Improvement Grant Program Resolution Instructions

All grant applications to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission must be authorized by a resolution of the governing board of the applicant organization per Texas Administrative Code 173.104 for each fiscal year of funding.

For Texas counties, the resolution must be adopted by the County Commissioners Court.

Non-county applicants must provide a resolution from their governing board.

Applicants should use the TIDC Improvement Grant Program resolution template to prepare the resolution, editing only the highlighted fields.

The resolution must designate a Financial Officer.

For Texas Counties, the Financial Officer must be the County Auditor if the county has an auditor. If not, the County Treasurer must be designated.

The Financial Officer for Texas counties may be designated in the resolution by title. Other applicants must designate the financial officer by name and title.

The resolution must also designate the Authorized Official who is authorized to apply for, accept, decline, modify, or cancel the grant for the applicant.

For counties, the Authorized Official is almost always the Constitutional County Judge, however the Commissioners Court may designate another person to be the Authorized Official in the resolution.

The Authorized Official may not be the same person as the Financial Officer.

The resolution must also designate the Program Director.

The Program Director is the main contact point person for the grant program.

The Program Director may be the same person as the Authorized Official.

Applicants should create a PDF of the completed application form in TIDC’s grant system and attach it to the grant application for consideration by the Commissioners Court or governing board.

The complete adopted resolution must be scanned and provided to TIDC by the application deadline. Resolutions may be uploaded to the online application or emailed to grants@tidc.texas.gov.

Two versions of the template follow, first for Texas counties, and second for non-county applicants.

[COUNTY NAME] County Resolution TIDC Indigent Defense Improvement Grant Program Fiscal Year [Fiscal Year]
WHEREAS, under the provisions of the Texas Government Code § 79.037 and Title I of the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 173, counties are eligible to receive grants from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to provide improvements in indigent defense services in the county; and
WHEREAS, the Commissioners Court authorizes the county’s participation in this grant program and the attached grant application for the [Program Name] Program to assist the county in the implementation and the improvement of indigent criminal defense services in this county; and
WHEREAS, [COUNTY] County Commissioners Court has agreed that in the event of loss or misuse of TIDC grant funds, [COUNTY] County Commissioners Court assures that any such lost or misused funds will be repaid in full to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED and ordered that [NAME OF CONSTITUTIONAL COUNTY JUDGE OR OTHER DESGNATED OFFICIAL] is designated as the Authorized Official to apply for, accept, decline, modify, or cancel this grant application for the Indigent Defense Improvement Grant Program and all other necessary documents to accept said grant; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that [NAME OF PROGRAM DIRECTOR] is designated as the Program Director and contact person for this grant and the [“County Auditor” OR, if the county does not have an auditor, “County Treasurer”] is designated as the Financial Officer for this grant.
Adopted this ______day of ___________________, 20XX.
[NAME OF COUNTY JUDGE] County Judge
Attest:
County Clerk

Resolution of the Governing Board of [Organization Name] TIDC Indigent Defense Improvement Grant Program Fiscal Year [Fiscal Year]
WHEREAS, under the provisions of the Texas Government Code § 79.037 and Title I of the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 173, [Organization Name] is eligible to receive grants from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to provide improvements in indigent defense services in Texas counties; and
WHEREAS, the Commissioners Court authorizes the county’s participation in this grant program and the attached grant application for the [Program Name] Program to assist one or more Texas counties in the implementation and the improvement of indigent criminal defense services; and
WHEREAS, we, the governing board of [Organization Name] have agreed that in the event of loss or misuse of TIDC grant funds, [Organization Name] assures that any such lost or misused funds will be repaid in full to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED and ordered that [NAME AND TITLE OF DESGNATED OFFICIAL] is designated as the Authorized Official to apply for, accept, decline, modify, or cancel this grant application for the Indigent Defense Improvement Grant Program and all other necessary documents to accept said grant; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that [NAME OF PROGRAM DIRECTOR] is designated as the Program Director and contact person for this grant and the [NAME AND TITLE OF DESIGNATED FINANCIAL OFFICER] is designated as the Financial Officer for this grant.
Adopted this ______day of ___________________, 20XX.
[SIGNATURE]
[NAME OF BOARD PRESIDING OFFICER] [TITLE OF BOARD PRESIDING OFFICER]