15 CFR § 996.1 - Purpose and scope.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t15/s996.1"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "15 CFR § 996.1 - Purpose and scope."
title_number: 15
title_name: "Commerce and Foreign Trade"
section_number: "996.1"
section_name: "Purpose and scope."
chapter_name: "NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
subchapter_number: "F"
subchapter_name: "QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NOAA HYDROGRAPHIC PRODUCTS AND SERVICES"
part_number: "996"
part_name: "QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NOAA HYDROGRAPHIC PRODUCTS AND SERVICES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "33 U.S.C. 892b."
regulatory_source: "70 FR 698, Jan. 5, 2005, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "996"
---


# 996.1 Purpose and scope.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was mandated to develop and implement a quality assurance program that is equally available to all applicants, under which the Administrator may certify hydrographic products that satisfy standards promulgated by the Administrator. “Hydrographic products” are any publicly or commercially available products produced by a non-Federal entity that include or display hydrographic data. The procedures established here by which hydrographic products are proposed for certification; by which standards and compliance tests are developed, adopted, and applied for those products; and by which certification may be awarded or denied are the mandated Quality Assurance Program. The execution of those procedures for specific hydrographic products is the implementation of the program.