Dear Supporters,

We are making progress.  Here is an [edited] letter that I wrote to NHTSA on September 30, 2023.

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Dear Ann Carlson, Acting Director, NHTSA,

The Soft Lights Foundation submitted Petition FDA-2022-P-1151 to the Food and Drug Administration requesting the publication of performance standards for LED products and Petition FDA-2023-P-3828 specifically for LED vehicle lights.  The FDA held their first meeting on July 31, 2023 with representatives from the laser industry.  A committee has now been formed to collaborate on the development of these LED standards and I am a member of that committee.  The initial list of individuals on the committee is missing representation from NHTSA.

21 U.S.C. §360ii(a)(6) states, "As a part of such program, [the FDA] shall (6) consult and maintain liaison with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Atomic Energy Commission, and other appropriate Federal departments and agencies on (A) techniques, equipment, and programs for testing and evaluating electronic product radiation, and (B) the development of performance standards pursuant to section 360kk of this title to control such radiation emissions."  The word "shall" means that it is a legal mandate to include these agencies, and not optional.  

[The committee leader] wrote to the initial committee members, "If you haven’t already done so, please tell those whom you feel can contribute to the effort, to reach out to me so I can add them to the team."  Therefore, I am contacting you to ensure that a representative from NHTSA is added to this committee.  

Please contact [the committee leader] so that a representative from NHTSA can be added to the committee that is developing the standards for LED products.  I will be monitoring the email list and I will follow up with you if I do not see a representative from NHTSA added soon.

Sincerely,

Mark Baker
President
Soft Lights Foundation
www.softlights.org
mbaker@softlights.org