[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6558427,"mediaKeyId","3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c","parentId",3255444,"title","HFSC outlines upcoming accreditation surveillance, disclosures and training issues","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3739000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c&start=3739&end=3739","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c/thumbnail_3739000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6558427/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/HFSC-outlines-upcoming-accreditation-surveillance-disclosures-and-training-issues","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558427-d9196db49da617d611f13ef1ddd72f27/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917138&Signature=bSyyERQTbblJgdB6~-EEqli26FWLDwMS~Q6xuSKODtZliZOx8qrDHr08k0IsKl4PubPGmNu4KObGD2MLLzfUTs7O~JiOrGQ4lyoO4FAs2wF~Y~xgjzkfjuUmVrksbCZSSoA6ZM1YlEqKrhW1XAN~w2cLIyszLj2ulroBBE3MFoV9zclJKgsBai0D97LfJyi7IVFNScM8EHPifseiEeHbJIcsJjpR6Wg6cy25jtgwxQiXuCuB-x-TL3VhJhbLzEHzstGiFJddu4s9XiRwuFjnkuk8ApY0fJpysGTXJ-NYAY3LrgmTVvFGXtl1IZDeDyEVekERlX7qcgVce4J6A4Ic1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","article","HFSC’s quality and accreditation update to the board covered external audits, recent disclosures and internal changes to prevent recurrence.

The board heard that an A2LA (or equivalent) desk audit — described as a “surveillance assessment without witnessing” — will occur the week of July 7–11 and that HFSC expects a full reassessment next year. The surveillance assessment will focus on lab‑wide systems such as internal audits, management review and the performance‑monitoring program (including proficiency tests and blind samples).

Disclosures reviewed by the Texas Forensic Science Commission

HFSC recounted two disclosures that TFSC reviewed at its April 11 meeting. The first involved two blind quality‑control samples that were mistakenly uploaded into CODIS; HFSC said it removed the profiles and that the hits did not affect open investigations. The lab implemented process changes to mark blind samples electronically and said it had stopped using those particular blood blind samples.

The second disclosure involved a crime‑scene‑investigator trainee who performed unsupervised casework — including latent print processing on a magazine and comparative photography — before completing required supervised training. HFSC told the board the trainee is no longer employed and that the commission determined the lab’s root‑cause analysis and corrective actions were satisfactory; TFSC required no further action.

Why it matters: accreditation surveillance and the disclosures reinforce the need for robust supervision, internal audit and blind testing to detect both process and manufacturing issues. HFSC told the board it aims to be preventive rather than reactive and has annotated potential nonconformances in audits to manage future risk.

Ending

HFSC said it will provide an update after the July surveillance assessment and continue to refine internal controls, proficiency testing and blind programs to reduce risk of recurrence.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - Houston Forensic Science Center: Board of Directors Meeting - May 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","HFSC presented an accreditation update, including a planned July surveillance assessment, two disclosures reviewed by the Texas Forensic Science Commission (a blind sample CODIS upload and unsupervised CSI trainee casework), and corrective actions; the trainee is no longer employed.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6558432,"HFSC board approves annual corporate officers and reappoints vice chair",309,208000,517000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c&start=208&end=517","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c/thumbnail_208000.jpg","/articles/6558432/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/HFSC-board-approves-annual-corporate-officers-and-reappoints-vice-chair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558432-efafa920255867e70499427e27512fed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917138&Signature=BVzF9crhLEAGf3N5RHYrpLezFPBUCWB3F3Lv7pWxXIb5wZfjD4Qsai2nsZfWPXqXxxEbIHdZTEhdY4SXRiUJxEhcFoAXBNVt7JH-ndcoKwrd4r6vHia5L1-UOKQjwcF3aL06enGIt5UO21viJYWmqDoO2vjCldpjxUylzTBPxeIMrpU4HPP0G~i2kCEcie6IVp5MWka07NFmGXQ6ttP76TLlB~Db4WmgGq5hYVCSiHoAdpez8vEVDa5XP0g4xBCRY4mV-Ne76sxpG0nJdSpZRhKIlLDwKUiiOv8zXCZ3e~Q9boklBu8IEz~hcoD8gEZ9rGyrvR1YdsaMckDvYJm1Mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its meeting, the Houston Forensic Science Center board approved the March 14 meeting minutes, reappointed corporate officers for the coming year and selected the board vice chair for a term concluding at the May 2026 board meeting.

