The OSAC Registry approval process for published standards is used to review existing SDO-published standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry.
NOTE: IN 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 SDO UPDATES BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON THE STANDARDS CURRENTLY OPEN FOR COMMENT AT SDOS.
The OSAC Registry approval process for OSAC Proposed Standards reviews OSAC-drafted standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry.
The Academy Standards Board (ASB) encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The following documents are open for public comment. To provide comments, download the comment template and return it to asb [at] aafs.org (asb[at]aafs[dot]org) by the deadline.
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis:
Crime Scene Investigation & Reconstruction:
Firearms & Toolmarks:
Wildlife Forensic Biology:
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). Please submit your comments to accreditation [at] astm.org (accreditation[at]astm[dot]org) (copy psa [at] ansi.org (psa[at]ansi[dot]org)). The comment deadline is January 20, 2025.
The Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) has released the following documents as draft for public comment. Access the documents and the electronic form to submit your comments on the SWGDE website. The comment deadline is January 27, 2025.
Check out this article by Karen Reczek, former FSSB NIST Ex Officio, on best practice recommendations for submitting comments on draft standards.