Standards Open for Comment

Published Standards Open for OSAC Registry Comment

The following SDO published standards are being considered for the OSAC Registry. Please submit your comments by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 5, 2022 on whether they should be included.  

• ASTM E2809-22 Standard Guide for Using Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) in Forensic Polymer Examinations. Submit your comments here. 
• ASTM E3309-21 Standard Guide for Reporting of Forensic Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Submit your comments here. 

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.

OSAC Proposed Standards Open for Comment

The following draft OSAC Proposed Standard is 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.” OSAC welcomes comments on whether the current draft is suitable for release to the SDO as well as suggestions for improvements in content and wording. To be considered, comments must be placed in the OSAC Comment Form and sent to comments [at] nist.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 5, 2022.

• OSAC 2021-S-0003, Standards for Determining Analytical and Stochastic Thresholds for Application to Forensic DNA Casework Using Electrophoresis Platforms.

NOTE: OSAC RESOURCE TASK GROUP (RTG) MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMMENT ON THESE STANDARDS BY DOWNLOADING THE RTG COMMENT TABLE AND SUBMITTING IT TO comments [at] nist.gov IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REGISTRY APPROVAL PROCESS. 

Comments submitted, including the commenter's name and/or affiliation, will be made available to the public.

Standards Open for Comment at SDOs

Academy Standards Board (ASB)

The AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB) is currently soliciting public comments on the following forensic science standards. To provide comments, download the comment template and return it to asb [at] aafs.org by the deadline. 

bloodstain pattern analysis

• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 158, Standard for Developing Standard Operating Procedures in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis. Comment deadline July 11, 2022.

crime scene investigation & Reconstruction

• Recirculation* – ASB 159, Standard for Scene Investigation and Reconstruction - Foundational Principles. Comment deadline June 27, 2022. 
• Recirculation* – ASB 160, Best Practice Recommendation for Initial Response at Scenes by Law Enforcement Officers. Comment deadline July 18, 2022.

forensic anthropology

• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 135, Scene Detection and Processing in Forensic Anthropology. Comment deadline July 18, 2022.

forensic document examination

• ASB Standard 172, Standard for Examination of Mechanical Checkwriters and Their Impressions. Comment deadline July 11, 2022.

Friction Ridge 

• Recirculation* – ASB Standard 013, Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Conclusions. Comment deadline July 11, 2022.

*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. 

ASTM 

On May 20, 2022, a call for public comments was published on page 18 in the ANSI Standards Action for the following ASTM document. To obtain an electronic copy, email accreditation [at] astm.org. Submit comments to accreditation [at] astm.org by July 4, 2022. 

• ASTM E2227-20xx, Guide for Forensic Examination of Non-Reactive Dyes in Textile Fibers by Thin-Layer Chromatography. 

On June 17, 2022, a call for public comments was published on pages 16 and 17 in the ANSI Standards Action for the following ASTM documents. To obtain an electronic copy of these ASTM documents, email accreditation [at] astm.org. Submit comments to accreditation [at] astm.org by August 1, 2022. 

• ASTM E2224-202x, Guide for Forensic Analysis of Fibers by Infrared Spectroscopy (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2224-2019).
• ASTM E2225-202x, Guide for Forensic Examination of Fabrics and Cordage (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2225-2021).
• ASTM E2228-202x, Guide for Microscopical Examination of Textile Fibers (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2228-2019).