The board conducted a voice vote to approve the minutes and then voted to appoint corporate officers: Dr. Peter Stout as president, Dr. Amy Castillo as vice president, Mr. David Leach as treasurer and Ms. Natalie Vesey as secretary, each serving until the May 2026 board meeting. The motions carried unanimously.

The board then followed its 2020 resolution timing and held the annual selection of the vice chair. Chairwoman Cohen nominated Director Joanie Baird to continue serving as vice chair; Baird said she was honored and expressed enthusiasm for the role. The board reappointed Director Joanie Baird by voice vote; the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: these routine appointments maintain HFSC leadership continuity as the center implements technical changes, accreditation activities and case reviews discussed during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of March 14 meeting minutes — voice vote, motion carried unanimously.
- Appointment of corporate officers (Dr. Peter Stout, Dr. Amy Castillo, Mr. David Leach, Ms. Natalie Vesey) — voice vote, motion carried unanimously.
- Reappointment of Director Joanie Baird as board vice chair (term through May 2026) — voice vote, motion carried unanimously.

Ending

Board members congratulated the reappointed officers and moved on to operational reports and technical updates.","The Houston Forensic Science Center board approved minutes, reappointed corporate officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary) and reappointed Director Joanie Baird as vice chair in unanimous voice votes.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6558436,"HFSC warns national grant delays and outlines local proposals to address drug-case backlog",1437,813000,2250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c&start=813&end=2250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c/thumbnail_813000.jpg","/articles/6558436/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/HFSC-warns-national-grant-delays-and-outlines-local-proposals-to-address-drug-case-backlog","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558436-2e91560f6f46d111aed510379da71b39/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917138&Signature=EZrfyIouNwVUZTjW1opGyLRTqa-WYyxBcK5VJdm-jG5Qn7x32qYKH80VEJzxE6cngKZyoTZAePEzbGASuqgqMcSEv24mTbRJjNe~w2wUdWKmodfvrO9r7ERdrjN0ejHB70pewXsKj4nWq1zuxaVOuDQyLJaCrhWhgCs-IZmqjqpdwD26ctKdfnWkZu2Y~m3bH3xnRbqKR7TjAvMEq3LMoPlYQ8zsWTkedtksmumKXUXhcShnmgWLWsIUSyHDCh-FEjFsKVIH4-lzlgyal3UPzm6NdMF4xfJyeTEgsQ4bE9ROkifcFhwH2I-EDwGQAseRP2De8MCCFZ8AFDn6Lca~rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HFSC President and CEO Dr. Peter Stout updated the board on federal grant developments and Texas bills that could affect laboratory workload and funding.

Stout said the U.S. Department of Justice rescinded nearly $1 billion in grant funding in a recent action; while most rescinded funds did not directly target forensics, HFSC cited cancellation of the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence — a roughly $12 million National Institute of Justice project — as a material loss for forensic training and technology transfer nationwide. That program’s functions include technology evaluation and a federally mandated forensic laboratory needs assessment under the Justice for All Act, Stout said.

Immediate concern centers on capacity‑enhancement and backlog‑reduction grants (often associated with the Debbie Smith Act). Stout said the solicitation for the current funding cycle had not been released on its usual schedule, and laboratories nationwide that budget personnel on those awards may face gaps by December of this year; he said awards — if released now — often take about a year from solicitation to funding release. HFSC staff told the board they have contingency planning in place and that some state offices may provide short‑term help if federal funds are delayed.

