January 2026
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).
OSAC Registry Updates
The following SDO-published standards have been extended on the OSAC Registry for an additional three years (effective January 6, 2026).
- ANSI/ASTM E3233-20 Standard Practice for Forensic Tape Analysis Training Program.
- ANSI/ASTM E3234-20 Standard Practice for Forensic Paint Analysis Training Program.
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 ten documents open for public comment in the areas of forensic toxicology (comment deadline January 15, 2026), forensic anthropology (comment deadline January 19, 2026), biology/DNA (comment deadlines January 19 and February 12, 2026), crime scene investigation and reconstruction (comment deadline January 19, 2026), medicolegal death investigation (comment deadline January 19, 2026), and friction ridge (comment deadline February 16, 2026).
- ASTM has four documents open for comment in the areas of gunshot residue (comment deadline January 19, 2026), facial and iris identification (comment deadlines January 19 and February 16, 2026) and trace materials (comment deadline February 16, 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.
ASTM:
- ANSI/ASTM E3328-25 Standard Guide for the Forensic Collection, Analysis, Comparison and Evaluation of Glass.
- ANSI/ASTM E3457-25 Standard Guide for Detection and Preservation of Forensic Trace Evidence.
- NOTE: This is the SDO-published version of OSAC 2023-N-0027, Standard Guide for Forensic Trace Evidence Recovery, currently on the OSAC Registry.
Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE):
- 2025-11-20 Best Practices for Digital Evidence Collection (18-F-002-2.0).
- 2025-11-20 Best Practices for Digital Forensic Video Analysis (18-V-001-2.0).
- 2025-11-20 Considerations for Focused Collection of Digital Evidence (14-F-003-2.0).
- 2025-11-20 Legal and Scientific Support Relating to the Admissibility of Image Examinations (23-I-001-1.0).
Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards
A Project Initiation Notification (PINS) was published in the January 2, 2026 ANSI Standards Action. This will begin work on the following ASB standards.
- ASB Standard 035, Standard for the Examination of Documents for Alterations (this is a revision of ANSI/ASB 035-2020, which is currently on the OSAC Registry). This standard summarizes commonly accepted techniques, technologies, and procedures in examinations of handwriting, inks, papers, and the decipherment of obliterated entries.
- ASB Standard 117, Standard for the Examination of Stamping Devices and Stamp Impressions (revision of ANSI/ASB 117-2020). This standard summarizes commonly accepted techniques, technologies, and procedures for forensic document examiners encountering cases involving stamping device impressions.
Other Forensic Science Standards-Related News & Events
New Report Reveals Evidence Handlers' Common Practices, Makes Recommendations
In 2021, a committee established by NIST and NIJ surveyed evidence handlers to identify best practices in retention, preservation, integrity, and disposition of evidence and property. Results of that survey have been published in three volumes:
- The main report in which the evidence management lifecycle is considered alongside survey results and takeaways (SP 1500-33A).
- A statistical analysis of the survey responses (SP 1500-33B).
- An expanded bibliography of research literature considered by the committee (SP 1500-33C).
- The raw survey data (https://doi.org/10.18434/mds2-3834).
Visit NIST’s Evidence Management webpage and this news update to learn more about this effort.
NIST Publishes New Report Explaining Principles of Method Validation
In December 2025, NIST published a new Interagency Report (NISTIR 8589), Validation in Forensic Science: Guiding Principles for the Collection and Use of Validation Data. This report explains the principles that support method validation in forensic science, helping improve quality assurance and reliability in forensic analyses. The full report is now publicly available online at https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8589.
|
RaDAR Program
NIST’s Rapid Drug Analysis and Research (RaDAR) lab provides near real-time insight into the nation’s illicit drug landscape. By analyzing drug samples sent from local, state, and federal partners, the lab identifies new compounds appearing in the illegal drug supply that may pose a health and safety threat to users, public health workers and law enforcement.
Learn more about the RaDAR program in this video and check out the November 2025 RaDAR Newsletter to see the recent findings.
Public Review of Revised ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers Operating Procedures
ASTM International has submitted revisions to its currently accredited Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees for documenting consensus on ASTM-sponsored American National Standards, under which it was last reaccredited in 2021. As the revisions appear to be substantive in nature, the reaccreditation process has been initiated.
To obtain a copy of the revised procedures or to offer comments, please contact: Kate Chalfin (kchalfin@astm.org).
To view/download a copy of the revisions during the public review period, click here.
Please submit any public comments on the revised procedures directly to ASTM by January 12, 2026, with a copy to the ExSC Recording Secretary in ANSI’s New York Office (jthompso@ANSI.org).
|
Upcoming Standard-Related Events
- SWGDE Meeting, January 12 - 15, 2026, San Jose, CA.
- 2026 American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Scientific Conference, February 9 - 14, 2026, New Orleans, LA.
Missed any of our previous issues? Check them out here:
|
