Solicitations from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention frequently provide the following definition:
A “unit of local government” means—
- (a) Any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a state.
- (b) Any law enforcement district or judicial enforcement district that—
- (i) Is established under applicable state law, and
- (ii) Has the authority to, in a manner independent of other state entities, establish a budget and impose taxes.
- c) For the purposes of assistance eligibility, any agency of the government of the District of Columbia or the federal government that performs law enforcement functions in and for—
- (i) The District of Columbia, or
- (ii) Any Trust Territory of the United States.
If you are unclear if your court is eligible to apply based on the funding announcement or the guidance provided, it is best to pose the question to the funding agency directly. Each solicitation lists a contact for questions. Email your question to the appropriate contact to receive official guidance on eligibility.