Local proposal to triage 70,000 misdemeanor drug cases

HFSC described a separate, community-funded project selected for FY‑26 that would examine a backlog of about 70,000 misdemeanor drug cases in Houston Police Department storage. Stout said many of the cases originated from field‑test results; studies suggest a 3–5% false‑positive rate for those kits, which means the backlog might include roughly 2,100–3,500 cases where defendants pleaded based on a field test that later laboratory testing would not confirm. The HFSC proposal would test a subset of cases to develop indicators for triaging cases so that scarce testing funds are used where they are most needed.

Stout noted practical limits: many of the 70,000 items date back 20–30 years and materials may have degraded, and full brute‑force testing of the entire inventory could cost an estimated $10–15 million. HFSC said the project would seek to identify low‑risk cases and higher‑priority cases to make targeted use of limited resources.

State legislative developments

Stout also briefed the board on Texas legislation that could change lab workload or funding: SB 1620 and HB 5293 (forensic analyst apprenticeship program), SB 1660 (toxicology evidence retention, particularly DWI blood tubes), and HB 1280 (waivers for evidence preservation at adjudication points). He said SB 1620 had advanced out of committee and could create an apprenticeship pipeline if passed. On hemp/THC regulation, Stout summarized competing Senate and House approaches to SB 3: the Senate v. near‑total cannabinoid ban would simplify forensic testing thresholds, while the House substitute favors a regulatory framework and dedicates 25% of licensing fees to forensic labs — although Stout cautioned that fee revenues may not materialize in practice.

Why it matters: grants and law changes shape forensic lab staffing and what tests the lab is equipped to perform. Stout said HFSC had added roughly $2.5 million to its biology budget for the current year to shift work in‑house and reduce outsourcing; he forecast signoffs for additional analysts (two new seized‑drugs analysts now signed off for casework, four DNA analysts signed off in August 2025, and three more in early 2026) that will reduce backlog over time.

Ending

Stout told the board HFSC will continue contingency planning for federal grant delays, pursue local funding or community‑funded projects where appropriate, and monitor state legislation that could alter the lab’s analytical responsibilities.","Houston Forensic Science Center leaders told the board that a recent Department of Justice rescission of grant funding could delay Debbie Smith Act awards nationwide and that HFSC has a congressional community-funded proposal to study and triage about 70,000 misdemeanor drug cases in HPD storage.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6558441,"Houston lab identifies manufacturing defects in DNA cartridge tests; notifies prosecutors",1171,1943000,3114000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c&start=1943&end=3114","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255444-7bcd8d0825db24edbc8ef82f9cc83c6c/thumbnail_1943000.jpg","/articles/6558441/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-lab-identifies-manufacturing-defects-in-DNA-cartridge-tests-notifies-prosecutors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558441-5d5df1a3c78e98673d8133f30d3830cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917138&Signature=I4PNxCVgdjRIqQkX6rO8psufduEUz-UDRui9w8Er7ObidRyu1A5OCIm9R6ARcGlsc3qBoTdhHD0DMMe2p4KV2zpUc8HUdKLx2VLruZITXtrEDhbkfXHee0DBuneWme1kLFEI9eU0iIcgrBKFf74yCxz-ehnWsvk0V162LGe-Ja~QnlGWcAv3cbqSJhxoyrbSteeC7oEfYHJU8ko4VpXvLUsz8zOYlAYTgLblBpwG-qpNpm0HffUbpw8cWNhUp5MjJSAGC5M2FQl3sPw0ycEsIXI8HFUrc3Fien4OV2CMvCYr6mmP4b6uuRfMfIWaFLgAhaRnlVp3CTDih1E1MBzsUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) told its board that laboratory staff discovered manufacturing defects in QIAGEN DNA investigator cartridges that can produce low or no DNA recovery and potentially false-negative results in some samples.

The finding was disclosed during HFSC’s board meeting by President and CEO Dr. Peter Stout. He said the primary problem is an incorrect pH in one reagent position in occasional cartridges, which can yield low DNA recovery. “That profile could be potentially exonerating,” Stout said, describing the risk if a true DNA profile is missed. He added later, “So your reward for finding this is the cost and agony of having to fix it. Yep. That's our reward for it.”

