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National Commission on Forensic Science

The Attorney General's National Commission on Forensic Science's (NCFS) charter expired on April 23, 2017.  The Commission's business document, Reflecting Back - Looking Toward the Future, summarizes the Commission's accomplishments and identifies work to be addressed going forward.

In 2013, the Department of Justice (DOJ) established the NCFS as a Federal Advisory Committee, in partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to enhance the practice and improve the reliability of forensic science. This unique partnership drew upon each agency's core strengths to promote scientific validity, reduce fragmentation, and improve federal coordination of forensic science.

The Commission was co-chaired by the Deputy Attorney General and the NIST Director and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards & Technology. Nelson Santos, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Forensic Sciences at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Dr. John M. Butler, Special Assistant to the NIST Director for forensic science, served as vice-chairs. Dr. Jonathan McGrath, Senior Policy Analyst for the Department’s National Institute of Justice, served as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Lindsay DePalma served as NCFS Program Manager.

The Commission included federal, state and local forensic science service providers; research scientists and academics; law enforcement officials; prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges; and other stakeholders from across the country.