June 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
New Standards Added to the Registry
The following two SDO-published standards have been added to the OSAC Registry (effective June 2, 2026):
Visit the OSAC Registry to view the 247 forensic science standards currently available.
Standards Open for Comment
Open for Comment at OSAC
The following OSAC Proposed Standard is being considered for the OSAC Registry and is open for comment at OSAC until July 7, 2026:
Open for Comment at SDOs and Other Organizations
The following SDOs and other standards setting organizations are accepting public comments on documents:
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Academy Standards Board (ASB) has has eight documents open for public comment in the areas of forensic anthropology (comment deadline June 8), friction ridge (comment deadlines June 8 and July 13), biology/DNA (comment deadlines June 15 and July 13), and bloodstain pattern analysis (comment deadline July 6).
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ASTM has three documents open for comment in the areas of facial identification, seized drugs, and trace materials (comment deadlines June 22).
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:
ADA:
- ANSI/ADA Standard No. 1058-2026, Dentistry - Forensic Dental Data Set (national adoption of ISO 20888:2020 with modifications and revision of ANSI/ADA Standard No. 1058-2010 (R2020)).
ASB:
- ANSI/ASB Standard 079, Standard for Training in the Use of Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). 2026. 1st Ed.
- ANSI/ASB Standard 080, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Reporting and Review. 2026. 1st Ed.
- ANSI/ASB Standard 091, Standard for Training in Analysis of Forensic Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Data. 2026. 1st Ed.
- ANSI/ASB Standard 136, Forensic Laboratory Standard for Prevention, Monitoring, and Mitigation of Human DNA Contamination. 2026. 1st Ed.
- ANSI/ASB Standard 155, Standard for Minimum Training Requirements for Forensic Document Examiners. 2026. 1st Ed.
ASTM:
- ANSI/ASTM E2548-26 Standard Guide for Sampling Seized Drugs for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis (revision of ANSI/ASTM E2548-16).
- NOTE: This will go through the Registry management process to replace the 2016 version which is currently on the OSAC Registry.
- ANSI/ASTM E3149-2026, Guide for Facial Image Comparison Feature List for Morphological Analysis (revision of ANSI/ASTM E3149-18).
- NOTE: This standard includes revisions to the 2018 version as well as the addition of an annex on the physical stability of facial features of adults. It will go through the Registry management process to replace the 2018 version and OSAC 2020-S-0002, Physical Stability of Facial Features of Adults, which are both currently on the OSAC Registry.
SWGDE:
- 2026-03-19 Guidelines for Low Light Crime Scene Photography (21-P-001-1.1).
- 2026-03-19 Guideline for the Use of Infrared Radiation (IR) in Forensic Science (19-P-002-1.1).
- 2026-03-19 Guidelines for the Use of Reflected Ultraviolet Radiation in Forensic Photography (19-P-001-1.1).
Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards
A Project Initiation Notification (PINS) was published in the May 15, 2026 ANSI Standards Action for the following standards and will begin ASB's work on them.
- ASB Standard 031, Standard for Report Writing in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (revision of ANSI/ASB Standard 031-2020). This document provides requirements for report writing in bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). Additionally, this document provides guidance regarding statements to be avoided in the report.
- ASB Standard 180, Standard for the Selection and Evaluation of GenBank® Results for Taxonomic Assignment of Wildlife (revision of ANSI/ASB Standard 180-2024). This standard provides the minimum requirements for selection and evaluation of DNA sequences retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s GenBank® and their subsequent use as reference material for taxonomic identification of wildlife. This standard does not cover the use of DNA sequences from other public sequence databases (e.g., BOLD, UNITE), the protocol for downloading sequences from GenBank® for inclusion in inhouse databases, or the use of custom BLAST searches against GenBank®. However, the criteria can be conceptually applied to other sequence databases.
Other Forensic Science Standards-Related News & Events
OSAC's Medicine SAC Visits NIST for In-Person Meetings
OSAC recently hosted its third in-person meeting for 2026. From May 5-7, members of OSAC's Medicine Scientific Area Committee (SAC) and its three subcommittees gathered at NIST to continue their work drafting and reviewing standards. These experts are helping to advance critical standards for forensic anthropology, forensic nursing, and medicolegal death investigation.
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Limited Free Copies of ISO 21043 Available for Eligible State & Local Forensic Providers
NIST has secured a limited number of copies of Parts 3, 4, and 5 of the recently published ISO 21043 forensic science standards. This series of international standards provides guidance and requirements for the entire forensic process - from the scene to the courtroom. To promote awareness, these copies are available for download free of charge to eligible state and local forensic providers. Visit the OSAC website to learn more about the ISO 21043 standards and how your organization can request access.
Upcoming Standards-Related Events
Join the Upcoming Webinar Series: "Demystifying ISO 21043"
The forensic science landscape is evolving, and staying ahead of international standards is more critical than ever. The United States Technical Advisory Group (U.S. TAG) to ISO/Technical Committee (TC) 272, in collaboration with American Academy of Forensic Sciences, is hosting an informative series of webinars, “Demystifying ISO 21043”.
WEBINAR 2: An Introduction to ISO 21043, Parts 1 and 2 | June 18 | 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm ET: This webinar (part 2 in a five-part series) will introduce attendees to ISO 21043 Parts 1 and 2 which cover vocabulary and recognition, recording, collecting, transport and storage of items respectively. In brief, Part 1 is essentially a decoder ring which sets the foundation for terms used throughout all five parts. Common terminology is critical for any standardized process, and this part serves as the basis for tying these documents together through harmonization of language. Part 2 opens the gateway to the forensic process by setting requirements for the recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence.
Mark your calendar for all Parts in the Demystifying ISO 21043 webinar series:
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July 16: Webinar 3: 21043 Part 3 - Analysis
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August 13: Webinar 4: 21043 Part 4 - Interpretation
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Webinar on ASTM E1732-25e1 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Sciences
ASTM and AAFS are hosting a webinar on ASTM E1732-25e1, the main terminology standard for all ASTM E30 standards. E1732 was first published in 1996 and was reformatted in 2024. Under E30.92, the E30 subcommittee on terminology, this standard is updated at least two times per year.
On June 30, join Karen Reczek, chair of E30.92, for a deep dive into E1732 and learn about its history and evolution, the other "main" terminology standards in E30, and the subcommittee's plans for continuous improvement.
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Upcoming Events.
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OSAC Trace Evidence SAC and Subcommittee Meetings, June 2-4, 2026, Gaithersburg, MD.
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OSAC Biology SAC and Subcommittee Meetings, June 16-18, 2026, Austin, TX.
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OSAC Scene SAC and Subcommittee Meetings, July 14-16, 2026, Boulder, CO.
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OSAC Seized Drugs & Toxicology SAC and Subcommittee Meetings, July 28-30, 2026, Mechanicsville, VA.
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Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) Quarterly Meeting, September 2-3, 2026, Dulles, VA.
Missed any of our previous issues? Check them out here:
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