HFSC staff, working with commercial partner Signature Science, traced the issue to specific reagent lots and halted use of affected lots while they investigated. Signature Science ran hundreds of comparative tests and HFSC reviewed 15 years of internal quality-control data. The lab said most historical results prior to the flagged timeframe remain supported by internal checks. HFSC focused notifications on a manufacturing window it considers higher risk and has informed Harris County prosecutors; the lab said prosecutors have issued Brady notice letters for affected cases.

Why this matters: a cartridge-level failure that causes a false negative can omit a probative DNA profile, affecting investigations or prior pleas. HFSC described three observed manufacturing problems: incorrect reagent pH producing low/no recovery; buffer migration into wrong wells; and magnetic beads appearing in the wrong well. The pH issue is not visibly detectable on the cartridge; other defects sometimes are.

Details, testing and scope

HFSC reported that an initial set of 43 impacted samples and follow-up testing of quality-control “blind” samples helped identify the association with particular lots. The laboratory pulled 87 past blind samples it had created and found only three behaved unexpectedly in that set. HFSC’s internal data review and external testing with Signature Science informed the decision to restrict and retest cases selectively rather than assume broad invalidation. The lab identified a narrow manufacturing timeframe it prioritized for review (the board discussion referenced February–October 2024 as the period QIAGEN had flagged, with HFSC using January 2024 as its internal cutoff for notifications), though HFSC said it could not guarantee no earlier impact.

HFSC said the cartridges cost roughly $14 each and that many samples require multiple cartridges, creating direct cost exposure. The lab is evaluating non‑cartridge extraction systems that would allow HFSC to QC reagent reservoirs centrally rather than rely on single‑use cartridges, but that would require validation time and additional procurement and budget resources.

Vendor response and next steps

Stout told the board QIAGEN replaced lots it described as affected and issued a North America notification, but HFSC said QIAGEN did not accept broad responsibility and that some lots QIAGEN listed did not include the lot implicated locally. HFSC described follow-up meetings that included national organizations and commercial partners to investigate manufacturing root causes.

HFSC has instituted additional quality-control measures with Signature Science and restarted testing under the heightened QC procedures. The lab also offered case-by-case review with prosecutors and defense counsel to determine whether retesting is warranted, and asked anyone who believes they have an impacted case to contact HFSC.

HFSC emphasized that the defects observed produce false negatives (missed profiles) and not false inclusions (no evidence the cartridge inserts incorrect profiles). The lab said its 15-year record on its existing instrument platform (EZ1/EZ2) shows consistent performance and that the problem appears tied to particular cartridge lots rather than to the platform itself.

Board response and broader context

Board members and staff discussed the scale of the audit effort and the national implications; Stout noted similar issues reported at other laboratories. HFSC said it has informed the Texas Forensic Science Commission and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and will continue updating stakeholders as retesting and audits proceed.

Forensic laboratories rely on a small number of reagent manufacturers; HFSC warned that defects at a single vendor can ripple nationwide and increase the cost of quality assurance for public labs.

Ending

HFSC said its biology and quality teams spearheaded the detection and that mitigating work is ongoing. The lab will assess budget and procurement implications if it transitions away from cartridge‑based workflows, and it will continue case-by-case notifications and retesting where warranted.","The Houston Forensic Science Center reported manufacturing defects in QIAGEN DNA investigator cartridges that can cause low or no DNA recovery, prompting case reviews, notifications to prosecutors and new quality-control steps while the lab evaluates non‑cartridge workflows.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

HFSC outlines upcoming accreditation surveillance, disclosures and training issues

HFSC board approves annual corporate officers and reappoints vice chair

HFSC warns national grant delays and outlines local proposals to address drug-case backlog

Houston lab identifies manufacturing defects in DNA cartridge tests; notifies prosecutors