(a) Upon receipt from the Standard Review Committee of a recommended standard and report, the Department shall give appropriate public notice and distribute the recommended standard for acceptance unless:

(1) Upon a showing by any member of the committee who has voted to oppose the recommended standard on the basis of an unresolved objection, the Department determines that if such objection were not resolved, the recommended standard:

(i) Would be contrary to the public interest, if published;

(ii) Would be technically inadequate; or

(iii) Would be inconsistent with law or established public policy; or

(2) The Department determines that all criteria and procedures set forth herein have not been met satisfactorily or that there is a legal impediment to the recommended standard.

(b) Distribution for acceptance or rejection for the purpose of determining general concurrence will be made to a list compiled by the Department, which, in the judgment of the Department, shall be representative of producers, distributors, and users and consumers.

(c) Distribution for comment will be made to any party filing a written request with the Department, and to such other parties as the Department may deem appropriate, including testing laboratories and interested State and Federal agencies.

(d) The Department shall analyze the recommended standard and the responses received under paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. If such analysis indicates that the recommended standard is supported by a consensus, it shall be published as a Voluntary Product Standard by the Department: Provided, That all other requirements listed in these procedures have been satisfied.

(e) The following definitions shall apply to the term used in this section:

(1) “Consensus” means general concurrence and, in addition, no substantive objection deemed valid by the Department.

(2) “General concurrence” means acceptance among those responding to the distribution made under paragraph (b) of this section in accordance with the conditions set forth in paragraph (f) of this section.

(3) “Substantive objection” means a documented objection based on grounds that one or more of the criteria set forth in these procedures has not been satisfied.

(4) “Average industry acceptance” means a percentage equal to the sum of the percentages of acceptance obtained from responses to distribution of the recommended standard in the producer segment, the distributor segment, and the user and consumer segment, divided by three. No consideration will be given to volume of production or volume of distribution in determining average industry acceptance.

(5) “Producer segment” means those persons who manufacture or produce the product covered by the standard.

(6) “Distributor segment” means those persons who distribute at wholesale or retail the product covered by the standard.

(7) “User and consumer segment” means those persons who use or consume the product covered by the standard.

(8) “Acceptance by volume of production” means the weighted percentage of acceptance of those responding to the distribution in the producer segment. The weighting of each response will be made in accordance with the volume of production represented by each respondent.

(9) “Acceptance by volume of distribution” means the weighted percentage of acceptance of those responding to the distribution in the distributor segment. The weighting of each response will be made in accordance with the volume of distribution represented by each respondent.

(f) A recommended standard shall be deemed to be supported by general concurrence whenever:

(1) An analysis of the responses to the distribution under paragraph (b) of this section indicates:

(i) An average industry acceptance of not less than 75 percent;

(ii) Acceptance of not less than 70 percent by the producer segment, the distributor segment, and the user and consumer segment, each segment being considered separately; and

(iii) Acceptance by volume of production and acceptance by volume of distribution of not less than 70 percent in each case: Provided, That the Department shall disregard acceptance by volume of production or acceptance by volume of distribution or both unless, in the judgment of the Department, accurate figures for the volume of production or distribution are reasonably available and an evaluation of either or both of such acceptances is deemed necessary by the Department; or

(2) The Department determines that publication of the standard is appropriate under the procedures set forth in paragraph (g) of this section and, in addition, an analysis of the responses to the distribution under paragraph (b) of this section indicates:

(i) An average industry acceptance of not less than 66 2/3 percent;

(ii) Acceptance of not less than 60 percent by the producer segment, the distributor segment, and the user and consumer segment, each segment being considered separately; and

(iii) Acceptance by volume of production and acceptance by volume of distribution of not less than 60 percent in each case: Provided, That the Department shall disregard acceptance by volume of production or acceptance by volume of distribution or both unless, in the judgment of the Department, accurate figures for the volume of production or distribution are reasonably available and an evaluation of either or both of such acceptances is deemed necessary by the Department.

(g) A recommended standard which fails to achieve the acceptance requirements of paragraph (f)(1) of this section, but which satisfies the acceptance criteria of paragraph (f)(2) of this section, shall be returned to the Standard Review Committee for reconsideration. The committee, by the affirmative vote of not less than three-quarters of all members eligible to vote, may resubmit the recommended standard without change to the Department with a recommendation that the standard be published as a Voluntary Product Standard. The Department shall then conduct a public rulemaking hearing in accordance with the requirements of law as set forth in section 553 of Title 5, United States Code, to assist it in determining whether publication of the standard is in the public interest. If the Department determines that publication of the standard is in the public interest, the standard shall be published as a Voluntary Product Standard.