Governor Brian P. Kemp has allocated up to $110 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address backlogs of court cases, particularly cases involving serious violent felonies. This ARPA funding will provide an opportunity for courts, prosecutors, public defenders, and related agencies to hire additional staff and acquire temporary workspace and facilities to address the backlog of cases. Priority will be given to eliminating the backlog of serious violent felony cases in superior courts because of the impact such cases have on public safety and the significant burdens they place on the judicial system.

The Judicial Council of Georgia Ad Hoc Committee on American Rescue Plan Act Funding (“ARPA Committee”) will oversee the application process for $96 million in ARPA grants to authorized trial courts (excluding municipal courts), appellate courts, prosecutors, and related agencies. The remaining $14 million in ARPA funds is allocated to public defenders and will be administered by the Georgia Public Defender Council. The Judicial Council’s Administrative Office of the Courts will staff the ARPA Committee and facilitate the Judicial Council’s grant application, awarding, compliance, reporting, and reimbursement processes. The ARPA Committee membership is as follows:

• Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, Supreme Court of Georgia, Chair.
• One member chosen by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
• One member chosen by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
• The administrative judge of each judicial administrative district, as provided by OCGA § 15-5-4, or his or her designee.

The ARPA Committee will accept ARPA grant applications from judicial circuits and appellate courts only during the following application period: September 15, 2023 to September 30, 2023. A tentative schedule of future grant application periods is available under the blue Application Periods link (on the left), which is subject to change based on the needs of the Judicial Branch.

To apply for ARPA funds during an open application period, please access the following links under Quick Links below: ARPA GRANT PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND INSTRUCTIONS and ARPA GRANT APPLICATION.

Have questions? You can reach the AOC’s ARPA Grants Team by e-mailing: ARPA@georgiacourts.gov. To receive updates from the ARPA Committee, join the ARPA Email List.