OSAC Standards Bulletin – May 2019 1

 

 May 2019

Bulletin Summary 

This Bulletin provides an update on forensic science standards that are moving through the Registry approval process at 

the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) and those that are moving through the 

development process at standards developing organizations (SDOs).

Please consider providing comments on documents that are open for comment and registering to attend or view the live 

webcast of OSAC’s upcoming public update meeting on June 5, 2019 at NIST.

OSAC Registry Standards open for comment: 2 Items

SDO Documents open for comment: 1 Item

 

The OSAC Registry serves as a trusted repository of high-quality, science-based standards and guidelines for forensic

science practice. A document included on the Registry has progressed through the formal SDO process and has been 

published as a standard. OSAC elevates standards to the OSAC Registry as an endorsement of the document’s high 

quality and to encourage its adoption by relevant stakeholders in the forensic science community.

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

OSAC is currently seeking feedback on whether the following standards should be included on the OSAC Registry: 

• ASTM E2917-19: Standard Practice for Forensic Science Practitioner Training, Continuing Education, and 

Professional Development Programs. Please review this standard and submit your comments by 11:59 PM ET 

on June 1, 2019.
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• ANSI/ASB 037, 2019 ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 037, First Edition 2019 – Guidelines for Opinions 

and Testimony in Forensic Toxicology. Please review this standard and submit your comments by 11:59 PM 

EST on June 13, 2019.

Standards Moving through the OSAC Registry Approval Process

The following standard has moved from one step in the OSAC Registry Approval Process to another during the last 

month: 

• ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories moved 

to the Comment Adjudication Phase

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

OSAC Draft Standards Submitted to Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) 

OSAC has developed the following draft standards and has submitted them to SDOs for formal development:

The Firearms and Toolmarks Subcommittee submitted the following draft standards to the American Academy 

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

• Standard Scale of Source Conclusions and Criteria for Toolmark Examinations

• Standard Test Method for the Examination and Testing of Firearms

The Materials (Trace) Subcommittee submitted the following draft standard to ASTM International E30.01:

• Standard Practice for Training in the Forensic Examination of Hair by Microscopy

The Toxicology Subcommittee submitted the following draft standards to the ASB:

• Standard for Identification Criteria in Forensic Toxicology

• Standard for Mass Spectral Data Acceptance in Forensic Toxicology

 

SDO News 

New or Revised Standards

American Academy of Forensic Science Standards Board (ASB):

• ANSI/ASB Standard 019, Wildlife Forensics General Standards, First Edition, 2019. This document provides 

minimum standards and recommendations for practicing wildlife forensic analysts. This document covers good 
OSAC Standards Bulletin – May 2019 3

laboratory practices, evidence handling, and training as well as considerations of taxonomy and reference 

collections that are specific to wildlife forensic science.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 028, Wildlife Forensics Morphology Standards, First Edition, 2019. This document provides 

minimum standards for wildlife forensic analysts in the subdiscipline of morphology.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 029, Report Writing in Wildlife Forensics: Morphology and Genetics, First Edition, 2019. This 

document describes the information to be provided in formal written reports of wildlife examinations for use in 

legal proceedings. Requirements for both genetic and morphological examination reports are covered.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 046, Wildlife Forensics Validation Standards – STR Analysis, First Edition, 2019. This 

document provides minimum standards and recommendations for validating new nuclear short tandem repeat 

(STR) markers for use in wildlife forensic DNA laboratories where the STP genotyping method has already been 

validated.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 047, Wildlife Forensics Validation Standard – Validating New Primers for Sequencing, First 

Edition, 2019. This document provides minimum requirements and recommendations for validating new 

primers for mitochondrial haplotyping and/or taxonomic identification via sequencing in wildlife forensic DNA 

laboratories where the sequencing (Sanger) method has already been validated.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 048, Wildlife Forensic DNA Standard Procedures, First Edition, 2019. This document provides 

minimum requirements for forensic DNA analysis of wildlife evidence including general laboratory practice, DNA 

extraction and amplification, analysis and interpretation, statistical support, sequencing, mitochondrial DNA 

haplotyping, taxonomic identification, STRs and data analysis.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 072, Standard for the Validation of Procedures in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition, 

2019. This document applies to the validation of procedures for bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) casework and 

new equipment. It also applies to the internal validation of established procedures existing within the BPA 

community when such procedures are being used for the first time within an agency.

ASTM International E30.12 Digital and Multimedia Evidence:

• E2916 – Standard Terminology for Digital and Multimedia Evidence Examination has been editorially changed 

and is available as E2916-19e1.

Comment Period Open on Draft Documents

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/ TC 106 Dentistry:

• ISO/DIS 20888, Dentistry – Terminology for forensic oro-dental data. This proposed standard is being 

considered by ISO for approval. It has received substantial support within the technical 

committee(s)/subcommittee(s) that developed it and is now being circulated to ISO members for comment and 

vote. Please contact ANSI’s ISO Team (isot@ansi.org) for instructions on how to submit comments on this 

document.

New Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards

ASB: 

• On May 10, 2019, a Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) was published on page 19 in the ANSI Standards 

Action. This will begin a 30-day period for public comment on the initiation of ASB’s work on the following 

document:

o BSR/ASB STD 092-201x, Canine Detection of Explosives. This new standard provides the training 

requirements for a canine team (canine handler and canine), and details follow-on assessments for 

trained canine teams in the field of explosives detection. This standard is intended to be used as the 
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basis for all phases of the training process and includes certification procedures, training and 

assessments, record keeping, and document management.

• On April 26, 2019, a PINS was published on page 21 in the ANSI Standards Action. This will begin a 30-day period 

for public comment on the initiation of ASB’s work on the following document:

o BSR/ASB STD 117-201x, Standard for the Examination of Stamp Impressions and Stamping Devices. This 

new standard provides procedures to be used by forensic document examiners for forensic 

examinations and comparisons involving stamp impressions (i.e., rubber stamp impressions) and 

stamping devices.

• On April 19, 2019, a PIN was published on page 14 in the ANSI Standards Action. This will begin a 30-day period 

for public comment on the initiation of ASB’s work on the following document:

o BSR/ASB STD 113-201x, Standard for Identification Criteria in Forensic Toxicology. This new standard 

sets minimum criteria, based on a point system, for the identification of an analyte during forensic 

toxicology testing. The document provides a mechanism for laboratories to evaluate each analytical 

technique to determine if their testing regimen is sufficient to meet or exceed the minimum points 

required for identification. This document does not address identification of low molecular weight 

analytes (e.g., ethanol, carbon monoxide, cyanide) or metals. 

• On April 12, 2019, a PIN was published on page 12 in the ANSI Standards Action. This will begin a 30-day period 

for public comment on the initiation of ASB’s work on the following documents:

o BSR/ASB STD 109-201x, Canine Detection of Microbial Organisms. This new standard provides the 

requirements necessary to document the training and certification of canine handlers and canines used 

in forensic investigations related to canine odor detection of microbial organisms, specifically molds and 

non-medical microbial organisms. 

o BSR/ASB STD 115-201x, Standard for Training in Forensic Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Typing Methods 

using Amplification, DNA Separation, and Allele Detection. This new standard provides the 

requirements of a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program in forensic STR typing methods using 

amplification, DNA separation, and allele detection.

ASTM International E30.01 Criminalistics:

• WK67862 - Practice for Standard Practice for the Forensic Examination and Identification of Intact Explosives is a 

work item for a new standard.

ASTM International E30.11 Interdisciplinary:

• WK67866 – Practice for Crime Scene Investigator Training, Continuing Education, Professional Development, 

Certification, and Accreditation is a work item for a new standard.

ASTM International E30.12 Digital and Multimedia Evidence:

• WK67924 – Guide for Core Competencies for Forensic Audio is a work item for a new standard.

Other News 

Join us at the OSAC Public Update and Open Discussions meeting on June 5, 2019 at the NIST campus

Learn more about the activities of OSAC’s five Scientific Area Committees (SACs), three Resource Committees, the 

Statistics Task Group and Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB). Presenters will also discuss the latest standards 

under development, identified research gaps, challenges being addressed and priorities for the year. Onsite 

registration and webcast registration is available. 
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NIST to Convene Forensics Science Research Innovation to Implementation Symposium (RI2I) on June 19-20, 2019 

Join us at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD, where forensic scientists, researchers, and technology transfer 

experts will come together with laboratory professionals, business leaders and other stakeholders to explore ideas 

for speeding innovation in the nation’s crime labs. Register today to reserve your spot!

Call for Posters 

We welcome you to submit contributions to a poster session at this symposium that will provide an 

opportunity for researchers to discuss their latest results, ongoing research activities, product development 

initiatives, etc., with the community. Posters will be available for viewing at the breaks. To participate, 

please submit by May 27, 2019, an abstract of 1-2 paragraphs via email to Karen Reczek at 

karen.reczek@nist.gov. Any submissions after, May 27th cannot be guaranteed consideration. All poster 

contributions will undergo a review by the organizers, and the authors will be notified of acceptance by June 

3, 2019.

Call for Exhibitors

Vendors interested in exhibiting opportunities should register now as an attendee and contact Grace Hao at 

grace.hao@nist.gov for additional guidance.

ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) Requirements Documents Open for Comment

The requirements language for AR 3055 and AR 3037 has been harmonized with the similar requirements in AR 3125 

and all applicable policies of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) are included in this single 

document. Because the revised document will replace both AR 3055 and AR 3037, it has been given a new document 

number (AR 3120). For more information related to the ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation program changes, including a link to 

submit public comments on the draft AR 3120, please click here. The deadline for submission of comments is May 28, 

2019.