(a) Issuance. The Commission may issue an individual's forensic analyst license for forensic examinations or tests not subject to accreditation under this section.
(b) Voluntary. Licensure under this section is voluntary and is not a prerequisite for practice in any of the forensic disciplines listed in this section.
(c) The following forensic disciplines are eligible for a forensic analyst license under this section:
(1) forensic anthropology;
(2) document examination, including document authentication, physical comparison, and product determination;
(3) latent print examination; and
(4) digital/multimedia evidence (limited to computer, mobile, vehicle, call detail records ( i.e., phone carrier record comparisons to mobile device), and location detail records).
(d) Application. Before being issued a forensic analyst license, an applicant shall complete and submit to the Commission a current forensic analyst license application and provide documentation that he or she has satisfied all applicable requirements set forth under this section.
(e) Minimum Education Requirements.
(1) Document Examination Analyst. An applicant for a forensic analyst license in document examination must have a high school diploma or equivalent degree or higher ( i.e., baccalaureate or advanced degree).
(2) Forensic Anthropologist. An applicant for a forensic analyst license in forensic anthropology must be certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA), including fulfillment of any minimum education requirements required to comply with and maintain ABFA certification at the time of the candidate's application for a license.
(3) Latent Print Analyst. An applicant for a forensic analyst license in latent print examination must have:
(4) Digital/Multimedia Evidence Analyst. An applicant for a forensic analyst license in digital/multimedia evidence must have:
(5) Foreign/Non-U.S. degrees. The Commission shall recognize equivalent foreign, non-U.S. baccalaureate or advanced degrees. The Commission reserves the right to charge licensees a reasonable fee for credential evaluation services to assess how a particular foreign degree compares to a similar degree in the United States. The Commission may accept a previously obtained credential evaluation report from an applicant or licensee in fulfillment of the degree comparison assessment.
(f) Specific Coursework Requirements and Certification Requirements.
(1) General Requirement for Statistics. An applicant for any forensic analyst license under this section must have a three-semester credit hour (or equivalent) college-level statistics course from an accredited university or a program approved by the Commission.
(2) Forensic Discipline-Specific Coursework Requirements.
(3) Exemptions from Specific Coursework Requirements. Previously Licensed Document Examination Analyst Exemption. An applicant for a voluntary forensic analyst license previously licensed by the Commission when licensure was mandatory for the discipline is exempt from any specific coursework requirements in this subsection.
(g) General Forensic Analyst Licensing Exam Requirement.
(1) Exam Requirement. An applicant for a forensic analyst license under this section must pass the General Forensic Analyst Licensing Exam administered by the Commission.
(2) Credit for Pilot Exam. If an individual passes a Pilot General Forensic Analyst Licensing Exam, regardless of his or her eligibility status for a voluntary or mandatory Forensic Analyst License at the time the exam is taken, the candidate has fulfilled the General Forensic Analyst Licensing Exam Requirement of this subsection.
(h) Proficiency Monitoring Requirement.
(1) Requirement for Applicants Employed by an Accredited Laboratory. An applicant who is employed by an accredited laboratory must demonstrate the applicant participates in the laboratory's process for intra-laboratory comparison, inter-laboratory comparison, proficiency testing, or observation-based performance monitoring requirements in compliance with and on the timeline set forth by the laboratory's accrediting body's proficiency monitoring requirements as applicable to the Forensic Analyst's or Forensic Technician's specific forensic discipline and job duties.
(2) Requirement for Applicants Not Employed at an Accredited Laboratory or at an Accredited Laboratory in an Unaccredited Forensic Discipline. An applicant who is employed by an entity other than an accredited laboratory or performs a forensic examination or test at an accredited laboratory in a forensic discipline not covered by the scope of the laboratory's accreditation must demonstrate the applicant participates in the laboratory or employing entity's process for intra-laboratory comparison, inter-laboratory comparison, proficiency testing, or observation-based performance monitoring requirements in compliance with and on the timeline set forth by the laboratory or employing entity's Commission-approved process for proficiency monitoring as applicable to the Forensic Analyst's or Forensic Technician's specific forensic discipline and job duties.
(3) A signed certification by the laboratory or entity's authorized representative that the applicant has satisfied the applicable proficiency monitoring requirements, including any intra-laboratory comparison, inter-laboratory comparisons, proficiency testing, or observation-based performance monitoring requirements in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection as of the date of the analyst's application must be provided on the Proficiency Monitoring Certification form provided by the Commission. The licensee's authorized representative must designate the specific forensic discipline in which the Forensic Analyst or Forensic Technician actively performs forensic casework or is currently authorized to perform supervised or independent casework.
(4) Applicants employed by an entity other than an accredited laboratory or performing forensic examinations or tests at an accredited laboratory in a discipline not covered by the scope of the laboratory or employing entity's accreditation must include written proof of the Forensic Science Commission's approval described in (5) of this subsection with the Proficiency Monitoring Certification form required in (3) of this subsection. The applicant must include written documentation of performance in conformance with expected consensus results for the laboratory or employing entity's Commission-approved activities or exercise(s) as applicable to the applicant's specific forensic discipline and job duties in compliance with and on the timeline set forth by the laboratory or employing entity's Commission-approved process for proficiency monitoring.
(5) Applicants employed by an entity other than an accredited laboratory or performing forensic examinations or tests at an accredited laboratory in a discipline not covered by the scope of the laboratory or employing entity's accreditation seeking approval of proficiency monitoring activities or exercise(s) must seek prior approval of the activities or exercise(s) from the Commission.
(6) Special Proficiency Testing Requirements for Latent Print Analysts.
(i) Employing Laboratory Quality Requirement for Forensic Analysts. Applicants for a forensic analyst license under this section must be employed by a laboratory or agency that can demonstrate, regardless of Commission accreditation status, compliance with specific standards as applicable to the applicant's forensic discipline as published on the Commission's website and updated January 15 of each calendar year.
Cont'd...