Standards Open for Comment

Standards open for comment at OSAC

The following SDO-published standards are being considered for the OSAC Registry.

• None at this time. 

The following OSAC Proposed Standard is being considered for considered for submission to an SDO. The final draft provided to the SDO will be available on the OSAC Registry as an “OSAC Proposed Standard.” OSAC welcomes comments on whether the current draft is suitable for release to the SDO and suggestions for improvements in content and wording. To be considered, comments must be placed in the OSAC Comment Form and sent to comments [at] nist.gov (comments[at]nist[dot]gov) by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2025.

• OSAC 2025-N-0004, Standard Criteria for Crime Scene Reconstruction. 

Visit the Registry Approval Process webpage for more information about the Registry approval processes for SDO-published and OSAC Proposed Standards¹. 

Standards Open for Comment at SDOs

ASB

The following Academy Standards Board (ASB) documents are open for public comment. To provide comments, download the comment template and return it to asb [at] aafs.org (asb[at]aafs[dot]org) by the deadline.  

• Recirculation* - ASB Best Practice Recommendation 021, Best Practice Recommendation for the Preparation of Test Impressions from Footwear and Tires, 202x. 2nd Ed. Comment deadline March 24, 2025.
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 207, Standard for Collection and Preservation of Document Evidence, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline April 17, 2025. 
  • Note: This is OSAC 2022-N-0035, Standard for On-Scene Collection and Preservation of Document Evidence, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• Recirculation* - ASB Technical Report 194, Terminology for a Suspected Pattern of Dental Origin, 202x. 1st Ed. Comment deadline April 21, 2025.
  • Note: This is OSAC 2021-N-0030, Terminology for a Suspected Pattern of Dental Origin, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• Recirculation* - ASB Technical Report 208, Forensic Toxicology: Terms and Definitions, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline April 28, 2025. 

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

ASTM

The following ASTM standards are currently open for public comment through ANSI. To obtain an electronic copy of the document, email accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org). To provide comments, download the comment template and return it to accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org) (copy psa [at] ansi.org (psa[at]ansi[dot]org)) by April 21, 2025.  

• ASTM E1618-202x, Test Method for Ignitable Liquid Residues in Extracts from Fire Debris Samples by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (revision of ANSI/ASTM E1618-19).
• ASTM E1732-202x, Terminology Relating to Forensic Science (revision of ANSI/ASTM E1732-2024).
• ASTM E1968-202x, Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Cocaine (revision of ANSI/ASTM E1968-19).
• ASTM E1969-202x, Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Methamphetamine and Amphetamine (revision of ANSI/ASTM E1969-19).
• ASTM E2125-202x, Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Phencyclidine and Its Analogues (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2125-19).
• ASTM E2548-202x, Guide for Sampling Seized Drugs for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis (re-instatement of E2548).
• ASTM E2882-202x, Guide for Analysis of Clandestine Drug Laboratory Evidence (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2882-19).

SWGDE

The Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) has released the following draft documents for public comment. Visit the SWGDE website to access these documents and the electronic comment submission form. The comment deadline is May 6, 2025. 

• 2025-02-27 Best Practices for Enhancement of Digital Audio (20-A-001-2.0)
• 2025-02-27 Core Competencies for Mobile Device Forensics (12-F-003-2.0)
• 2025-02-27 Legal and Scientific Support Related to the Admissibility of Image Examinations (23-I-001-1.0)
• 2025-02-28 Best Practices for Computer Forensic Examinations (18-F-001-2.0)
• 2025-02-28 Best Practices for Data Acquisition from Digital Video Recorders (17-V-002-1.3)
• 2025-02-28 Best Practices for Mobile Device Evidence Collection & Preservation Handling and Acquisition (18-F-003-2.0)
• 2025-02-28 Best Practices for Radio Frequency Propagation Surveys (25-F-003-1.0)
• 2025-03-03 Best Practices for Digital Forensic Video Analysis (18-V-001-2.1)
• 2025-03-03 Considerations for Body Worn Camera (23-V-002-1.0)
• 2025-03-03 Technical Aspects of Digital Cameras (25-P-001-1.0)
• 2025-03-03 Technical Notes on the Use of Timing Advance Records (25-F-002-1.0)

¹In January 2022, OSAC’S Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) approved that the requirement for an OSAC-managed comment period for Registry approval of SDO-published standards can be met during the SDO's public comment period. The public will have an opportunity to comment on a standard during its development through the SDO's public comment period. This change allows comments to be submitted during the SDO development process, prior to publication, enabling upgrades to be directly incorporated into the standard rather than receiving the comments after the standard is published. In cases where OSAC can document the SDO's public comment opportunity, OSAC will not execute a second public comment period during its Registry approval process. See the "Standards Open for Comment at SDOs" section above for the standards currently open for comment at SDOs.