Metric Conversion Act

Metric Conversion Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long title An Act to declare a national policy of coordinating 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
Acronyms (colloquial) MCA
Nicknames Metric Conversion Act of 1975
Enacted by the 94th United States Congress
Effective December 23, 1975
Citations
Public law 94-168
Statutes at Large 89 Stat. 1007
Codification
Titles amended 15 U.S.C.: Commerce and Trade
U.S.C. sections created 15 U.S.C. ch. 6, subch. II § 205a et seq.
Legislative history

The Metric Conversion Act is an Act of Congress that U.S. President Gerald Ford signed into law on December 23, 1975.[1] It declared the metric system "the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce", but permitted the use of United States customary units in all activities. As Ford's statement on the signing of the act emphasizes, all conversion was to be "completely voluntary."[2] The Act also established the United States Metric Board with representatives from scientific, technical, and educational institutions, as well as state and local governments to plan, coordinate, and educate the American people for the Metrication of the United States.

Executive Order 12770, which cites the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, directed departments and agencies within the executive branch of the United States Government to "take all appropriate measures within their authority" to use the metric system "as the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce."

The metrification board was abolished in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan, largely on the suggestion of Frank Mankiewicz and Lyn Nofziger.[3].

See also

References

  1. ↑ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Gerald R. Ford: "Statement on Signing the Metric Conversion Act of 1975.," December 23, 1975". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.
  2. ↑ http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=5454
  3. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032802142.html
  • Text of the Metric Conversion Act
  • "Getting a Better Understanding of the Metric System: Implications if Adopted by the United States" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ CED-78-128A. U.S. Government Accountability Office. October 20, 1978. OCLC 5051893.
  • "Metric Conversion: Future Progress Depends Upon Private Sector and Public Support" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ RCED-94-23. U.S. Government Accountability Office. January 13, 1994. OCLC 29747342.
  • "Highway Signs: Conversion to Metric Units Could Be Costly" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ RCED-95-156. U.S. Government Accountability Office. July 7, 1995. OCLC 32988136.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.