Primary Department: Institute of Forensic Sciences
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Luis A. Sanchez, M.D., Executive Director & Chief Medical Examiner
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Award
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): 0
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
N/A: Application submitted prior to requirement/policy change
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Institute of Forensic Sciences for approval to accept from the Office of the Governor grant funds in the amount of $495,390.79, with no required match, for the FY 2025 Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program.
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Background and Discussion:
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS) Crime Laboratory provides analytical services to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Harris County Constables' Offices, and more than 50 other law enforcement agencies within Harris County. The population of Harris County was 4.8 million in 2022 with over half of these citizens served by law enforcement agencies that routinely submit evidence to the HCIFS. The HCIFS operates two separate forensic services: Medical Examiner and Crime Laboratory. The former is charged with determining the cause and manner of death of statutory cases that most times require forensic toxicology testing. The Crime Laboratory is a traditional forensic laboratory with sections dealing with seized drugs, forensic DNA, firearms identification, human performance toxicology, and trace evidence.
The Medical Examiner service continued to see significantly higher numbers of de...
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