Round II - American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant Funding for Georgia’s Judicial Branch

Governor Brian P. Kemp has allocated up to $110 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address backlogs of court cases in Georgia, especially those involving serious violent felonies. This funding aims to help courts, prosecutors, public defenders, and related agencies by providing resources for additional staff, temporary workspaces, and facilities to handle the backlog. Priority is given to superior courts dealing with serious violent felony cases due to their impact on public safety and the judicial system. The Judicial Council of Georgia's Ad Hoc Committee on American Rescue Plan Act Funding (ARPA Committee) will oversee the distribution of $96 million in ARPA grants to authorized trial courts, appellate courts, prosecutors, and related agencies, excluding municipal courts. An additional $14 million is allocated to public defenders and managed by the Georgia Public Defender Council. The next application period for these grants is expected from August 30 to September 20, 2024, with further application periods scheduled depending on the needs of the Judicial Branch. Award decisions from committee meeting on November 8th. Be aware, this grant have a really short period of time for application, around 15 to 20 days top