Standards Open for Comment

open for comment at OSAC

The following SDO-published standards are being considered for the OSAC Registry.

• None at this time. 

The following OSAC Proposed Standards are 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". 

• None at this time. 

Visit the Registry Approval Process webpage for more information about the Registry approval processes for SDO-published and OSAC Proposed Standards¹. 

Open for Comment at SDOs

ASB

The following Academy Standards Board (ASB) document is open for public comment. Click on the link below to access the document and its comment template. Submit your comments to asb [at] aafs.org (asb[at]aafs[dot]org) by the deadline.

• Recirculation - ASB Standard 078, Standard for Training in Forensic Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Data and Y-STR Data Interpretation and Comparison, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline May 11, 2026.
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 081, Standard for Training in Statistical Calculations Used for Forensic Short Tandem Repeat (STR) DNA Data, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline May 11, 2026.
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 225, Standard for Skeletal Preparation and Sampling in Forensic Anthropology, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline May 18, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2021-N-0010, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 234, Standard for Qualifications for Forensic Anthropology Practitioners, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline May 18, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2025-N-0002, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 173, Standard for Education, Training, Continuing Education, and Certification of Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Personnel, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline May 25, 2026.
• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 212, Best Practice Recommendation for Stature Estimation in Forensic Anthropology. 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline June 8, 2026.  
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 185, Standard for Proficiency Testing in Friction Ridge Examination. 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline June 8, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2022-S-0012, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 186, Standard for Forensic Autosomal STR DNA Statistical Analyses, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline June 15, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2021-S-0021, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• Recirculation - ASB Standard 199, Standard for Familial DNA Searching, 202x, 1st Ed. Comment deadline June 15, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2021-S-0029, currently on the OSAC Registry. 

ASTM

The following ASTM standards are currently open for public comment through ANSI. To obtain an electronic copy of the document, email accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org). To provide comments, download the comment template and return it to accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org) (copy psa [at] ansi.org (psa[at]ansi[dot]org)) by the deadline. 

• ASTM WK72441-202x, Standard Guide for Developing Discipline Specific Methodology for ACE-V (new standard). Comment deadline May 18, 2026.
• ASTM WK84882, Standard Practice for Forensic Science Testimony in Criminal Proceedings (new standard). Comment deadline May 18, 2026.
• ASTM WK89409, Standard Guide for Facial Comparison: Overview and Methodology Guidelines (new standard). Comment deadline May 18, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2022-S-0007, currently on the OSAC Registry.
• ASTM WK90158, Standard Practice for Training in the Areas of Video Analysis, Image Analysis, and Photography (new standard). Comment deadline May 18, 2026.
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2023-N-0001, currently on the OSAC Registry. 

Open for comment at other standards setting organizations

FISWG

The Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) is accepting public comments on the following drafts until May 8, 2026. Visit the FISWG website to access the documents and comment submission instructions. 

• Conflict Resolution in Facial Examinations
• Recommendations for Preliminary Legal Interactions
• Recommendations for Courtroom Preparation and Testimony
• Recommendations for Remedial Training for Face Practitioner
• Guide for Facial Comparison Training of Reviewers to Competency
• Quality Management Requirements for Forensic Facial Image Comparison
• Standard Practice for the Generation and Use of Facial Comparison Results as Investigative Leads
• Guide for Role-Based Training in Facial Comparison
• Guideline for the Use of ACE-V Methodology for One-to-Many Reviews
• Introduction to Face Recognition Technology Evaluation (FRTE) Testing

¹In 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 "Standards Open for Comment at SDOs" section above for the standards currently open for comment at SDOs.