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# West Virginia Awards $582,174 to Expand State Police DNA Testing
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-west-virginia-2026-09-15-a/
- Published: 2026-09-16T02:26:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T02:26:23.000Z
- Description: West Virginia is directing a $582,174 federal grant to the State Police forensic laboratory to expand DNA testing capacity, shorten turnaround times and add eligible profiles to the national CODIS database.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Virginia, West Virginia

West Virginia is directing $582,174 in federal funding to the State Police forensic laboratory to expand DNA testing capacity, a targeted investment intended to shorten turnaround times and prevent evidence backlogs from growing.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office [announced the award September 15](https://governor.wv.gov/article/governor-morrisey-awards-582174-state-police-expand-dna-testing-help-solve-crimes?ref=theamericanquorum.com), saying the money will support forensic DNA analysis, reduce processing delays and increase the number of qualifying profiles entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS. The announcement identifies the West Virginia State Police as the recipient but does not provide a procurement list, staffing target or projected completion date.

The grant comes through the U.S. Justice Department’s DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction program. The Bureau of Justice Assistance says the [program funds accredited public crime laboratories](https://bja.ojp.gov/program/dna-cebr/overview?ref=theamericanquorum.com) to process, record, screen and analyze forensic DNA or database samples and to increase their ability to submit eligible profiles to CODIS. The federal program is designed around measurable laboratory capacity rather than a promise that any particular case will be solved.

That distinction is important. Faster testing can help investigators compare crime-scene evidence with eligible profiles sooner, and added capacity can limit queues when submissions rise. But a laboratory result may exclude a person, produce no database match or require more investigation. The grant should therefore be judged initially by operational measures such as cases processed, turnaround time, backlog size and the number of qualifying profiles uploaded—not by arrest or conviction totals alone.

Federal eligibility rules also impose controls on how the money is used. The Justice Department’s [fiscal 2026 certification requirements](https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/fy26-cebr-eligibility-cert.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com) call for recipient laboratories to maintain qualifying accreditation, participate in the National DNA Index System, follow federal privacy requirements and enter eligible profiles into CODIS. When practicable, recipients must prioritize samples from sexual-assault cases and cases without a known suspect.

West Virginia law separately defines the State Police’s role. Under [West Virginia Code §15-2B-10](https://code.wvlegislature.gov/15-2B-10/?ref=theamericanquorum.com), the agency stores and analyzes DNA records in the state database and may exchange information for specified purposes, including criminal investigations, judicial proceedings and efforts to identify human remains or missing people. The statute also requires exchanges to comply with state and federal law.

For police departments, prosecutors and survivors waiting on laboratory work, the practical question is how quickly the new resources translate into added throughput. The governor’s announcement says the grant will help prevent backlogs, but it does not state the lab’s current backlog or average turnaround time. Publishing those baseline figures and later reporting the same measures would allow the public to assess whether the award produces the intended improvement.

The funding is a capacity investment, not evidence of a specific match or reopened case. Its value will depend on disciplined implementation, lawful database use and transparent reporting of laboratory performance over the grant period.