voting Period. The voting period for letter ballots shall be established to allow for timely response to international time limits. The usual voting period for letter ballots should be thirty days from the date of issue. An extension may be granted at the option of the Chair, Vice Chair, majority of TAG members, or Administrator when warranted (e.g. when the requirements for approval or disapproval specified by 7.5 or 7.6 are not achieved.) 7.4 Vote. Each member shall vote one of the following positions: 1. Approve. 2. Approved with comment. 3. Disapproved with reasons. (The reasons for a disapproved vote shall be given and if possible should include specific wording or actions which would resolve the objection.) 4. Abstain with reason. 7.5 Actions Requiring Approval by Majority. The following actions require a letter ballot or an equivalent formal recorded vote with approval by at least a majority of the TAG members voting: 1. Approval of officers 2. Addition, reappointment, and termination of TAG members 3 Designation of heads of delegation and members of delegation for ISO TC, and/or ISO SC meetings 4. Recommendation of additional United States ISO SC, AG or WG members 5. Recommendation to issue an invitation to host an ISO TC, and/or SC meeting in the United States 6. Formation of a subgroup, including its procedures, scope, and duties 7. Disbandment of a subgroup 7.6 Actions Requiring Approval by Two-Thirds of Those Voting. The following actions must be approved by at least two-thirds of those voting by letter ballot, excluding abstentions, or if at a meeting, by two-thirds of those present, excluding abstentions, provided that a majority of the total voting membership of the TAG is present. If a quorum is not present, the vote shall be confirmed by letter ballot. 1. Approval of U.S. position on a draft international standard, draft technical report, or committee draft (see Appendix B) 2. Approval of U.S. position on agenda items of ISO technical committee or subcommittee meetings 3. Approval of U.S. proposals for new work items for consideration by an ISO technical committee or subcommittee 4. Approval of U.S. working drafts for submittal to ISO technical committee, and 8

11 ASME TAG Procedures Section 5 subcommittees (and, where appropriate, working groups) for consideration as committee drafts (see Section 8 if proposing an ASME standard to ISO) 5. Adoption of TAG procedures, categories of interests, or revisions thereof 6. Approval of recommendation to change the TAG scope 7. Approval of recommendation to terminate the TAG 7.7 Letter Ballot Requirements At least two-thirds of the TAG members have to respond to a letter ballot to be considered acceptable. The letter ballot period may be extended (see 7.3) to achieve the required ballot returns. If the required number of ballot returns are not achieved within two weeks of the ISO balloting deadline, the TAG Chair may rule the ballot not acceptable and direct the TAG Administrator to submit an abstaining ballot. 7.8 Consideration of Views and Objections on Letter Ballots. The Administrator of the TAG shall forward the views and objections received to the Chair of the TAG, or his designee. The Chair, or his designee, shall determine whether the expressed views and objections shall be considered by telephone, correspondence, or at a meeting. Prompt consideration shall be given to the expressed views and objections of all participants including those commenting on the draft international standard (DIS) listing in STANDARDS ACTION. A concerted effort to resolve all expressed objections shall be made. Substantive changes required to resolve objections, and unresolved objections, shall be reported to the TAG members to afford all members an opportunity to respond, reaffirm, or change their position within appropriate time limits. For technical proposals, if after a diligent effort to resolve objections a two-thirds approval of the TAG members voting can not be achieved, the TAG Chair may rule the ballot not acceptable and direct the TAG Administrator to submit an abstaining ballot. 7.9 Report of Final Result. The final result of the voting shall be reported to the TAG Submittal of U.S. Position. Upon completion of the procedures for voting, consideration of comments and objections, and appeals (see Section 11), the U.S. position shall be submitted to ANSI by the TAG Administrator Information Submitted. The information supplied to ANSI should include: 1. Title and designation of the document 2. Indication of the type of action requested (that is, approval of a new draft international standard or reaffirmation, revision, or withdrawal of an existing draft international standard, questionnaire, etc.) 3. Status of any appeal action related to approval of the proposed U.S. position 4. A summary of the voting and TAG member responses 5. Identification of all unresolved views and objections, and a report of attempts toward resolution. 9

