NIST considers changes in federal role in standards development

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is considering changes in the role that government should play in driving and participating in standards development, including for health IT, cyber security and other technologies that are of national interest.

The U.S. has had a model of voluntary consensus standards activities driven by industry. The administration wants to determine whether government could play a role, such as in a public-private standards committee articulating thoughts and concerns, or, if government is involved, is there the risk that it would exert too strong a role, said Phil Weiser, senior advisor on technology and innovation for the White House National Economic Council. One example of the federal role in standards setting was the 90-day industry consensus process that last year created the standards to securely email electronic medical records from one physician to another after the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT requested the need for it, according to the administration official at a Jan. 25 panel sponsored by NIST.