As part of its commitment to increase consumer representation in standards development, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is pleased to announce that it has expanded its Consumer Participation Fund to cover U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) fees. With the support of the fund, consumers can participate in the development of American National Standards and international standards that help improve health and safety.
Making a Difference: Getting Consumers Involved in Standards Development
Consumers have a unique and influential role in the standards development process; however, consumer representatives and standards developers alike often cite insufficient funding as a major obstacle preventing consumer participation in standards development.
ANSI’s Consumer Participation Fund, launched in collaboration with the ANSI Consumer Interest Forum in 2022, addresses this critical barrier to standards development by helping alleviate financial burden, covering eligible expenses, including participation fees and travel (transportation, hotel, food per diem), for committee work connected to American National Standards (ANS). Please be aware that ANSI will follow U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) guidelines for all reimbursements, unless otherwise approved.
More Opportunities to Participate: U.S. Technical Advisory Groups
The recently expanded coverage now includes funding for U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) fees. U.S. TAGs are national mirror committees to international standards committees of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Their primary purpose is to develop U.S. consensus positions and comments on activities and ballots of ISO and IEC technical committees.
“Consumer involvement in developing product safety standards is pivotal because it helps to bridge the gap between consumer protection and business success,” said Linda Kaiser, safety advocate, ANSI Consumer Fund participant, and founder of Parents for Window Blind Safety. “By contributing to the safety of products, you help protect lives, build trust, reduce liabilities, foster innovation, and support global trade. In essence, your work in this field has a profound and far-reaching impact on society as a whole.”
ANSI thanks the generous 2025 sponsors of the Consumer Participation Fund: ASTM International and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE).
Consumers interested in learning more about how they can participate in the standards process, and get support from the fund if needed, can visit the ANSI consumer webpage. Interested stakeholders can also contact Cleo Manuel Stamatos, ANSI’s consumer legislative outreach manager, at [email protected] for more information.
About the Consumer Interest Forum (CIF)
The Consumer Interest Forum (CIF) promotes the education of consumers regarding the activities of ANSI, the proper function of standards and standardization, and consumer participation in these activities and in the activities of standards developing organizations. The CIF is dedicated to facilitating the representation of consumer interests in the voluntary consensus standards process and in enhancing the effectiveness and credibility of ANSI.
The CIF is open to all consumer representatives who are willing to actively participate in the work of the CIF and express an interest in membership. CIF members should be knowledgeable stakeholders from consumer organizations, producers, retailers, distributors, industry councils, and government.
About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations.
The Institute represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org and access the latest news and content on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.
