OSAC Standards Bulletin – December 2019 1

 

 December 2019

Bulletin Summary 

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science Standards Bulletin provides an update on 

forensic science standards that are moving through the Registry Approval Process at OSAC and those moving through 

the development process at standards developing organizations (SDOs).

The OSAC Standards Bulletin is organized to capture the following standard development phases in the OSAC Registry 

Approval and SDO processes:

• After being published by an SDO, selected standards and guidelines may proceed to the OSAC Registry 

Approval Process where they are evaluated further for technical merit and impact on the forensic science 

community.

• In the SDO process, OSAC committees or task groups submit an idea (i.e., work item), a partially drafted 

document, or a fully drafted document to an SDO for further development, commenting, and publishing. 

Number of New Standards Placed on the OSAC Registry: One (1) 

Number of OSAC Registry Documents Open for Comment: Three (3) 

Number of SDO Documents Open for Comment: Five (5) 

OSAC Registry Updates

 

The OSAC Registry serves as a trusted repository of highquality, 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.
OSAC Standards Bulletin – December 2019 2

New Documents on the OSAC Registry

OSAC is excited to announce the following standard has been placed on the OSAC Registry:

ISO 21043-2 Forensic Sciences – Part 2: Recognition, recording, collecting, transport and storage of items

(OSAC Interdisciplinary Virtual Subcommittee, effective December 3, 2019).

 

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

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

• ANSI/ASB Standard 020, Standard for Validation Studies of DNA Mixtures and Development and Verification of 

a Laboratory’s Mixture Interpretation Protocol, First Edition, 2018. Please submit your comments by 11:59 PM 

ET on December 13, 2019. 

• ANSI/ASB Standard 040, Standard for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols, First Edition.

Please submit your comments by 11:59 PM ET on December 13, 2019. 

• ASB Technical Report 097, Terminology Used for Forensic Footwear and Tire Evidence, First Edition. Please 

submit your comments by 11:59 PM ET on January 3, 2020.

For a complete list of standards currently under consideration for placement on the OSAC Registry, along with their 

status in the approval process, please visit the OSAC website.

SDO Updates

Comment Period Open on Draft Documents

Consider sharing your expertise by commenting on the following documents to ensure they are technically sound and 

aligned with the needs of the forensic science community.

American Academy of Forensic Science Standards Board (ASB):

• ASB 125, Organizational and Foundational Standard for Medicolegal Death Investigation. This new standard 

outlines the minimal requirements, fundamental activities, general procedures, facilities, and personnel that 

are the basic components of a medicolegal death investigation system. Comment deadline December 16, 

2019.

• Recirculation* - ASB 018, Validation Standards for Probabilistic Genotyping Systems. This new standard 

describes the requirements to be used by laboratories for the validation of probabilistic genotyping systems 

related to interpreting autosomal STR results (amelogenin is not covered by this standard). Comment 

deadline December 30, 2019. 

o *Please note that 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.

If your organization is on the “tip of the spear” and has already embraced the OSAC Registry 

implementation efforts, let us know! Please email mark.stolorow@nist.gov to share your experience. 
OSAC Standards Bulletin – December 2019 3

• ASB 049, Best Practice Recommendation for Lifting of Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence. This new 

standard provides the best practice recommendations for personnel responsible for lifting footwear and tire 

impressions to optimize the recovery of these impressions. Comment deadline December 30, 2019.

• ASB 093, Standard Test Method for the Examination and Testing of Firearms. This new standard establishes 

procedures for the examination and testing of a firearm by firearm and toolmark examiners or

technicians. Following these procedures, an examiner or technician will be able to conduct, document, and 

report the examination and testing of a firearm. Comment deadline December 30, 2019.

• ASB 126, Best Practice Recommendation for Casting Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence at the Crime 

Scene. This new document provides best practice recommendations for casting of footwear and tire 

impression evidence by appropriate personnel. Following the recommendations described in this document 

should result in the optimal recovery of impressions. Comment deadline January 13, 2020.

New Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards

The following documents are being initiated and are expected to result in a new or revised standard.

ASB:

• On November 15, 2019, a Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) was published on page 17 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 BPR 129-202x, Best Practice Recommendations for Internal Validation of Human Short 

Tandem Repeat Profiling on Capillary Electrophoresis Platforms. This new document provides best 

practice recommendations for performing an internal validation of a human short tandem repeat 

(STR) multiplex kit using capillary electrophoresis (CE). This document is to be used as a companion 

document to the ASB Standard 39, Standard for Internal Validation of Human Short Tandem Repeat 

Profiling on Capillary Electrophoresis Platforms.

o BSR/ASB Std 134-201x, Standard for Identifying and Describing Pathological Conditions and 

Anomalies in Forensic Anthropology. This new standard provides techniques and approaches for 

describing and/or conducting a differential diagnosis of pathological conditions and anomalies from 

skeletal material and/or radiographic images.

For the ASB documents listed above, download the comment template and return it to 

 asb@aafs.org by the comment deadline. 

Contact Teresa Ambrosius (tambrosius@aafs.org) for more information on the proposed ASB documents or to 

submit your comments. 
OSAC Standards Bulletin – December 2019 4

Other News 

ADA forensic dentistry standard created after 9/11 added to federal 

registry

Versaci, M. (2019, November 15). ADA News. Retrieved from 

https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2019-archive/november/adaforensic-dentistry-standard-created-after-9-11-added-to-federal-registry

An update from the Organization of Scientific Area Committees

(2019 November). The ISHI Report. Retrieved from: https://promega.foleon.com/theishireport/november-2019/theorganization-of-scientific-area-committees-osac-update/

Crime Scene Photography

(2019 November/December). ASTM Standardization News (page 8). Retrieved from: 

http://www.standardizationnews.com/standardizationnews/november_december_2019/MobilePagedReplica.action

?pm=2&folio=Cover#pg1

Facial Recognition Code of Ethics

David (2019, November 22). Rank One’s Face Recognition Blog. Retrieved from: 

https://blog.rankone.io/2019/11/22/facial-recognition-code-of-ethics/

Two DNA Standards Considered for Registry

(2019, November 12). Evidence Technology Magazine. Retrieved from: 

http://www.evidencemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2962