ASME and other SDOs Successful in Pushing Back on Pro Codes Act: For Now
ASME and other SDOs Successful in Pushing Back on Pro Codes Act: For Now
A few weeks ago, the U.S. House of Representatives hastily ushered to the House floor a very flawed bill that would have severe consequences for the standards development industry. Congress considered the Pro Codes Act (HR 1631) on suspension of the rules, and without a congressional hearing or other opportunities for Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) to express their concerns on the impact this bill would have on safety standards worldwide.
Fortunately, strong education and advocacy efforts led by ASME and other leading SDOs helped defeat the bill and stop it from advancing to the Senate. To read a statement from Tom Costabile, ASME CEO/Executive director, click here.
The Pro Codes Act mandates that SDOs like ASME and others provide their intellectual property in the form of standards on the internet for free if any part of this standard is incorporated by reference into law by a federal, state or local government. If the SDO does not comply, the penalty is loss of copyright. Because many of these not-for-profit SDOs rely solely on their standards sales to fund the development of their standards, the loss of copyright would destroy the ability of SDOs to produce the safety standards we rely on.
This means the standards that protect the American people and enable our economy to thrive will suffer irrevocable harm from the unintended consequences of this legislation. From engineering safety standards applied to power plants, nuclear reactors and pressure vessels to Wi-Fi standards that enable every phone and laptop to connect to the internet, the standards development system is critical to the strength of our economy and status as a leading competitor on the world stage.
The Pro Codes Act would jeopardize all of this and more. The unintended consequences of the bill also usher in a number of national security and defense issues, along with concerns over international competitiveness.
This legislation is opposed by nearly every major American SDO, and as the unintended consequences of the Pro Codes Act is realized, this opposition continues to grow. Although the measure failed in the House, proponents of HR 1631 continue to advocate for its passage and will continue efforts to move this through Congress.
You can play a role in helping to stop this legislation. To learn more about the bill and to encourage your elected officials to oppose the Pro Codes Act, please visit stopprocodesact.com
Fortunately, strong education and advocacy efforts led by ASME and other leading SDOs helped defeat the bill and stop it from advancing to the Senate. To read a statement from Tom Costabile, ASME CEO/Executive director, click here.
The Pro Codes Act mandates that SDOs like ASME and others provide their intellectual property in the form of standards on the internet for free if any part of this standard is incorporated by reference into law by a federal, state or local government. If the SDO does not comply, the penalty is loss of copyright. Because many of these not-for-profit SDOs rely solely on their standards sales to fund the development of their standards, the loss of copyright would destroy the ability of SDOs to produce the safety standards we rely on.
This means the standards that protect the American people and enable our economy to thrive will suffer irrevocable harm from the unintended consequences of this legislation. From engineering safety standards applied to power plants, nuclear reactors and pressure vessels to Wi-Fi standards that enable every phone and laptop to connect to the internet, the standards development system is critical to the strength of our economy and status as a leading competitor on the world stage.
The Pro Codes Act would jeopardize all of this and more. The unintended consequences of the bill also usher in a number of national security and defense issues, along with concerns over international competitiveness.
This legislation is opposed by nearly every major American SDO, and as the unintended consequences of the Pro Codes Act is realized, this opposition continues to grow. Although the measure failed in the House, proponents of HR 1631 continue to advocate for its passage and will continue efforts to move this through Congress.
You can play a role in helping to stop this legislation. To learn more about the bill and to encourage your elected officials to oppose the Pro Codes Act, please visit stopprocodesact.com
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