The public has to visit D.C. to see the standards.
Rosen 16 – former Professor of Law at Georgetown University, Director of the Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Section at the American Bar Association, J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Jeffrey A. Rosen, “Report to the House of Delegates,” American Bar Association, https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/house_of_delegates/ebook-of-resolutions-with-reports/2016_hod_annual_meeting_electronic_report_book1.pdf#page=403
Thousands of binding federal regulations "incorporate by reference" material that is contained in standards drafted by private organizations. In many instances, members of the public can obtain access to such material only by visiting a reading room in Washington, D.C., or by purchasing a copy of the standard from the organization that created it. This limited access can create a cost barrier for small businesses that wish to ascertain their obligations under these regulations, as well as for citizens who wish to comment on pending regulations. The policy challenge is to ensure public access to incorporated material in a manner that acknowledges the intellectual property interests of standards development organizations and that does not unduly impair their ability and incentive to continue to produce such standards.