Primary Department: District Courts
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Richard Woods
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Application
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the District Courts for approval to submit an application to the Supreme Court of Texas for grant funds in the amount of $115,683, with no required match, for the FY 2026 Multi-District Litigation (MDL) Program.
end
Background and Discussion:
These grants are awarded to support MDL pre-trial judges and the court staff who serve them. These programs enable the MDL system to operate more efficiently and achieve the Legislature’s goals of justice and efficiency (see TEX. Gov’t Code §74.162). The FY26 grant application is due to the Supreme Court of Texas by August 4, 2025. The current FY25 MDL Grant funding ends on August 31, 2025.
Expected Impact:
The County will be reimbursed by the grantor for program expenses incurred, there is no cash match requirement and therefore no impact on the general fund.
Alternative Options:
There is no general fund budget for this program. In the event the grant is not funded, the program would have to seek alternate sources of funding.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 1. Make Harris County safer and more just.
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
7/15/24 |
204 |
Approved to apply for FY25 MDL Grant |
|
9/19/24 |
255 |
Approved to accept FY25 MDL Grant funding |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
MDL Court |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Grant |
$112,633 |
$3,050 |
$115,683 |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$112,633 |
$3,050 |
$115,683 |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: 7/10/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 9/1/2025
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Richard Woods, Court Administrator, District Courts
Attachments (if applicable):
• Request Letter
• Order
• Resolution
• FY26 MDL Grant Terms and Conditions
• FY26 MDL Grant Application