MN HF2156

Requires forensic laboratories in Minnesota operating on or after January 1, 2015, to be accredited by an accrediting body that meets Federal Bureau of Investigation standards and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation requirements.

DNA analysis laboratories must be accredited under FBI Quality Assurance Standards for DNA or Databasing Laboratories and ISO/IEC 17025, or must begin the formal accreditation process.

Toxicology, controlled substance identification, and trace evidence laboratories must be accredited under forensic-specific requirements and ISO/IEC 17025, or begin formal accreditation.

Latent print, impression evidence, firearms, toolmarks, questioned documents, and bloodstain pattern analysis laboratories must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 or ISO/IEC 17020, or begin formal accreditation.

New or resuming laboratories have three years from the effective date to achieve accreditation, with the option for Commissioner of Public Safety to grant one-year extensions; laboratories must post accreditation certificates and compliance affirmations on the Department of Public Safety website.