OSAC Standards Bulletin - December 2025

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sent this bulletin at 12/02/2025 10:03 AM EST

NIST has made some important changes to OSAC’s organizational structure, authorities, and processes, effective October 1, 2025. These changes are designed to improve OSAC's operational efficiencies and strengthen our support of NIST’s mission. Learn more about these changes.

December 2025

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science's Standards Bulletin provides a monthly update on forensic science standards moving through the OSAC Registry approval process and the development process at standards developing organizations (SDOs). This publication covers the forensic science standards activities from September - November 2025.

OSAC Registry Updates

The following seven OSAC Proposed Standards have been added to the OSAC Registry (effective October 7, 2025).

OSAC 2024-S-0017, Standard Guide for Forensic Physical Fit Examination of Documentary Evidence.
OSAC 2024-S-0023, Standard for the Systematic Verification of Alternative Training Aids for Detection Canine Disciplines.
OSAC 2025-S-0010, Standard Practice for Reporting Results of the Analysis of Seized Drugs.
OSAC 2025-S-0011, Standard Practice for Polarized Light Microscopy in the Forensic Examination and Comparison of Soils.
OSAC 2025-S-0012, Best Practice Recommendations for Publicly Sharing Short Tandem Repeat Data from Wildlife Panels.
OSAC 2025-S-0013, Standard for a Quality Assurance Program in Forensic Anthropology.
OSAC 2025-S-0014, Guidelines for a Quality Assurance Program in Forensic Anthropology.

Visit the OSAC Registry to view the 245 standards currently available.

Standards Open for Comment

Open for Comment at OSAC. There are no standards currently open for comment at OSAC.

Open for Comment at SDOs. The following SDOs are accepting public comments on documents:

The Academy Standards Board (ASB) has seven documents open for public comment in the areas of friction ridge (comment deadline December 8), forensic nursing (comment deadline December 8), collection and preservation of document evidence (comment deadline December 15), bloodstain pattern analysis (comment deadline December 22), and forensic toxicology (comment deadlines December 22 and January 12, 2026).
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has one document, NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, open for public comment until January 6, 2026.
The Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) has four documents open for public comment until January 4, 2026.

Visit OSAC's Standards Open for Comment webpage to access these documents, as well as the instructions and deadlines for comment submissions.

SDO Updates

New Published Standards. The following standards have recently been published by an SDO.

ASB:

ASB Technical Report 012, Technical Report on the Articulation of the Reasoning and Foundational Principles Behind Friction Ridge Examinations. 2025. 1st Ed.
ASB Technical Report 071, Forensic Document Examination Terms and Definitions. 2025. 1st Ed.
ANSI/ASB Standard 105, Minimum Education Requirements for Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Trainees. 2025. 2nd Ed.
ANSI/ASB Standard 124, Minimum Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program. 2025. 1st Ed.
- NOTE: This is the SDO-published version of OSAC 2021-N-0012 Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Program, currently on the OSAC Registry.
ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 193, Best Practice Recommendations for Determining What Scene and Death Locations a Medicolegal Death Investigation Authority Should Respond to for Investigation. 2025. 1st Ed.
- NOTE: This is the SDO-published version of OSAC 2022-N-0027 Medicolegal Death Investigation Response to Death Locations and Incident Scenes: Best Practice Recommendation, currently on the OSAC Registry.
ANSI/ASB Standard 195, Standard for Scene Response: Initial Response by Scene Investigators. 2025. 1st Ed.
- NOTE: This is the SDO-published version of OSAC 2022-N-0025 Standard for Scene Response: Initial Response by Scene Investigators, currently on the OSAC Registry.
ANSI/ASB Standard 198, Standard for the Technical Review of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Reporting. 2025. 1st Ed.
- NOTE: This is the SDO-published version of OSAC 2021-S-0011 Standard for the Technical Review of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Reporting, currently on the OSAC Registry.

ASTM:

ANSI/ASTM E1492-25 Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing and Retrieving Evidence by a Forensic Service Provider.
ANSI/ASTM E1732-25e1 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science.
ANSI/ASTM E2881-25 Standard Test Method for Extraction and Derivation of Vegetable Oils and Fats from Fire Debris and Liquid Samples with Analysis by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2881-18).
ANSI/ASTM E2998-25a Standard Practice for Identification and Classification of Smokeless Powder.
ANSI/ASTM E2999-25a Standard Test Methods for Analysis of Organic Compounds in Smokeless Powder by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.
ANSI/ASTM E3189-19(R2025) Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Static Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube (reaffirmation of ANSI/ASTM E3189-19).
ANSI/ASTM E3328-25 Standard Guide for Forensic Collection, Analysis, Comparison, and Evaluation of Glass.
ANSI/ASTM E3404-25 Standard Guide for Forensic Examination of Fibers.
- NOTE: This is the SDO-published version of OSAC 2022-S-0019 Standard Guide for Forensic Examination of Fibers, currently on the OSAC Registry.
ANSI/ASTM E3510-25 Standard Terminology Relating to Trace Materials Analysis.

