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16 | SEPTEMBER 2025 STANDARDS ANSI/AARST Consensus Standards: Process & Participation Developing ANSI/AARST consensus standards involves a transparent, balanced, and open process that adheres to ANSI’s Essential Requirements while engaging stakeholders at every step. The AARST Consortium’s December 2024 Standards Development Policies & Procedures document outlines how standards are developed, maintained, and governed to ensure credibility and due process Ensuring ANSI Compliance & Industry Balance ANSI mandates that accredited standard development bodies conduct their work with openness, stakeholder balance, public review, and a clear appeals process. AARST’s procedures echo these requirements: from open participation on Standards Development Committees (SDCs) , to ensuring no single interest dominates decision-making, each committee must reflect balanced representation. Any draft standard released must undergo a public comment period, and materially affected parties retain the right to appeal decisions they believe were mishandled in violation of the process. AARST’s Committee Oversight & Maintenance Structure AARST’s governance framework includes two primary consensus bodies: Standards Development Committees (SDCs), which oversee technical content and revision work, and the Executive Stakeholder Committee (ESC) , which sets strategic priorities and manages the continuous maintenance program. Under the ESC’s guidance, standards are periodically reviewed and updated through addenda or formal revisions to ensure ongoing relevance. Public Review & Access Drafts of standards under revision are published online for public review during set comment windows with specific deadlines. Commenters submit input in a structured format, including identity, clause reference, rationale, and suggested text revisions using strikeout/underline method. Public meetings, either committee sessions open to guests or recorded proceedings are scheduled through the Public Review portal, giving interested parties direct access to deliberations and the opportunity to engage in real time. Getting Involved: Committees & Feedback AARST publishes committee rosters and opens recruitment for new members throughout the year. Anyone may volunteer during roster openings or comment periods to join the SDCs or the ESC. Notices inviting public participation in consensus ballots or committee meetings ensure transparency and inclusivity. This allows both seasoned practitioners and newer stakeholders to influence technical standards and processes. Interpretation & Change Request Mechanisms When clarity is needed on an existing standard provision, individualsmay request an informal or formal interpretation. If a timely response is required, the committee chair or a subset of the group can issue an informal interpretation, with explanation of its limitations. For more significant or official clarification, the full SDC may ballot a formal interpretation, both of which are documented and included in committee records. Similarly, change requests may be submitted at any time. Under the continuous maintenance model, these proposals are evaluated by the assigned SDC. If accepted, changes are processed in accordance with established procedures and, when substantive, posted for public review in a subsequent draft. Responses to proposers, including acceptance, rejection, or deferral, must occur within defined timeframes and be transparently communicated. (continued next page)