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 February 6, 2023 on whether they should be included.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 011, Scope of Expertise in Forensic Document Examination, First Edition, 2022. Submit your comments here. 
• ANSI/ASB Standard 095, Standard for Minimum Qualifications and Training for a Footwear/Tire Forensic Science Service Provider, First Edition, 2020 (Errata 1, 2022). Submit your comments here.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 099, Standard for Footwear/Tire Examination Proficiency Testing Program, First Edition, 2020 (Errata 1, 2022). Submit your comments here. 
• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 126, Best Practice Recommendation for Casting Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence at the Crime Scene, First Edition, 2020 (Errata 1, 2022). Submit your comments here. 
• ASTM E3316-22, Standard Guide for Forensic Examination of Hair by Microscopy. 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 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.” OSAC welcomes comments on whether these current drafts are 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 February 6, 2023. 

• OSAC 2023-N-0002, Standard for Scene Documentation Procedures. 
• OSAC 2023-N-0003, Standard for Diagramming Scenes. 

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.    

Firearms & Toolmarks

• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 102, Standard for Verification of Source Conclusions in Toolmark Examinations. Comment deadline March 13, 2023.
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 162, Standard for the Forensic Examination and Documentation of Non-firearm Tools and Non-firearm Toolmarks. Comment deadline March 13, 2023.

Friction Ridge 

• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 014, Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Training Program. Comment deadline January 30, 2023.
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 015, Standard for Examining Friction Ridge Impressions. Comment deadline January 30, 2023.
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 143, Standard for Technical Review in Friction Ridge Examination. Comment deadline January 30, 2023. 
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 145, Standard for Consultation during Friction Ridge Examination. Comment deadline January 30, 2023.
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 167, Standard for Reporting Results from Friction Ridge Examinations. Comment deadline February 13, 2023. 

Forensic Anthropology

• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 147, Standard for Analyzing Skeletal Trauma in Forensic Anthropology. Comment deadline February 13, 2023.
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 148, Standard for Personal Identification in Forensic Anthropology. Comment deadline February 13, 2023.

Forensic Toxicology 

• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 055, Standard for Breath Alcohol Measuring Instrument Calibration. Comment deadline February 6, 2023.
• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 122, Best Practice Recommendation for Performing Alcohol Calculations in Forensic Toxicology. Comment deadline February 6, 2023.

*Comments on a re-circulation will only be accepted on revised sections of a document, comments made to text not revised from the previous public comment period will not be accepted. 

ASTM

ASTM is currently soliciting public comments on the following standards. Please send requests for the documents and comments to accreditation [at] astm.org. Comment deadline February 20, 2023.

Facial Identification

• ASTM E3115-20xx, Guide for Capturing Facial Images for Use with Facial Recognition Systems (reaffirmation of ANSI/ASTM E3115-17).
• ASTM E3148-20xx, Guide for Postmortem Facial Image Capture (reaffirmation of ANSI/ASTM E3148-18).

Ignitable Liquids and Explosives

• ASTM E2881-20xx, Test Method for Extraction and Derivatization of Vegetable Oils and Fats from Fire Debris and Liquid Samples with Analysis by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2881-18).
• ASTM E2997-201x, Test Method for Analysis of Biodiesel Products by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2997-16). 
• ASTM E3197-20xx, Terminology Relating to Examination of Fire Debris (revision of ANSI/ASTM E3197-20).

Gunshot Residue

• ASTM WK72526-202x, Practice for Expert Opinions on the Interpretation of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) (new ASTM standard). 
• ASTM WK72856-202x, Practice for the Collection and Preservation of Organic Gunshot Residue (new ASTM standard and currently on the Registry as OSAC 2021-N-0009).

Trace Materials

• ASTM E2927-201x, Test Method for Determination of Trace Elements in Soda-Lime Glass Samples Using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Forensic Comparisons (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2927-16).