1. (a) Forensic analysis/recognized accreditation. This section describes a forensic discipline or category of analysis that involves forensic analysis for use in a criminal proceeding and for which accreditation is available from a recognized accrediting body.

2. (b) By discipline. A crime laboratory may apply for Commission accreditation for one or more of the following disciplines:

   1. (1) Seized Drugs. Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: qualitative determination, quantitative measurement, weight measurement, and volume measurement;
   2. (2) Toxicology. Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: qualitative determination and quantitative measurement;
   3. (3) Forensic Biology. Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: DNA-STR, DNA-YSTR, DNA-Mitochondrial, DNA-massively parallel sequencing, body fluid identification, relationship testing, microbiology, individual characteristic database, and nucleic acids other than human DNA;
   4. (4) Rapid DNA. Rapid DNA analysis is the fully automated (hands-free) process of developing a CODIS acceptable STR profile from a casework reference or forensic sample. The "swab in- profile out" process consists of automated extraction, amplification, separation, detection and allele calling without human intervention.
   5. (5) Firearms/Toolmarks. Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: physical comparison, determination of functionality, length measurement, trigger pull force measurement, qualitative chemical determination, distance determination, ejection pattern determination, product (make/model) determination;
   6. (6) Materials (Trace). Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: physical determination, chemical determination, physical/chemical comparison, product (make/model) determination, gunshot residue analysis, footwear and tire tread analysis, and fire debris and explosives analysis (qualitative determination); or
   7. (7) Other discipline and its related categories of analysis if accredited by a recognized accrediting body and approved by the Commission.
3. (c) Cross-disciplines and categories of analysis. A laboratory may choose to assign a particular discipline or category of analysis to a different administrative section or unit in the laboratory than the designation set forth in this subchapter.
4. (d) If an accreditation for a category of analysis is accompanied by the term 'only' or a similar notation, the Commission will deem the accreditation to exclude other categories of analysis in that discipline.
5. (e) Accreditation of a confirmation test procedure does not carry automatic accreditation of an associated field, spot, screening, or other presumptive test.

Source Note:The provisions of this §651.5 adopted to be effective June 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 4438; amended to be effective August 19, 2010, 35 TexReg 7079; 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 January 23, 2018, 43 TexReg 357; amended to be effective May 8, 2018, 43 TexReg 2798; amended to be effective December 16, 2018, 43 TexReg 7909; amended to be effective July 15, 2019, 44 TexReg 3549; amended to be effective April 5, 2020, 45 TexReg 2318; amended to be effective July 11, 2021, 46 TexReg 4025; amended to be effective April 16, 2023, 48 TexReg 1968; amended to be effective July 23, 2023, 48 TexReg 3994; amended to be effective September 7, 2025, 50 TexReg 5717.