Texas Administrative Code

Texas Administrative Code

TITLE 37	PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS
PART 15	TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION
CHAPTER 651	DNA, CODIS, FORENSIC ANALYSIS, AND CRIME LABORATORIES
SUBCHAPTER A	ACCREDITATION
RULE §651.3	Recognition Process

The Commission must recognize an accrediting body under this section if the Commission determines that the accrediting body:

(1) issues an accreditation that is accepted throughout the relevant scientific community and appropriate or available to a crime laboratory or other entity that conducts forensic analyses of physical evidence for use in criminal proceedings;

(2) has established adequate accreditation criteria reasonably likely to facilitate trustworthy forensic analysis;

(3) requires a periodic competency audit or review of the personnel, facilities, and procedures employed by a crime laboratory or other entity to conduct a forensic analysis; and

(4) withholds, grants, or withdraws its accreditation of a crime laboratory or other entity based on its own determination of a reasonable likelihood of meaningful corrective action for each deficiency noted during the periodic audit or review.

Source Note: The provisions of this §651.3 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