| (a) Issuance and renewal. The Commission may issue
or renew accreditation under this section.
(b) Application. An applicant for full Commission accreditation
must complete and submit to the Commission a current Laboratory Accreditation
Form and attach copies of the following:
(1) an accreditation certificate and letter of notification
of accreditation from a recognized accrediting body; and
(2) each document provided by the recognized accrediting
body that identifies the discipline or category of analysis for which
the laboratory has received accreditation and any limitation or restriction
regarding that accreditation.
(c) Additional information. The Commission may require
additional information to properly evaluate the application either
as part of the original application or as supplemental information.
(d) Reports to the Commission:
(1) If accredited by ANAB, a laboratory must provide
the Commission with a copy of each accreditation assessment report,
including but not limited to any on-site surveillance assessment report,
off-site surveillance assessment report, scope extension assessment
report, Federal Bureau of Investigation Quality Assurance Standards
Audit for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories report, ABFT Checklist
report, as well as any management system's internal or external audit
report, or any other reports required pursuant to compliance with
accreditation by the laboratory within 5 days of completion or receipt
of the report. If accredited by A2LA, a laboratory must provide the
Commission with a copy of each equivalent report within 5 days of
completion or receipt of the report.
(2) A laboratory must provide the Commission with a
copy of all substantive communications between the laboratory and
the recognized accrediting body. The laboratory must submit the copy
to the Commission no later than 10 days after the date the laboratory
receives or transmits the correspondence, report, or communication.
(3) A laboratory that either voluntarily makes a decision
to discontinue accreditation or is informed by its accrediting body
of the accrediting body's decision to discontinue its accreditation
in a specific forensic discipline or category of analysis must submit
written notification to the Commission no later than 5 business days
after the effective date of the discontinuation.
(e) Federal forensic laboratories. A federal forensic
laboratory is deemed to be accredited by the Commission without application
provided that the laboratory is accredited by a recognized accrediting
body as provided under §651.4 of this subchapter (relating to
List of Recognized Accrediting Bodies). A laboratory deemed accredited
is not subject to the reporting requirements of this subchapter or
the processes provided under Subchapter B of this chapter (relating
to Complaints, Special Review, and Administrative Action).
|
| Source Note: The provisions of this §651.8 adopted to be effective June 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 4438; transferred effective September 1, 2015, as published in the Texas Register July 31, 2015, 40 TexReg 4907; amended to be effective December 24, 2015, 40 TexReg 9305; amended to be effective October 8, 2017, 42 TexReg 5489; amended to be effective February 25, 2024, 49 TexReg 877 |