SWGDE:

2025-08-21 Best Practices for Data Acquisition from Digital Video Recorders (17-V-002-1.4).
2025-08-21 Best Practices for Digital Forensic Video Analysis (18-V-001-2.0).
2025-08-21 Best Practices for Enhancement of Digital Audio (20-A-001-2.0).
2025-08-21 Best Practices for Mobile Device Evidence Collection & Preservation Handling and Acquisition (18-F-003-2.0).
2025-08-21 Technical Aspects of Digital Cameras (25-P-001-1.0).
2025-08-19 Guidelines for Testing a Camera or Scanner for the Capture of Friction Ridge Detail (16-P-002-2.0).
2025-08-19 Photographic Equipment and Infrastructure Recommendations (16-P-001-2.0).
2025-08-06 Guidelines for Capturing Friction Ridge Detail (17-P-002-2.0).
2025-08-05 Best Practices for Computer Forensic Acquisitions (17-F-002-2.1).
2025-08-01 Guidelines for Digital Imaging of Footwear and Tire Impressions (17-P-003-2.0).
2025-08-01 Image Categories in Forensic Science (23-P-001-1.0).
2025-07-31 Best Practices for Drone Forensics (21-F-002-1.2).
2025-07-28 Best Practices for Computer Forensic Examinations (18-F-001-2.0).
2025-07-12 Core Competencies for Mobile Device Forensics (12-F-003-2.0).

Withdrawn Standards. The following document has been proposed to be withdrawn by ASB.

ANSI/ASB Standard 053, Standard for Report Content in Forensic Toxicology. This content will be incorporated into the revision of ASB Standard 037, Standard for Reports and Testimony in Forensic Toxicology, 2nd Ed. Submit comments on this proposal to tambrosius@aafs.org by December 29, 2025.

Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards

A Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) was published in ANSI's Standards Action which will begin work on the following standards.

ASB:

ASB Standard 018-202x, Standard for Validation of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB 018-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides the requirements for forensic DNA testing laboratories for the validation of probabilistic genotyping systems related to interpreting autosomal STR results, and for the development and verification of the protocol for use in casework. (PINS published in the September 12, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 023-202x, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Isolation and Purification Methods (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB 023-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides the requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program for the isolation and purification of DNA. (PINS published in the September 12, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 038-202x, Standard for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Analysis Methods (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB 038-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides the general requirements for performing internal validation of all forensic DNA analysis methods within a forensic DNA laboratory. (PINS published in the November 14, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 077-202x, Standard for the Development and Internal Validation of Forensic Serological Methods (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB Std 077-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides requirements for developmental and internal validations of forensic serological methods to evaluate body fluids, stains, or residues related to forensic investigations. (PINS published in the November 14, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 110-202x, Standard for Training in Forensic Serological Methods (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB 110-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides the general requirements for a forensic serology training program to evaluate body fluids, stains, or residues related to forensic investigations. (PINS published in the November 14, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 115-202x, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Short Tandem Repeat Typing Methods using Amplification, Separation, and Allele Detection (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB Std 115-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides the requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program for forensic DNA short tandem repeat typing methods using amplification, separation, and allele detection. (PINS published in the September 12, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 116-202x, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Quantification Methods (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB 116-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard provides the requirements for a forensic DNA laboratory’s training program for DNA quantification. (PINS published in the September 12, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Standard 237-202x, Standard for the Expression of Opinions in Forensic Document Examination (new standard). This standard provides requirements for the expression of opinions by forensic document examiners when performing comparisons relating to source determination. This establishes requirements for the use of statements of relative support based on the evidence. This document does not regularize inferences exclusively based on automated systems, or statistical models. (Published in the October 10, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
- NOTE: This is OSAC 2022-S-0034, currently on the OSAC Registry.
ASB Standard 238-202x, Standard for the Examination of Signatures (new standard). This standard provides the required procedures and limitations for the examination of handwritten “wet ink” signatures, or copies of these signatures. This standard does not include procedures for the examination of Digitally Captured Signatures or electronic signatures. (PINS published in the October 10, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).
ASB Best Practice Recommendation 240-202x, Best Practice Recommendation for Medicolegal Death Investigation Authorities in Locating and Notifying Next of Kin. This document provides best practice recommendations for identifying, locating, and notifying next-of-kin or other legally authorized parties encountered during medicolegal death investigations. This document does not provide recommendations for mass fatality events involving a family assistance/reunification center or victim assistance center. In the case of multiple fatalities, adaptation and enhanced collaboration may be necessary. (PINS published in the October 17, 2025 ANSI Standards Action).

ASTM:

WK96121-202x, Practice for Establishing Governance for the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Forensic Science Disciplines (new standard). This new standard provides minimum criteria for forensic science providers establishing governance documents for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in forensic science disciplines, in order to ensure effectiveness and reliability. This standard delineates the framework of AI systems in a forensic science setting and the requirements for the use of these systems. This standard provides a roadmap for the standardized deployment of AI processes in forensic settings, while addressing roles, accountability, risk management, trust, lifecycle management, and compliance. (Published in the September 5, 2025, ANSI Standards Action).
WK96359-202x, Guide for Polarized Light Microscopy in the Forensic Examination and Comparison of Soils (new standard). This standard aims to provide guidance for examination of soils as trace evidence by means of polarized light microscopy. This examination method is typically used within a larger examination scheme. Those who might perform this examination include scientists in forensic laboratories or geoscientists in research institutions asked to assist in a forensic case. This document provides a framework for interpreting PLM results for forensic interpretation. (Published in the September 26, 2025, ANSI Standards Action).
- NOTE: This is OSAC 2025-S-0011, which was added to the OSAC Registry on October 7, 2025.

Other Forensic Science Standards-Related News & Events

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