12 ASME TAG Procedures Section 8 8 Adoption of ASME Documents by ISO or ISO Documents by ASME ASME consensus committee, Board on Standardization, and Council on Codes and Standards approval are required prior to: a) submitting ASME copyrighted standards to ISO or IEC for approval consideration by these international bodies, and, b) submitting ISO and IEC copyrighted standards to an ASME Committee for approval as an ASME Standard. It is recommended that prior to the TAG voting on adoption of an ASME document as an ISO document they should consider all options including preparing a normative reference ISO document (which basically is a document referencing the ASME Standard). In an effort to promote harmonization, in limited situations, concepts from an ASME Standard may be presented to an ISO committee for consideration. All U.S. proposals for the initiation of new work items for the development of international standards shall be approved by the TAG in accordance with Section 7. When the proposal contains an adoption of an ASME Standard to an ISO document to initiate a new work item, or to satisfy a current ISO work item; the proposal shall be Main Committee, Board and Council approved, prior to submitting the Standard to the ISO Committee. Such proposals shall be announced in ANSI s STANDARDS ACTION for review and comment. In the absence of an American National Standard, other appropriate, generally accepted standards may be proposed. For these type of proposals, permission from the sponsor shall be obtained first. Generally, the public review announcement in STANDARDS ACTION shall be completed before the U.S. proposal is submitted. However, submittal of U.S. proposals may be made prior to the initiation or completion of the public review process when, by formal vote, the TAG determines that the resulting delay would adversely affect the U.S. proposal. Views and objections resulting from public review shall be considered in accordance with

13 ASME TAG Procedures Section 9 &10 9 Termination of TAG A proposal to terminate a TAG may be made by directly and materially affected interests. The proposal shall be submitted in writing to ANSI and to the TAG Administrator, and shall include the reasons why the TAG should be terminated. Action shall be taken by the TAG in accordance with Communications Correspondence of TAG officers and TAG members should preferably be on "ASME Committee Correspondence" letterhead. If not, correspondence should clearly show in the title/subject that it concerns TAG matters. External communications such as inquiries relating to the TAG, should be directed to the TAG Administrator, and members should so inform individuals who raise such questions. All replies to inquiries shall be made through the TAG Administrator. 11

14 ASME TAG Procedures Section Appeals Directly and materially affected U.S. national persons who believe they have been or will be adversely affected by an action or inaction of the TAG or its Administrator shall have the right to appeal Appeals Sequence. Appeals shall be considered according to the following sequence: 1. Appeals shall first be directed to the TAG 2. Appeals which cannot be resolved at the TAG level may be referred to the Parent Committee 3. For carrying an appeal to a higher ASME body see the Board on Standardization Procedures 4. For carrying an appeal to ANSI see Notice of Appeal. The appellant shall file a written Notice of Appeal with the TAG Administrator within thirty days after the date of notification of action or at any time with respect to inaction. The Notice of Appeal shall state the nature of the objection(s) including any adverse effects, the section(s) of these procedures or the specific actions or inactions that are at issue, and the specific remedial action(s) that would satisfy the appellant's concerns. Previous efforts to resolve the objection(s) and the outcome of each shall be noted Response. Within thirty days after receipt of the Notice of Appeal, the TAG shall respond in writing to the appellant, specifically addressing each allegation of fact in the Notice of Appeal to the extent of the TAG's knowledge. The TAG Chair or his designee is responsible for preparing a timely written response Hearing. If the appellant and the TAG are unable to resolve the written Notice of Appeal informally in a manner consistent with these procedures, the TAG Administrator shall schedule a hearing on a date agreeable to all participants. The appeal shall be heard in accordance with (1), (2) or (3) below. 1. the TAG shall hear the appeal at its earliest practicable scheduled meeting after the date of request for appeal; or 2. at the discretion of the Chair, the TAG shall hear the appeal at a special meeting of the TAG on a date mutually agreeable to all parties; or 3. the TAG shall act to have the appeal heard by a Special Appeals Panel selected by the Chair and consisting of TAG members who do not have a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest in connection with the appeal. The appellant, the TAG, and others concerned shall be notified of the hearing at least 15 working days in advance of the date set for hearing the appeal TAG and Special Appeals Panel - Conflict of interest. At the time of the notification of an appeal hearing, the Secretary of the TAG shall provide the parties with a copy of the TAG roster or a list of the members of the proposed Special Appeals Panel, as applicable, in order to allow all concerned the opportunity to object should they perceive the existence of a conflict of interest. Any such objections should be submitted to the Secretary of the TAG at least 10 working days prior to the scheduled date of the hearing. If such an objection is raised concerning TAG membership, it should be addressed in a manner consistent with ASME Society Policy P15.8, Conflicts of Interest. Objections to members of a Special Appeals Panel should be resolved, if possible, prior to the convening of the Panel; in the event that any such objection cannot be resolved through the selection of alternate Panel members by the TAG Chair, the appeal shall be heard by the TAG in accordance with either 11.4 (1) or (2). 12

