Standards Open for Comment

Published Standards Open for OSAC Registry Comment

SDO Published Standards

The OSAC Registry approval process for published standards is used to review existing SDO published standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. Please submit your comments by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 2, 2023 on whether the following SDO published standard should be included on the Registry:

• SWGDE 22-F-003.1.0, Best Practices for Remote Collection of Digital Evidence from a Networked Computing Environment (2022-09-22). 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 OSAC Registry approval process for OSAC Proposed Standards is used to review OSAC drafted standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. 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 October 2, 2023. 

• OSAC 2023-N-0014, Standard Guiding Principles for the Medical Forensic Examination. 
• OSAC 2023-N-0023, Standard Guide to the Forensic Speaker Recognition Landscape. 
• OSAC 2023-N-0025, Standard for Education and Training in Forensic Odontology. 
• OSAC 2023-N-0027, Standard Guide for Forensic Trace Evidence Recovery. 
• OSAC 2023-S-0018, Standard Test Method for the Restoration of Obliterated Serial Numbers and Other Markings. 
• OSAC 2023-S-0028, Best Practice Recommendation for the Resolution of Conflicts in Toolmark Value Determinations and Source Conclusions. 

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.    

Friction Ridge

• ASB Standard 185, Standard for Proficiency Testing in Friction Ridge Examination. Comment deadline September 25, 2023. 
  • NOTE: This is currently on the OSAC Registry as OSAC 2022-S-0012. 
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 013, Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Conclusions. Comment deadline October 20, 2023. 
• Recirculation* -  ASB Best Practice Recommendation 183, Best Practice Recommendation for Limited Friction Ridge Examinations. Comment deadline October 20, 2023. 
  • NOTE: This is currently on the OSAC Registry as OSAC 2021-N-0020.

Wildlife Forensics

• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 169, Standard for Clinical Veterinary Forensic Examination. Comment deadline September 25, 2023. 
• Recirculation* - ASB Standard 180, Standard for the Selection and Evaluation of GenBank® Results for Taxonomic Assignment of Wildlife. Comment deadline September 25, 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 forensic science standards. Email accreditation [at] astm.org to request an electronic copy of a document. Submit your comments to accreditation [at] astm.org (and copy psa [at] ansi.org) by September 25, 2023.  

Fire Debris & Explosives

• ASTM WK73482-202x, Practice for Reporting Results and Opinions of Ignitable Liquids Analysis (new standard).
• ASTM WK81724-202x, Standard Classification for Ignitable Liquids Encountered in Fire Debris Analysis (new standard).
• ASTM E1388-202x, Practice for Static Headspace Sampling of Vapors from Fire Debris Samples (revision of ANSI/ASTM E1388-2017).

Forensic Nursing

• ASTM E2057-202x, Specifications for Preparation of Laboratory Analysis Requests in Sexual Assault Investigations (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2057-10 (2015)).

Gunshot Residue

• ASTM WK72856-202x, Practice for Collection and Preservation of Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) (new standard).
  • NOTE: This is currently on the OSAC Registry as OSAC 2021-N-0009.

Interdisciplinary

• ASTM WK77530-202x, Practice for Forensic Integrity Training (new standard).
• ASTM E1188-202x, Practice for Collection and Preservation of Information and Physical Items by a Technical Investigator (revision of ANSI/ASTM E1188-11 (2017)).
• ASTM E2917-202x, Practice for Forensic Science Practitioner Training, Continuing Education, and Professional Development Programs (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2917-19a).

Trace

• ASTM WK78747-202x, Guide for Forensic Examination of Fibers (new standard).
  • NOTE: This is currently on the OSAC Registry as OSAC 2022-S-0019.
• ASTM WK78748-202x, Practice for Forensic Fiber Training Program (new standard)
  • NOTE: This is currently on the OSAC Registry as OSAC 2022-N-0018.
• ASTM WK78749-202x, Guide for Microspectrophotometry in Forensic Fiber Analysis (new standard).
  • NOTE: This is currently on the OSAC Registry as OSAC 2022-S-0017.
• ASTM E2927-202x, 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).

• ASTM E3272-202x, Guide for Collection of Soils and Other Geological Evidence for Criminal Forensic Applications (revision of ANSI/ASTM E3272-21).

• ASTM E3294-202x, Guide for Forensic Analysis of Geological Materials by Powder X-Ray Diffraction (revision of ANSI/ASTM E3294-22).

FISWG

The Facial Identification Working Group (FISWG) is currently soliciting public comments on the following forensic science standards. Please visit the FISWG website for submission instructions and commenting template. Comments will be accepted until October 14, 2023.  

• Facial Identification Practitioner Code of Ethics.
• Facial Recognition Systems Operation Assurance: Lessons Learned in Investigative Searches.
• Facial Recognition Systems Operation Assurance: Preserving Image Quality in Desktop Documents.
• Guide for the Use of Facial Comparison Investigative Leads.
• Guideline for ACE-V Methodology in One-to-One Comparisons.

SWGDE

On July 30, 2023, SWGDE announced the following draft documents are open for comment by all interested parties. These documents will be open for comment for a minimum period of 60 days. Suggestions for modifications are welcome and must be submitted following the provided instructions specified on the cover page incorporated into each document. Submit your comments through the SWGDE Electronic Request for Modifications form.  

• SWGDE 20-A-001-2.0: Best Practices for the Enhancement of Digital Audio. 
• SWGDE 10-A001-3.0: Core Competencies for Forensic Audio. 
• SWGDE 17-V-002-1.2: Best Practices for Data Acquisition from Digital Video Recorders. 
• SWGDE 23-V-001-1.1: Best Practices for Video Authentication. 
• SWGDE 21-V-002-1.1: Considerations for Release of Synopsis Videos for Public Review. 
• SWGDE 18-M-001-2.1: Video and Audio Redaction Guidelines. 

On August 12, 2023, SWGDE announced the following draft documents are for comment by all interested parties. These documents will be open for comment for a minimum period of 60 days. Suggestions for modifications are welcome and must be submitted following the provided instructions specified on the cover page incorporated into each document. Submit your comments through the SWGDE Electronic Request for Modifications form.

• SWGDE 16-M-003-3.0: Digital Image Compression and File Format Guidelines.
• SWGDE 17-P-003-2.0: Guidelines for Digital Imaging of Footwear and Tire Impressions.
• SWGDE 23-F-004-1.0: Best Practices for Digital Evidence Acquisition, Preservation, and Analysis from Cloud Service Providers.
• SWGDE 23-F-002-1.0: Position on the Use of Reverse Location Data for Investigative Purposes. 
• SWGDE 23-P-002-1.0: Recommendations for Mobile Device Photography for Comparative Analysis.