Forensic institute outlines needs for staffing, CT workflow and solar backup in $25.6M proposal

The Institute of Forensic Sciences presented its FY2027 budget analysis and operational priorities to the House Finance Committee on April 21.

Dr. Conte Miller summarized key figures: FY2026 spending near $28.6 million, an FY2027 baseline of roughly $23.2 million and a preapproved FY2027 proposal of about $25.6 million that would restore some capacity above baseline. "El presupuesto para este año es... 25.6 millones," she said while walking through major variations by line item: payroll increases, bought services, facility expenses and a reduced CAPEX profile.

The institute emphasized personnel and technical capacity constraints. Testimony noted an administrative headcount of roughly 443 positions with 1,511 occupied positions cited elsewhere for the broader Justice enterprise; at the institute level, the panel reported a nominal listing of 111 vacancies but said only about five to ten additional hires are immediately necessary to maintain timely forensic outputs. The witnesses described a multi‑year succession strategy for training pathologists locally through an accredited forensic pathology program and listed three pathologists expected to join between 2026 and 2028 under staggered schedules.

Equipment and workflow upgrades were a focal point. The institute reported it already operates two CT scanners used for "virtual autopsy" workflows; staff described the scanners as cutting autopsy processing time dramatically, from hours to as little as 30 minutes for the CT portion of the workflow. Each scanner cost approximately $500,000, and the witnesses explained that interpretation of images currently requires contracted radiologists, some based in the mainland United States.

Witnesses also discussed resilience projects. The institute said a solar redundancy project is in the design phase; in testimony the figure for the effort was referenced inconsistently (witnesses at one point cited "about $7 million" and in another answer referenced the program in the context of an $18 million planning envelope). The committee requested written clarification of project scope and exact figures.

Panelists highlighted accreditation gains: recent laboratory accreditation reviews concluded without findings, which witnesses said supports the institute’s credibility and expedites the admission of forensic reports in court. Lawmakers asked for performance statistics (case resolution rates, average turnaround times) and were told the institute would supply those measures within five days.

The committee closed with requests for detailed cost lists, vacancy follow‑ups and a catalog of tech systems and modernization priorities for the data center (the institute cited about $946,000 for data center funding). Agencies agreed to deliver the requested documents to the commission within the stated timeframes.