Primary Department: Universal Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Sindhu Menon, Executive Director & CIO
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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
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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 (89 R) and House Bill?3512 (89 R), and Federal Executive Order (EO) 14365, Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, adopted on December 11, 2...
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