OSAC Standards Bulletin

The OSAC Registry is a repository of high-quality, technically sound published and proposed standards for forensic science. These written documents define minimum requirements, best practices, standard protocols and other guidance to help ensure that the results of forensic analysis are reliable and reproducible.

Intent to Add to the OSAC Registry - Items Open for Comment

The following SDO published standards are being considered for the OSAC Registry. Please submit your comments by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 6, 2020 on whether they should be included on the Registry:

• ANSI/ASB Standard 053, Standard for Report Content in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 2020. Submit your comments here. 
• ASTM E1968-19 Standard Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Cocaine. Submit your comments here.
• ASTM E1969-19 Standard Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Methamphetamine and Amphetamine. Submit your comments here.
• ASTM E2125-19 Standard Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Phencyclidine and its Analogues. Submit your comments here.
• ASTM E2548-16 Standard Guide for Sampling Seized Drugs for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis. Submit your comments here.
• ASTM E2882-19 Standard Guide for Analysis of Clandestine Drug Laboratory Evidence. Submit your comments here.

Moved to Comment Adjudication This Month

• ANSI/ASB Standard 032, Standards for a Bloodstain Pattern Analyst’s Training Program, First Edition, 2020.
• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 089, Best Practice Recommendation for Facial Approximation in Forensic Anthropology, First Edition, 2020.
• ASTM E1388-17 Standard Practice for Static Headspace Sampling of Vapors from Fire Debris Samples.
• ASTM E1412-19 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Passive Headspace Concentration with Activated Charcoal. 
• ASTM E1413-19 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Dynamic Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube. 
• ASTM E3189-19 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Static Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube. 

At FSSB for Vote

• ASTM E3233-20 Standard Practice for Forensic Tape Analysis Training Program. 
• ASTM E3234-20 Standard Practice for Forensic Paint Analysis Training Program.
• ANSI/NIST-ITL Update: 2015 NIST SP 500-290, Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information.

Criminal justice agencies can access the ASTM standards listed above by visiting OSAC’s Access to Standards webpage.

For a list of all standards currently under Registry consideration, please visit the OSAC website. 

Published

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board (ASB) has recently published eight new documents:

• ANSI/ASB Standard 035, Standard for the Examination of Documents for Alterations, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Forensic Document Examination Subcommittee and finalized by the ASB Forensic Document Examination Consensus Body, establishes the minimum required procedure(s) used by Forensic Document Examiners in the examination of documents for alterations. 
• ANSI/ASB Standard 038, Standard for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Testing Methods, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee (formerly the Biological Methods Subcommittee) and finalized by the ASB DNA Consensus Body, details the general requirements for performing an internal validation of all forensic DNA analysis methods within a forensic laboratory. 
• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 068, Safe Handling of Firearms and Ammunition, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Firearms & Toolmarks Subcommittee and finalized by the ASB Firearms and Toolmarks Consensus Body, provides best practice recommendations for the safe handling of firearm and ammunition evidence during forensic analysis.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 077, Standard for the Development and Internal Validation of Forensic Serological Methods, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee (formerly the Biological Methods Subcommittee) and finalized by the ASB DNA Consensus Body, provides requirements for developmental and internal validations of forensic serological methods to evaluate body fluids, stains, or residues related to forensic investigations. This standard does not address validation of forensic DNA analysis procedures. 
• ANSI/ASB Standard 110, Standard for Training in Forensic Serological Methods, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee (formerly the Biological Methods Subcommittee) and finalized by the ASB DNA Consensus Body, provides the general requirements for a forensic serology training program to evaluate body fluids, stains, or residues related to forensic investigations. This standard does not address training in forensic DNA analysis procedures.  
• ANSI/ASB Standard 115, Standard for Training in Forensic Short Tandem Repeat Typing Methods using Amplification, DNA Separation, and Allele Detection, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee (formerly the Biological Methods Subcommittee) and finalized by the ASB DNA Consensus Body, provides the requirements of a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program in forensic Short Tandem Repeat typing methods using amplification, DNA separation and allele detection.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 116, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Quantification Methods, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee (formerly the Biological Methods Subcommittee) and finalized by the ASB DNA Consensus Body, provides the requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program in DNA quantification.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 117, Standard for the Examination of Stamping Devices and Stamp Impressions, First Edition, 2020. This document, initially developed by OSAC’s Forensic Document Examination Subcommittee and finalized by the ASB Forensic Document Examination Consensus Body, provides procedures to be used by forensic document examiners for forensic examinations and comparisons involving stamp impressions (often referred to as rubber stamp impressions) and stamping devices.

