The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Laboratory Division announced a positive Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) “hit” in Montgomery County days after the second phase of the state’s Rapid DNA Testing Program began, the agency said in a Nov. 2 news release.
According to DPS, the second phase launched Oct. 15, 2026, after more than a year of training and preparation. That was the day participating agencies in Williamson and Montgomery counties began entering arrestee samples into CODIS.
The agency said Rapid DNA technology allows participating agencies to have information about felony offenders arrested and booked into their jails in near real time. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office recorded an investigative lead from the technology on Oct. 23, 2026, DPS said. A DNA sample taken from a suspect booked into the Montgomery County Jail on felony theft charges resulted in an investigative lead to a 2024 case. DPS said the case is an ongoing investigation, so no further information is being released.
The program operates under Senate Bill 1723, which directed DPS to establish a two-year pilot program to explore using Rapid DNA technology at booking facilities in Texas, according to the release. The agency said the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office were selected based on current partnerships and the availability of nearby DPS crime laboratory personnel. The Legislature appropriated just over $5 million for the pilot in the last state budget, DPS said.
DPS said Rapid DNA technology is fully automated, so once a sample is inserted into the testing instrument no human intervention is required. That means a wider range of personnel at booking facilities, including those with limited laboratory experience, can perform the testing. The resulting DNA profiles are uploaded to CODIS to generate near-real-time searches against unsolved crimes for potential investigative leads, according to the agency.
The first year of the pilot, which began Sept. 1, 2025, focused on instrument installation, technology integration and training, the release said. After August 2027, the DPS Crime Laboratory Division will begin gathering findings from the pilot and report to the Legislature no later than Jan. 1, 2028, to consider possible additional funding or expansion of the program.
DPS also noted that it oversees CODIS for Texas and serves as the central depository for all DNA records in the state.