Section 651.8 - Full Commission Accreditation(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).37 Tex. Admin. Code § 651.8
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 by Texas Register, Volume 40, Number 51, December 18, 2015, TexReg 9306, eff. 12/24/2015; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 42, Number 40, October 6, 2017, TexReg 5489, eff. 10/8/2017; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 49, Number 07, February 16, 2024, TexReg 0877, eff. 2/25/2024