I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5795 
To establish scientific standards and protocols across forensic disciplines, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 14, 2016 
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Mr. VEASEY) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on the Judici-
ary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish scientific standards and protocols across forensic 
disciplines, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Forensic Science and 
Standards Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
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(1) at the direction of Congress, the National 
Academy of Sciences led a comprehensive review of 
the state of forensic science and issued its findings 
in a 2009 report, ‘‘Strengthening Forensic Science 
in the United States: A Path Forward’’; 
(2) the report’s findings indicate the need for 
independent scientific research to support the foun-
dation of forensic disciplines; 
(3) the report stresses the need for standards 
in methods, data interpretation, and reporting, and 
the importance of preventing cognitive bias and miti-
gating human factors; and 
(4) according to the report, forensic science re-
search is not financially well supported, and there is 
a need for a unified strategy for developing a foren-
sic science research plan across Federal agencies. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the National Commission on Forensic 
Science, a Federal advisory committee established 
under section 9. 
(2) COORDINATING
OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Co-
ordinating Office’’ means the National Forensic 
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Science Coordinating Office established under sec-
tion 4(b). 
(3) FORENSIC
SCIENCE.—The term ‘‘forensic 
science’’ means the scientific and technical practice 
applied to the collection, evaluation, and analysis of 
physical and digital evidence, for use in investiga-
tions and legal proceedings, including all tests, 
methods, measurements, and procedures. 
(4) 
STANDARDS
DEVELOPMENT
ORGANIZA-
TION.—The term ‘‘standards development organiza-
tion’’ means a domestic or an international organiza-
tion that plans, develops, establishes, or coordinates 
voluntary consensus standards using procedures that 
incorporate openness, a balance of interests, con-
sensus, due process, and an appeals process. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCE RESEARCH INITIA-
TIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Na-
tional Forensic Science Research Initiative to improve, ex-
pand, and coordinate Federal research in the forensic 
sciences. Federal participation shall include the National 
Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, the Department of Justice, and other 
Federal agencies contributing to research in forensic 
science. 
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(b) NATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCE COORDINATING 
OFFICE.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 
National Forensic Science Coordinating Office, with 
a full-time director and additional staff, as needed, 
to be located at the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The Director of the Coordi-
nating Office shall be a senior Federal agency man-
ager with appropriate expertise detailed to the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy for a period of 3 
years. Responsibility for providing a director shall 
rotate among the Federal agencies participating in 
the National Forensic Science Research Initiative. 
(3) DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR.—The Director 
shall be responsible for carrying out this section, in-
cluding coordinating the development of a unified 
Federal research strategy under subsection (d), 
working with Federal agencies to execute the re-
search strategy, and overseeing periodic reviews of 
the National Forensic Science Research Initiative. 
(4) FUNDING.—Responsibility to fund the Co-
ordinating Office shall be shared by the Federal 
agencies participating in the National Forensic 
Science Research Initiative. Such Federal agencies 
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