15 ASME TAG Procedures Section 11 & Conduct of the Hearing. The appellant has the burden of demonstrating adverse effects, improper actions, or inactions, and the efficacy of the requested remedial action. The TAG has the burden of demonstrating that the TAG and the TAG Administrator took all actions in compliance with these procedures and that the requested remedial action would be ineffective or detrimental. Each party may adduce other pertinent arguments, and members of the Appeals Panel may address questions to individuals. Robert's Rules of Order (latest edition) shall apply to questions of parliamentary procedure for the hearing which are not covered herein Decision. The TAG or Special Appeals Panel, having heard an appeal, may take action by a majority vote provided that a quorum is present. The Secretary of the TAG shall notify the appellant, the Chair of the Parent Committee, and others concerned of the TAG s decision within seven working days. This notification shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or equivalent communication. The notification shall advise that, should the TAG s decision remain objectionable to any party concerned with the action, they may request an appeal, based upon matters relating to procedural due process, to the Parent Committee. To request a further appeal, written notice of intent to appeal must be filed by certified mail with the Secretary of the Parent Committee within 10 working days after receipt of the notification of the results of the TAG appeal. Appeals which cannot be resolved at the Parent Committee may be referred to the Board Further Appeal. If the appellant gives notice that further appeal to ASME is intended, see 10.7 above. If the appellant gives notice that further appeal to ANSI is intended a full record of the Notice of Appeal, response, hearing, and decision shall be submitted by the TAG Administrator to the ExSC Record of Appeals Hearing. The TAG Administrator shall prepare Minutes of the TAG or Special Appeals Hearing. 12 Parliamentary Procedures On questions of parliamentary procedures not covered in these procedures, Robert's Rules of Order (latest edition) may be used to expedite due process. 13

16 ASME TAG Procedures Section A Appendix A ISO Technical Reports A1 General. The three types of Technical Report, and the circumstances in which they may be produced, are as follows. A1.1 Type 1 When the required support cannot be obtained for a Final Draft International Standard to pass the approval stage, or in case of doubt concerning consensus, the technical committee or subcommittee may decide, by a simple majority vote of its P-members, that the document should be published in the form of a Technical Report. The reasons why the required support could not be obtained shall be given in the foreword to the Technical Report. A1.2 Type 2 When the subject in question is still under technical development or where for any other reason there is the future but not immediate possibility of an agreement on an International Standard, the technical committee or subcommittee may decide to proceed with a Technical Report. The same project stages as a draft document shall be used, except that the decision to publish the resulting document as a Technical Report shall require a simple majority vote of the P-members of the technical committee or subcommittee. The reasons for publishing the Technical Report, and an explanation of its relationship to the expected future International Standard, shall be given in the foreword. When a Technical Report of type 2 is used for pre-standardization purposes, the following text, completed as appropriate, shall be included in the foreword: A1.3 Type 3 This document is being issued in the Technical Report (type 2) series of publications as a prospective standard for provisional application in the field of... because there is an urgent need for guidance on how standards in this field should be used to meet an identified need. This document is not to be regarded as an International Standard. It is proposed for provisional application so that information and experience of its use in practice may be gathered. Comments on the content of this document should be sent to the... [ISO Central Secretariat]... A review of this Technical Report (type 2) will be carried out not later than three years after its publication with the options of: extension for another three years; conversion into an International Standard; or withdrawal. When a technical committee or subcommittee has collected data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard (this may include, for example, data 14

