On November 16-17, 2023, the National Association of Forensic Science Boards will hold its first meeting in Austin, Texas at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center on the Texas Capitol Complex. CONFERENCE PROGRAM
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Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Erika Ziemak and reappointed Jeffrey Barnard, M.D., Mark Daniel, Sarah Kerrigan, Ph.D., and Jarvis Parsons to the Texas Forensic Science Commission for terms set to expire on August 31, 2025.
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November 2-3 program on Understanding Forensic DNA for Lawyers and Judges. This conference is free and will use a sexual assault crime scenario to explore DNA issues that arise during criminal investigations, at trial, and in post-conviction proceedings.
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On Friday, November 22, 2019, NIST published notice of the Texas Forensic Science Commission's recommendation that Texas-accredited labs voluntarily adopt OSAC registry standards.
NIST Press Release
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Commission Recommendation to follow FBI's Non-CODIS Rapid DNA Best Practices
September 30, 2019
The FBI's Non-CODIS Rapid DNA Best Practices/Outreach and Courtroom Considerations Task Group has issued guidance for law enforcement agencies implementing Rapid DNA technology for crime scene sample analysis. The Commission recommends agencies using the technology follow the guidance in the document.
Click here to read the full article
Governor Abbott has reappointed Jeffrey Barnard, M.D., Mark Daniel, Dennis "Pat" Johnson, Sarah Kerrigan, Ph.D., and Jarvis Parsons to the Texas Forensic Science Commission for terms set to expire on September 1, 2021.
Governor's Announcement
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Our General Counsel has been invited by Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson to speak before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, & Technology at a hearing on forensic science and standards, beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET, 9:30 a.m. Central Time, September 10, 2019. You can access the hearing at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrNIUTJK8hI&feature=youtu.be
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The Commission issued a document describing the impact of the federal farm bill and similar state legislation on forensic analysis of seized drugs in the crime laboratory as well as observations from the Office of Court Administration regarding case filing data. A copy of the document can be found here:
Hemp Legislation and Marihuana Prosecution Doc
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Below is a link to an article that originated as a suggestion after the Commission's STRmix Symposium last year, from several folks (especially lawyers) wanting a better understanding of the diagnostics and reporting of STRmix results.
ARTICLE
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The Commission has issued a memorandum of guidance for questions related to the Becton Dickinson (BD) recall notification for BD Vacutainer® Fluoride Tubes for Blood Alcohol Determinations (grey top tubes) catalog number 367001 and lot number 8187663. Click here for a copy of the Commission's memorandum.
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DNA Mixtures: A Forensic Science Explainer, April 3, 2019
April 11, 2019
Read the full article.
Governor Abbott Appoints Four to Texas Forensic Science Commission
April 05, 2019
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Patrick Buzzini, Ph.D. and reappointed Bruce Budowle, Ph.D., Nancy Downing, Ph.D., and Jasmine Drake, Ph.D. to the Texas Forensic Science Commission for terms set to expire on September 1, 2020.
April 4, 2019
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HB-34 Report on Field Drug Testing and Crime Scene Investigation
December 18, 2018
The Commission recently published a report pursuant to the 85th Legislature's HB-34 describing its recommendations with regard to field drug testing and crime scene investigation in Texas. Report Copy.
Office of Court Administration Publishes Annual Report
December 03, 2018
The Office of Court Administration, the Forensic Science Commission's parent agency, published the Annual Report of the Judicial Support Agencies, Boards and Commissions. The report provides an overview of the activities and accomplishments of these entities during Fiscal Year 2018.
Governor Abbott Reappoints Five To The Texas Forensic Science Commission
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Commission Releases General Forensic Analyst Licensing Exam Pilot Results
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Commission Releases Sixth Annual Report
January 24, 2018
On December 1, 2017, the Commission released its Sixth Annual Report, covering Commission activities from December 1, 2016 through November 30, 2017.
Speaking of Error in Forensic Science
September 06, 2017
Some forensic scientists are working to modernize the air travel industry’s approach to managing error, and many of them were present at the International Forensic Science Error Management Symposium, held last month at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Read the full article on the NIST website.
National Institute of Justice Releases Report on State Forensic Science Commissions
April 03, 2017
Read the full report.
Read Governor Abbott's announcement and biographies of each of the appointees, on the Office of the Governor's website.
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Commission Releases Austin Police Department DNA Section Audit Report
July 12, 2016
Download the report from Dropbox.