Primary Department: Universal Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Sindhu Menon, Executive Director & CIO
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval of supplemental funding in the amount of $425,000 (FY26) for prorated contractor resource funding to establish compliance, governance, and implementation of Generative AI solutions for Harris County departments.
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Background and Discussion:
On January 8, 2026, Commissioners Court directed Universal Services to comply with House Bill 149 - 89(R), known as the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), which amends the Texas Business & Commerce Code and Government Code to include safeguards against unlawful discrimination (§552.056), data restrictions (§552.054), and mandatory transparency and post-deployment monitoring (§552.051, §552.103), by developing a countywide Artificial Intelligence (AI) program that includes a detailed resource plan and an AI strategy based on requests from all departments.
Following extensive research and consultation with industry experts, HCUS identified both emerging and established compliance requirements at the state and federal levels. This includes additional Texas requirements such as Texas Senate Bill 1964 <https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB1964/2025> (89 R) and House Bill 3512 <https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB3512/2025> (89 R), and Federal Executive Order (EO) 14365, Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence <https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/16/2025-23092/ensuring-a-national-policy-framework-for-artificial-intelligence>, adopted on December 11, 2025, which highlights a centralized national policy.
Universal Services seeks approval to establish and fund four contractor positions for the HCUS AI program, which will create a comprehensive governance framework and operational strategy for integrating artificial intelligence across organizational workflows within the County. The AI program is designed to ensure compliance with TRAIGA and additional compliance requirements, which mandate responsible AI governance, risk mitigation, and reporting standards for public entities.
Currently, no formal AI governance structure exists within Harris County. Initiating this program will address critical gaps by developing policies, intake processes, and oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency, ethical use, and legal compliance. The funding request represents the first step toward building the program infrastructure, including staffing, training, and foundational tools.
Universal Services requests approval for a General Fund supplemental allocation to initiate the AI program. This funding will support the creation of governance documentation, development of intake and review processes, and implementation of monitoring tools aligned with organizational standards and TRAIGA and additional compliance requirements. Establishing the AI program is essential to mitigate operational and legal risks associated with AI adoption and to position the organization for responsible, compliant, and effective use of AI technologies across departments.
Expected Impact:
The HCUS AI program will establish a compliant governance framework for all compliance requirements, including, but not limited to, TRAIGA, reducing legal and operational risks while enabling responsible, standardized adoption of AI technologies across departments.
Alternative Options:
Maintain the current approach without establishing a formal AI program. This would limit the organization’s ability to implement AI technologies in a standardized, compliant manner and increase exposure to legal and operational risks under TRAIGA and additional emerging and established compliance requirements.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 1. Make Harris County safer and more just.
County Strategic Plan Objective: E: Increase efficiency across the legal system.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): E1: Modernize data and technology architecture across the legal system.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: N/A
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
9/9/2025 |
8 |
To direct the Office of County Engineer to report back to Commissioners Court by November 13, 2025, with a plan for using artificial intelligence and other software improvements to make the permitting process faster, more accurate, and easier for the public to use. |
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11/13/2025 |
12 |
Request for discussion and action of a plan to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other software improvements to make the permitting process faster, more accurate, and easier for the public to use. |
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12/11/2025 |
154 |
To direct Universal Services to establish governance on the standards, analysis, deployment, management, and training of all AI software and tools across departments within the County’s network to ensure security compliance with all federal and state laws, and County’s policies. |
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1/8/2026 |
344 |
To direct Universal Services to be in compliance with House Bill 149 by developing a countywide AI Program that includes a detailed resource plan and AI strategy based on requests from all departments; and to direct Universal Services to work with OCA and OMB to return to Commissioners Court on February 26, 2026 with the fiscal note for the effort. In response to the motions approved on 12/11/2025 related to the Technology Procurement (TPR) and Artificial Intelligence governance, direct Harris County Universal Services to work in coordination with all County departments, to lead and facilitate interdepartmental collaboration to identify, evaluate, and implement AI solutions that may materially impact County operations, services, residents, or regulatory functions. The scope includes any solution, service, application, system, or platform that utilizes AI technologies, whether or not it is directly solicited or supported by a County department. Further, no County department shall independently procure, pilot, or deploy AI systems or tools that may have enterprise-wide, operational, legal, cybersecurity, or public-facing impacts without coordination with Universal Services and completion of required County review and governance processes. Universal Services shall serve as the coordinating authority to develop a comprehensive AI policy that ensures alignment with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, data privacy, and responsible use principles, and shall report back to Commissioners Court by March 19, 2026. |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Innovation Lab |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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1000 - General Fund |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
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$425,000 |
$425,000 |
$850,000 |
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Total Funding Sources |
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$425,000 |
$425,000 |
$850,000 |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 3/19/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Sindhu Menon, Executive Director & County CIO
Attachments (if applicable): HCUS Fiscal Review Request Form - AI Program(PDF)