Crime Laboratory Portal Records Grant Program

The Crime Laboratory Portal Records Grant Program is administered by the Public Safety Office (PSO) within the Texas Office of the Governor, using funds authorized by the Texas General Appropriations Act. This state-funded initiative is designed to support accredited crime laboratories in Texas in establishing and maintaining a computerized crime laboratory portal, as required by Section 411.162 of the Texas Government Code. The program provides up to $500,000 in total funding for fiscal year 2026, contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. The objective of this grant is to enhance the digital infrastructure for the efficient transfer and management of crime laboratory records. This includes eligible costs for IT infrastructure such as servers and APIs for integration, and digitization of records, including equipment, software, and necessary personnel. These improvements are intended to streamline interagency collaboration and increase the availability and reliability of forensic data used in criminal proceedings. Applications must be submitted through an affiliated unit of government (e.g., city, county, IHE with law enforcement). Eligible applicants must be accredited crime laboratories operating under the regulations of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, including compliance with forensic analyst licensing requirements. However, laboratories must submit applications through an affiliated unit of government, and those governments must provide an authorizing resolution. Additional eligibility conditions include compliance with statewide cybersecurity training mandates, disposition completeness thresholds in criminal history reporting, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) submission standards, participation in the state’s sexual assault evidence tracking system, and adherence to federal immigration enforcement policies. Applicants must also be registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM) and possess a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The application process is facilitated through the PSO’s eGrants website. Applications open on October 15, 2025, and must be submitted by 5:00 PM CST on November 20, 2025. Funded projects must begin no earlier than March 1, 2026, and may not exceed a 12-month duration. There is no minimum or maximum funding amount per award, and there is no matching requirement. Applications will be evaluated by PSO staff or a review panel based on eligibility, cost-effectiveness, and the availability of funds. The Office of the Governor retains the discretion to revise project scopes or reduce award amounts based on funding limitations. Grant recipients must comply with all applicable state and federal grant standards, including the Texas Grant Management Standards (TxGMS) and Federal Uniform Grant Guidance. For additional information, applicants can contact the eGrants help desk at [email protected] or by phone at (512) 463-1919.

Ensure all eligibility documentation is uploaded and current in eGrants; compliance with cybersecurity and data submission is strictly enforced and determines eligibility