ASB – Decision of an ANSI Appeal

The Academy Standards Board (ASB) is an accredited standards developing organization (SDO) that has existed for 10 years. It maintains 15 consensus bodies that produce ANSI-approved standards across multiple forensic disciplines. By offering six different interest categories, the ASB strives to achieve balance and prevent dominance within those categories.

In August 2026, ANSI heard an appeal regarding ASB 155, Standard for Minimum Training Requirements for Forensic Document Examiners, alleging that the ASB had failed to comply with the ANSI Essential Requirements concerning dominance and outreach efforts to achieve balance within the consensus body. Last week, ANSI reached a decision reversing its approval of ASB 155, stating that the ASB had an obligation to demonstrate and document compliance with the requirement to prevent dominance.

A path forward includes the ASB conducting a review of balance and dominance within the forensic document examination consensus body and then submitting new evidence of procedural compliance in support of approval of ASB 155 once the issues identified in the appeal decision have been remedied. Although the ANSI appeal decision specifically concerned ASB 155, the SDO will take this opportunity to reassess the internal procedures used to evaluate balance and dominance more broadly and, ultimately, improve the process.