Standards Open for Comment

Standards open for comment at OSAC

SDO Published Standards Under Consideration for the OSAC Registry 

The OSAC Registry approval process for published standards is used to review existing SDO published standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. Please submit your comments by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 1, 2024, on whether the following SDO published standards should be included on the Registry:

• ANSI/ASB Standard 134, Standard for Analyzing Pathological Conditions and Anomalies in Forensic Anthropology. 2021. 1st. Ed. Submit your comments here.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 135, Scene Detection and Processing in Forensic Anthropology. 2023. 1st. Ed. Submit your comments here.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 146, Standard for Resolving Commingled Remains in Forensic Anthropology. 2021. 1st. Ed. Submit your comments here.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 154, Standard for Training on Testimony for Forensic Biology. 2024. 1st. Ed. Submit your comments here.

NOTE: IN 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 SDO UPDATES BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON THE STANDARDS CURRENTLY OPEN FOR COMMENT AT SDOS.

OSAC Proposed Standards Under Consideration for the OSAC Registry

The OSAC Registry approval process for OSAC Proposed Standards is used to review OSAC drafted standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. The following draft OSAC Proposed Standard is being 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 as well as suggestions for improvements in content and wording. To be considered, comments must be placed in the OSAC Comment Form and send to comments [at] nist.gov (comments[at]nist[dot]gov) by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 1, 2024.  

• OSAC 2024-S-0006, Forensic Documentation for the Reporting by Oral Health Care Professionals of Suspected Human Abuse.
• OSAC 2024-S-0013, Proposed Standard for Photographing of Dental Evidence.
• OSAC 2024-S-0014, Best Practice Recommendation for Muzzle-to-Witness-Panel Distance Measurement and Estimation of Uncertainty.
• OSAC 2024-S-0015, Standard Guide for Evaluating Physical and Optical Characteristics in Forensic Tape Examination and Comparison.
• OSAC 2024-S-0016, Standard for Case File Management and Reporting in Forensic Anthropology.
• OSAC 2024-S-0017, Standard Guide for Forensic Physical Fit Examination of Documentary Evidence.

Standards Open for Comment at SDOs

Academy Standards Board (ASB)

The Academy Standards Board (ASB) encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The following 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.    

Firearms & Toolmarks:

• ASB Standard 124, Minimum Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program, 202x. 1st Ed. Comment deadline July 8, 2024. 
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2021-N-0012, Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program, currently on the OSAC Registry. 

Footwear & Tire:

• ASB Technical Report 097, Terminology Used for Forensic Footwear and Tire Evidence. 20xx. 2nd Ed. Comment deadline July 22, 2024.

Friction Ridge:

• *Recirculation - ASB Best Practice Recommendation 183, Best Practice Recommendation for Limited Friction Ridge Examinations. 202x. 1st Ed. Comment deadline July 8, 2024.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2021-N-0020, Best Practice Recommendation for Limited Friction Ridge Examinations, currently on the OSAC Registry. 

*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 

ASTM is currently soliciting public comments on the following forensic science standards. To obtain an electronic copy of the document, email accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org). Please submit your comments to accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org) (copy psa [at] ansi.org (psa[at]ansi[dot]org)) by the comment deadline. 

Facial Identification:

• ASTM WK74632-202x, Practice for Image Processing to Improve Automated Facial Recognition Search (new standard). Comment deadline July 22, 2024. 

Fire Debris & Explosives:

• ASTM E1412-202x, Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Passive Headspace Concentration with Activated Charcoal (for a single section revision to section 5.3.1.1). Comment deadline July 22, 2024.