Tennessee is outsourcing the testing of at least 550 rape kits to a private Florida lab through a $1.5 million federal grant, the state's lead investigative agency announced Monday in a move aimed at reducing processing times that have drawn scrutiny.
In a news release, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the state awarded a contract to DNA Labs International in Deerfield Beach, Florida, after a competitive bid process that began in December. The agency said it plans to submit up to 1,000 rape kits if more grant funding becomes available by the end of the year, at a cost of $2,155 per kit.
