Metric Conversion Act
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| 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 | |
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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 non-business activities. 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 Melon 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."
See also
References
- ↑ 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.
External links
- 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.