17 ASME TAG Procedures Section A obtained from a survey carried out among the national bodies, data on work in other international organizations or data on the state of the art in relation to standards of national bodies on a particular subject), the technical committee or subcommittee may decide, by a simple majority vote of its P- members, to request the Chief Executive Officer (Secretary-General ISO TC) to publish such data in the form of a Technical Report. The document shall be entirely informative in nature and shall not contain matter implying that it is normative. It shall clearly explain its relationship to normative aspects of the subject which are, or will be, dealt with in Intentional Standards related to the subject. The Chief Executive Officer, if necessary in consultation with the Technical Management Board, shall decide whether to publish the document as a Technical Report. A2 When the majority of P-members of a technical committee or subcommittee have agreed upon the publication of a Technical Report, the draft report shall be submitted in machine-readable form by the secretariat of the technical committee or subcommittee to the Chief Executive Officer within four months for publication. A3 Technical Reports of types 1 and 2 shall be subject to review by the technical committee or subcommittee not later than three years after their publication. The aim of such review shall be to reexamine the situation which resulted in the publication of a Technical Report and if possible to achieve the agreement necessary for the publication of an International Standard to replace the Technical Report. A4 Withdrawal of a Technical Report is decided by the responsible technical committee or subcommittee. 15

18 ASME TAG Procedures Section B Appendix B Guidelines for Determining a U.S. Voting Position B1 General. The development of a U.S. position with regard to voting on international documents is a matter of great complexity. Firm rules for casting affirmative votes, negative votes, or abstentions would be presumptuous and unworkable in many cases. On the other hand, efforts should be made to achieve consistency in the perceived conduct of the United States as a participant in international, non-treaty standards development. Toward that end, guidelines for determining a voting position are included herein, in order to provide direction toward a consistent voting policy. These guidelines cannot cover all of the factors which must be considered in determining the U.S. vote. They do, however, represent generally accepted principles which should be applied to normal situations. B1.1 Voting Considerations When A U.S. Standard Exists. If there is an existing U.S. national standard (i.e. an American National Standard or, in the absence of an American National Standard, another standard generally accepted within the United States) and 1. If the national standard can be considered equivalent 1 to the requirements in the international document, vote affirmative 2. If the international document includes different, additional, or more stringent requirements than are in the national standard and the U.S. consensus indicates that such requirements are: a. acceptable (we may want to consider them for inclusion in the national standard), vote affirmative, or b. not acceptable, vote negative 3. If the national standard includes different, additional, or more stringent requirements than are in the international document and the U.S. consensus indicates that such requirements: a. should be modified in accordance with the international document, vote affirmative, or b. must be maintained, vote negative, or c. must be maintained, but the proposed document is considered to represent the best agreement which can be reached at the present time from an international point of view, vote abstain with a statement that the U.S. cannot modify its national standard for stated reasons B1.2 Voting Considerations When No U.S. Standard Exists. If no national standard exists and 1. If U.S. consensus establishes that the international document is: a. technically acceptable (we may want to consider development of a national standard), vote affirmative, or b. not technically acceptable, vote negative 2. If the international document is of little or no interest to the U.S., abstain 3. If the international document unnecessarily creates a barrier to domestic or international trade or impedes innovation or technical progress, vote negative B1.3 No Agreement on A Position. Regardless of whether or not a national standards exists If no U.S. consensus has been established, abstain. 1 The word "equivalent" is intended to convey the thought that any product or procedure which meets the requirements of the national standard will also meet the requirements of the international standard and vice versa when tested for conformance by accepted means 16

19 ASME TAG Procedures Section B B1.4 Negative Position. The U.S. vote, if negative, must be accompanied by reasons and supporting information such as technical data and logical argument. Also, any known exceptions and/or additions that will be required to conform with U.S. safety practices or regulations shall be noted. B1.5 Exceptions. Exceptions to the above stated voting guidelines should be carefully considered. 17