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Department of Public Safety

• DNA Testing/Crime Labs - In its current posture, HB1 contains $11 million total for DNA testing and funding crime labs from the following sources:
  • $4 million in SGF (Direct) per Act 487 (SB 346) of the 2003 Regular Session of the Legislature for DNA testing of felons;
  • $3.4 million in state funding (fees and self-generated) built into the base budget for forensic testing and CODIS database samples;
  • $650,000 from surplus funds from the House of Representatives for "no-suspect rape kits." (1083 samples);
  • $2.5 million in Federal funds for "no-suspect backlog kits." (about 2,000);
  • and,$500,000 in SGF (Direct) to help fund regional crime labs.
     
• Senate Finance Committee added $1.5 million from the Insurance Fraud Fund for 13 positions in the Office of State Police to perform criminal investigations, per the request of the department. This funding was necessary due to an insufficient number of investigators for insurance fraud cases. The department was investigating 150 cases per year, yet receiving 200 new cases per year. Thus, a backlog of about 50 cases per year has been piling up with no staff available to investigate.
   
• The Office of State Police also received $21.3 million in Federal Funds that are to be interagency transferred from the Department of Military Affairs for homeland security activities and domestic preparedness grants to local governments.