§ 205b. — Declaration of policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC205b]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 6--WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND STANDARD TIME
SUBCHAPTER II--METRIC CONVERSION
Sec. 205b. Declaration of policy
It is therefore the declared policy of the United States--
(1) to designate the metric system of measurement as the
preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and
commerce;
(2) to require that each Federal agency, by a date certain and
to the extent economically feasible by the end of the fiscal year
1992, use the metric system of measurement in its procurements,
grants, and other business-related activities, except to the extent
that such use is impractical or is likely to cause significant
inefficiencies or loss of markets to United States firms, such as
when foreign competitors are producing competing products in non-
metric units;
(3) to seek out ways to increase understanding of the metric
system of measurement through educational information and guidance
and in Government publications; and
(4) to permit the continued use of traditional systems of
weights and measures in non-business activities.
(Pub. L. 94-168, Sec. 3, Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1007; Pub. L. 100-418,
title V, Sec. 5164(b), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1452.)
Amendments
1988--Pub. L. 100-418 amended section generally. Prior to amendment,
section read as follows: ``It is therefore declared that the policy of
the United States shall be to coordinate and plan the increasing use of
the metric system in the United States and to establish a United States
Metric Board to coordinate the voluntary conversion to the metric
system.''
Implementation of Metric Usage in Federal Government
Secretary of Commerce designated to direct and coordinate
implementation of Government metric usage, see section 1 of Ex. Ord. No.
12770, July 25, 1991, 56 F.R. 35801, set out as a note under section
205a of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 205l of this title.