Comment Period Open on Draft Documents

ASB:

• ASB Standard 076, Standard for Training and Certification of Canine Detection of Human Remains: Human Remains on Land. This document states requirements for the training, certification, and documentation pertaining to canine teams trained to search for human remains on land. This document does not cover mass disaster victim location canine activities, which are covered under separate standards. Comment deadline October 26, 2020.
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 130, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Amplification Methods for Subsequent Capillary Electrophoresis Sequencing. This standard provides the general requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program in forensic DNA amplification methods for subsequent capillary electrophoresis (CE) sequencing. This standard applies to forensic human and wildlife mitochondrial DNA amplification, and wildlife nuclear DNA amplification. Comment deadline October 26, 2020.
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 131, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Sequencing using Capillary Electrophoresis. This standard provides the general requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program in forensic DNA sequencing using capillary electrophoresis. This standard applies to forensic human and wildlife mitochondrial DNA capillary electrophoresis sequencing, and wildlife nuclear DNA capillary electrophoresis sequencing. Comment deadline October 26, 2020.
• Recirculation* – ASB Best Practice Recommendation 050, Best Practice Recommendation for Photographic Documentation of Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence. This document provides the best practice recommendations for personnel responsible for documenting and photographing footwear and tire impressions for future examinations. Deviations from this document may/may not preclude examination of captured images. The procedures included in this document may not cover all aspects of footwear and tire photography. This document is not intended as a substitute for training in the documentation and photography of footwear and tire track evidence. Comment deadline November 2, 2020.
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 125, Organizational and Foundations Standard for Medicolegal Death Investigation. This document outlines the minimum requirements, fundamental activities, general procedures, facilities, and personnel that are the basic components of a medicolegal death investigation system. This document provides an overarching description of educational frameworks, operational roles, and processes for the medicolegal death investigation system. Comment deadline November 2, 2020.
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 137, Standard for Examination and Documentation of Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence. This standard provides the examination process and minimum documentation requirements for relevant observations and conclusions/interpretations encountered during footwear/tire tread examinations. The required documentation as outlined in this standard will allow for an appropriate review. This document is not all inclusive of the examinations that may be requested or conducted. Comment deadline November 2, 2020.
• ASB Standard 140, Standard for Training in Forensic Human Mitochondrial DNA Analysis, Interpretation, Statistical Evaluation, and Reporting. This document provides the requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program in forensic human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, interpretation, statistical evaluation, and reporting. Comment deadline November 2, 2020.
• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 008, Mass Fatality Scene Processing: Best Practice Recommendations for the Medicolegal Authority. This document provides definitions, guidelines, and best practices for the detection, processing, and recovery of physical and contextual evidence associated with mass fatality disaster scenes to ensure that evidence is carefully and consistently documented and recovered in situ. This document focuses on terrestrial scenes that do not involve a significant hazardous materials component. Comment deadline November 16, 2020.
• ASB Standard 013, Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Conclusions. This standard defines terms and establishes qualitative expressions for the categories of conclusions that may be reached following friction ridge comparisons. Comment deadline November 16, 2020.
• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 134, Standard for Analyzing Pathological Conditions and Anomalies in Forensic Anthropology. This standard sets forth techniques and approaches for describing, documenting, interpreting, and reporting pathological conditions and anomalies from skeletal and dental material and/or radiographic images. Comment deadline November 16, 2020.
• ASB Standard 146, Standard for Resolving Commingled Remains in Forensic Anthropology. This document provides the procedures and requirements for resolving commingled remains. The techniques presented include size, age, and sex similarities, articulation between skeletal elements, taphonomic similarities, and reconstruction of fragmentary remains. The document also describes the determination of MNI (Minimum Number of Individuals), as well as the LI (Lincoln Index) and MLNI (Most Likely Number of Individuals) based on the number of paired and unpaired bones. Comment deadline November 16, 2020.

*Comments on a re-circulation will only be accepted on revised sections of a document, comments made to text not revised from the original comment period will not be accepted. 

NIST Launches an Updated OSAC for Forensic Science

On October 1, 2020 NIST announced the launch of OSAC’s new organizational structure and processes which will make high-quality forensic science standards available to the community more quickly. Read more about the changes here.

Workshop on Interlaboratory Studies and Collaborative Research in the Forensic Sciences

The Workshop on Interlaboratory Studies and Collaborative Research in the Forensic Sciences will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, October 27 and 28, 2020 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm Eastern. This virtual workshop is sponsored by ASTM Committee E30 on Forensic Sciences.

For more details about this event, including a list of topics and registration information, please visit the workshop webpage. 

In Case You Missed It - OSAC's Public Update Meeting

On September 30, 2020 OSAC held its Public Update Meeting where the chairs of the Forensic Science Standards Board and five Scientific Area Committees gave presentations on the standards their units are working on and discussed research gaps, challenges, and priorities for the coming year. Stay tuned for the recorded presentations which will be available on the event and OSAC’s webpages soon!

Forensics@NIST 2020

On November 5 and 6 our research colleagues at NIST will be hosting Forensics@NIST 2020. This virtual event will discuss how NIST scientists are using advanced methods in metrology, computer science and statistics to strengthen forensic science. Learn more and register here.

Get Involved with OSAC

OSAC offers a variety of ways for members, affiliates and other experts in the forensic science community to participate in the standards advancement process. Click here to learn how you can help make an impact on the forensic science community through standards.