Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 82.djvu/735

 82 STAT. J

PUBLIC LAW 90-472-AUG. 9, 1968

693

Public Law 90-472 AN ACT To authorize the Secretary of Coannerce to make a study to determine the advantages and disadvantages of iaereased use of the metric system in the United States.

August 9, 1968 [H. R. 3136]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of ^'^^^'^ system. Commerce is hereby authorized to conduct a program of investigation, " ^' research, and survey to determine the impact of increasing worldwide use of the metric system on the United States; to appraise the desirability and practicability of increasing the use of metric weights and measures in the United States; to study the feasibility of retaining and promoting by international use of dimensional and other engineering standards based on the customary measurement units of the United States; and to evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative courses of action which may be feasible for the United States. SEC. 2. I n carrying out the program described in the first section of investigation this Act, the Secretary, among other things, shall— quir^melus^^ (1) investigate and appraise the advantages and disadvantages to the United States in international trade and commerce, and in military and other areas of international relations, of the increased use of an internationaly standardized system of weights and measures; (2) appraise economic and military advantages and disadvantages of the increased use of the metric system in the United States or of the increased use of such system in specific fields and the impact of such increased use upon those affected; (3) conduct extensive comparative studies of the systems of weights and measures used in educational, engineering, manufacturing, commercial, public, and scientific areas, and the relative advantages and disadvantages, and degree of standardization of each in its respective field; (4) investigate and appraise the possible practical difficulties which might be encountered in accomplishing the increased use of the metric system of weights and measures generally or in specific fields or areas in the United States; (5) permit appropriate participation by representatives of United States industry, science, engineering, and labor, and their associations, in the planning and conduct of the program authorized by the first section of this Act, and in the evaluation of the information secured under such program; and (6) consult and cooperate with other government agencies, Federal, State, and local, and, to the extent practicable, with foreign governments and international organizations. SEC. 3. I n conducting the studies and developing the recommenda- m^a'Lurlmln" tions required in this Act, the Secretary shall give full consideration to system, results. the advantages, disadvantages, and problems associated with possible changes in either the system of measurement units or the related dimensional and engineering standards currently used in the United States, and specifically shall— (1) investigate the extent to which substantial changes in the size, shape, and design of important industrial products would be necessary to realize the benefits which might result from general use of metric units of measurement in the United States; (2) investigate the extent to which uniform and accepted engineering standards based on the metric system of measurement units are in use in each of the fields under study and compare the

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