Cornyn: Houston to Receive More Than $2.7M to Reduce DNA Testing Backlog & Help Solve Crimes

Cornyn: Houston to Receive More Than $2.7M to Reduce DNA Testing Backlog & Help Solve Crimes News Cornyn: Houston to Receive More Than $2.7M to Reduce DNA Testing Backlog & Help Solve Crimes Funding Made Possible Through Sen. Cornyn’s Debbie Smith Act April 29, 2026 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced today that the Houston Forensic Science Center and Harris County were awarded federal grants totaling $2,785,474 to reduce the backlog of DNA testing, including rape kits, and aid law enforcement efforts in investigating, prosecuting, and solving crimes. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program and was authorized by Sen. Cornyn’s Debbie Smith Act . Sen. Cornyn has long fought to eliminate the rape kit backlog and has successfully passed four separate laws to help mitigate this ongoing crisis. “Physical and scientific evidence, such as DNA testing, is one of the strongest tools prosectors have to deliver justice for crime victims,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Thanks to my Debbie Smith Act, we’ve made substantial progress in reducing the rape kit and forensic testing backlog, and these resources will build on that success by continuing to close the gap and hold perpetrators accountable.”