The Cotton Standards Act, passed in 1923, authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into agreements with foreign cotton associations to provide for adoption, use and observance of Universal Standards for U.S. Upland cotton, and other purposes. Triennial Universal Cotton Standards Conferences, dating from 1925, have brought overseas customers together with U.S. cotton industry representatives to review the standards and make recommendations for changes. At the 24th Universal Cotton Standards Conference in June 1995, the industry overwhelmingly recommended that, in addition to color grade and leaf grade, the High Volume Instrument (HVI) Calibration Cottons, laboratory atmospheric conditions and sample conditioning practices and procedures be made Universal Standards.