(a) The Standard for the Flammability of Children's Sleepwear: Sizes 0 through 6X (FF 3-71) (subpart A of this part) was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 1971, at 36 FR 14062 et seq., and amended in the Federal Register of July 21, 1972 (37 FR 14624). The Notice of Standard provided at 36 FR 14063 that “Items in inventory or with the trade on the effective date of the Standard are exempt. All concerned parties shall be required to maintain records that these items offered for sale after the effective date of the Standard are eligible for the exemption.”

(b) The Children's Sleepwear Standard was amended on July 21, 1972, at 37 FR 14624 et seq. to incorporate a sleepwear sampling plan therein and to make certain nonsubstantive technical corrections as to the test equipment. The effective date remained the same. In issuance of such amendment the Notice of Amendment specified at 37 FR 14625 that “It is emphasized that the only substantive change made to the standard involves the amendment necessary to include the sampling plan.”

(c) The Notice of Amendment did not repeat the language in the original 1971 Notice of Standard relative to items in inventory or as to recordkeeping requirements.

(d) Questions have arisen under this standard as to the application of the standard to goods manufactured outside the United States prior to the effective date of the standard on July 29, 1972, as to whether a person claiming the exemption specified in the standard must maintain records showing eligibility for exemption from the standard.

(e) In the Commission's view, the provisions of the July 29, 1971, Notice of Standard as to exemption of items of children's sleepwear in inventory or with the trade on the effective date of the standard and as to the necessity of maintenance of records to show eligibility for such exemption are in full force and effect.