OSAC Standards Bulletin 1 October 2017

BULLETIN SUMMARY

This Bulletin provides an update on forensic science standards that are moving through the development 

process at Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs), and those that are moving through the registry 

approval process at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC). 

Please consider providing comments on documents that are open for public comment.

OSAC Registry Standards open for public comment: 0 Items

SDO Documents open for public comment: 4 Items

OSAC REGISTRY NEWS

Items Open for Public Comment

There is currently nothing open for public comment in the OSAC Registry approval process.

Standards Moving Through the OSAC Registry Approval Process

This section only lists standards that moved from one step in the OSAC Registry approval process to another 

during the last month. A list of all standards currently under consideration is available on the OSAC website.

ASTM E2388-11 Standard Guide for Minimum Training Requirements for Forensic Document 

Examiners has been withdrawn from the Standards and Public Comment Adjudication Phase at the request of 

the Forensic Document Examination Subcommittee until further action is taken by the Subcommittee.

OSAC Draft Standards Submitted to Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs)

OSAC developed the following draft standards and has submitted them to SDO’s for formal development:

Biological Data Interpretation & Reporting

The following draft standards were submitted to American Academy of Forensic Sciences/American 

Standards Board(AAFS/ASB):

• Standards for Validation Studies of DNA Mixtures, and Development and Verification of a Laboratory’s 

Mixture Interpretation Protocol

• Validation Standards for Probabilistic Genotyping Systems

• Standards for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols

OSAC Standards Bulletin

October 2017
OSAC Standards Bulletin 2 October 2017

Biological Methods Subcommittee

The following draft standards were submitted to AAFS/ASB:

• Standards for Forensic DNA Analysis Training Programs

• Best Practice Recommendations For Assessing Educational Requirements For Forensic DNA Analysts

• Standards for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Analysis Methods

• Standards for Internal Validation of Human Short Tandem Repeat Profiling on Capillary 

Electrophoresis Platforms

Wildlife Forensics Subcommittee

The following draft standards were submitted to AAFS/ASB:

• Wildlife Forensics General Standards

• Wildlife Forensics Report Writing Standards

• Wildlife Forensics Morphology Standards

• Wildlife Forensics DNA Standards

• Wildlife Forensics Validation Standards – Sequencing

• Wildlife Forensics Validation Standards – STR Analysis

STANDARDS DEVELOPING ORGANIZATION (SDO) NEWS

Public Comment Period Open on Draft Documents

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Academy Standards Board (ASB):

The public comment period is open for the following:

• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 021, Best Practices for the Preparation of Test Impressions from 

Footwear and Tires, First Edition (Comment period closes Monday, October 23, 2017)

• ASB Technical Report 033, Terms and Definitions in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition

(Comment period closes Tuesday, October 24, 2017)

• ASB Standard 036, Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition

(Comment period closes Monday, November 27, 2017)

• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 037, Guidelines for Opinions and Testimony in Forensic 

Toxicology, First Edition (Comment period closes Monday, November 27, 2017)

Please visit the Notification of Standard Development and Coordination area of the AAFS Standards Board 

website to view the draft documents and to provide comments. Please send any questions to asb@aafs.org.

New Standards

These new standards are eligible for consideration by OSAC:

• ASTM E2999 - Standard Test Method for Analysis of Organic Compounds in Smokeless Powder by 

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy is a new 

standard.
OSAC Standards Bulletin 3 October 2017

Revised Standards

These revised standards are eligible for consideration by OSAC:

• ASTM E1610 - 17 Standard Guide for Forensic Paint Analysis and Comparison has been revised and 

published.

• ASTM E1732 - 17 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science has been revised and 

published.

OTHER NEWS

Office of the Forensic Science Regulator, United Kingdom

The Forensic Science Regulator seeks views on the following draft guidance documents. Both consultations 

close 05 November 2017.

• DNA mixture interpretation: draft guidance

Comments on this draft guidance should be sent on the feedback form provided 

to FSRConsultation1@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

• DNA mixture interpretation software validation: draft guidance

Comments on this draft guidance should be sent on the feedback form provided 

to FSRConsultation2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk and should be submitted by 05 November 2017.