NIST requests comments on Draft Special Publication (SP) 800-175A, Guideline for Using Cryptographic Standards in the Federal Government: Directives, Mandates and Policies. The SP 800-175 publications are intended to be a replacement for SP 800-21, Guideline for Implementing Cryptography in the Federal Government. SP 800-175A provides guidance on the determination of requirements for using cryptography. It includes a summary of the laws and regulations concerning the protection of the Federal government’s sensitive information, guidance regarding the conduct of risk assessments to determine what needs to be protected and how best to protect that information, and a discussion of the relevant security-related documents (e.g., various policy and practice documents). Please provide comments on SP 800-175A by Monday, May 9, 2016. Comments may be sent to SP800-175@nist.gov, with “Comments on SP 800-175A” as the subject.