Credit: JP Jones, NIST
Texas State Capitol
The Texas Forensic Science Commission has recommended that all crime laboratories accredited to perform forensic analysis in the State of Texas voluntarily adopt the standards listed on the Registry of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science. These standards define minimum requirements, best practices, scientific protocols and other guidance to help ensure that the results of forensic analysis are reliable and reproducible.
The recommendation passed unanimously at the October 25, 2019 meeting of the Commission in Austin, Texas. “We see this as another positive step forward in improving the quality of forensic analysis conducted in Texas,” said Commission general counsel Lynn Garcia.
The recommendation was limited to the standards currently on the OSAC Registry. It does not apply to the many standards still under development or review by OSAC, which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, the adoption of standards is recommended; it is not currently mandatory.
The Texas Forensic Science Commission is the first regulatory body in the United States to recommend implementation of standards on the OSAC Registry. Among its many past actions, the Commission, a national leader in forensic oversight and reform, has imposed mandatory accreditation and licensing requirements and has recommended a moratorium on the admissibility of bitemark comparison evidence.
OSAC, which is administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), works to strengthen the nation’s use of forensic science by facilitating the development of technically sound standards and promoting their adoptio ..
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