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2014 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB5002 (Committee Approved)

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Forensic Scientists for PERK Examinations

Item 401 #1h

Item 401 #1h

First Year - FY2015 Second Year - FY2016
Public Safety
Forensic Science, Department of FY2015 $256,000 FY2016 $344,000 GF
FY2015 3.00 FY2016 3.00 FTE

Language
Page 330, line 5, strike "$40,527,829" and insert "$40,783,829".
Page 330, line 5, strike "$40,674,243" and insert "$41,018,243".
Page 330, after line 38, insert:
"C. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $256,000 the first year and $344,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to fill at least three positions to address critical backlogs at the state forensic laboratories.  It is the intent of the General Assembly that these positions primarily focus on performing biological examinations or other necessary functions relating to physical evidence recovery kits (PERKs), in order to reduce any backlog in unprocessed PERKs and to ensure forensic evidence relating to sexual assault cases is identified and more quickly processed in the future."


Explanation
(This amendment provides additional general fund dollars to the Department of Forensic Science to hire three additional forensic scientists to perform biological examinations in processing physical evidence recovery kits (PERKs). The goal is to reduce the Commonwealth's backlog of unprocessed PERKs and allow forensic evidence related to sexual assault cases to be more quickly processed in the future. PERKs collect DNA evidence used to document, investigate, and prosecute cases of sexual assault.)