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HFSC warns national grant delays and outlines local proposals to address drug-case backlog
Summary
Houston Forensic Science Center leaders told the board that a recent Department of Justice rescission of grant funding could delay Debbie Smith Act awards nationwide and that HFSC has a congressional community-funded proposal to study and triage about 70,000 misdemeanor drug cases in HPD storage.
HFSC President and CEO Dr. Peter Stout updated the board on federal grant developments and Texas bills that could affect laboratory workload and funding.
Stout said the U.S. Department of Justice rescinded nearly $1 billion in grant funding in a recent action; while most rescinded funds did not directly target forensics, HFSC cited cancellation of the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence — a roughly $12 million National Institute of Justice project — as a material loss for forensic training and technology transfer nationwide. That program’s functions include technology evaluation and a federally mandated forensic laboratory needs assessment under the Justice for All Act, Stout said.
Immediate concern centers on capacity‑enhancement and backlog‑reduction grants (often associated with the Debbie Smith Act). Stout said the solicitation for the current funding cycle had not been released on its usual schedule, and laboratories…
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