Community Project Funding FY26
Rep. Julie Johnson has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Texas' 32 Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee. The requests were evaluated by an Advisory Board composed of community leaders with varied backgrounds in economic development, non-profit, and local government from across Texas’ 32nd Congressional District.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2026 – while only a handful may actually be funded.
Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state, local and tribal governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.
Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Johnson has certified that she, her spouse, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Projects listed in alphabetical order:
Children’s Health Systems of Texas - Expanding Access to Children’s Health’s Critical Child Abuse Services for Children Across North Texas
This funding would be used to hire medical providers specially trained and certified in Child Abuse Pediatrics that serve at-risk youth in North Texas. The funding will also be used for supplies, equipment and other resources necessary to provide assistance to the children who have been victims of abuse, neglect, and other crimes. These child abuse pediatricians work alongside the Dallas Police Department, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, the District Attorney’s Office, and Child Protective Services (CPS) while utilizing the resources and medical subspecialties at Children’s Health, many of which can be found nowhere else in the region.
Requested: $793,600
Recipient and Address: Children’s Health Systems of Texas, 1935 Medical District Drive, Dallas, TX, 75235
Approps Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Dallas - Dallas International District Park
This project is a key component of the City’s vision for revitalizing the Valley View/Galleria corridor along LBJ Freeway, transforming the area into a thriving, accessible, and sustainable urban space. Investing in International District Park is an economic development opportunity. This project will provide much-needed park space to an underserved community, improving quality of life, public health, and environmental resilience. Additionally, this park will serve as a catalyst for redevelopment in the Valley View/Galleria corridor, attracting businesses, residents, and visitors. The requested funding will help accelerate the transformation of this area, making it a model for sustainable urban development and a hub for community engagement, recreation, and economic vitality.
Requested: $3,000,000
Recipient and Address: City of Dallas, 1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX 75201
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Dallas - Ferguson Road Corridor Safety Enhancements
The funding would be used for reconstruction of the existing medians along the entire corridor, design and construction of new LED streetlights, and installation of sidewalks, traffic signals, and pedestrian hybrid beacons at various locations to improve pedestrian accessibility and safety, and ADA compliance. The City of Dallas Vision Zero Action Plan identifies the 6.5-mile stretch of Ferguson Road from IH-30 to I-635 being on the High Injury Network for both pedestrians and vehicles.
Requested: $2,000,000
Recipient and Address: City of Dallas, 1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX 75201
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Dallas - Hemlock Avenue Safe Streets Enhancements
This project aims to enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood, one of the most densely populated areas of Dallas. The funding would be spent to upgrade pedestrian infrastructure, including improved crosswalks, traffic signals, and sidewalks, to ensure safer routes for schoolchildren, residents, and transit users.
Requested: $2,184,000
Recipient and Address: City of Dallas, 1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX 75201
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Dallas - Lakewood Park Pedestrian Bridge & Accessibility Improvements
This project will reconstruct a pedestrian bridge providing access across a creek from neighborhoods on either side, and provide a critical link and connect to the larger City-wide trail system providing non-motorized transportation opportunities. This bridge connects multi-use pathways on either side of a creek and bridge would help provide non-motorized mobility options for residents that need or choose to travel by walking or biking.
Requested: $600,000
Recipient and Address: City of Dallas, 1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX 75201
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Dallas - White Rock Lake Trail Relocation
The requested funding will be used to relocate a 1000-foot section of the White Rock Lake (WRL) Trail, as outlined in the White Rock Lake Master Plan. The portion of the trail that will be relocated runs directly next to a 6-lane, major thoroughfare with heavy vehicular traffic and high speeds. The new location will provide direct access to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, one of Dallas’ most-visited attractions.
Requested: $2,500,000
Recipient and Address: City of Dallas, 1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX 75201
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Farmers Branch - Cast-Iron Waterline Replacement Project
This project would fund the replacement of 14,600 linear feet of cast-iron waterlines with PVC pipes. Replacing the waterlines with more affordable PVC pipes would improve water quality, support corrosion resistance, and improve the longevity of the waterline.
Requested: $6,400,000
Recipient and Address: 13000 William Dodson Parkway, Farmers Branch, Texas 75234
Approps Subcommittee: Interior
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
City of Richardson - Centennial at Buckingham Intersection Improvements
The Centennial at Buckingham Intersection Improvements project improves safety and access by reconfiguring the roadway intersection geometry and adding a new traffic signal. Centennial Blvd is a regional east-west roadway spanning four cities with access to US 75 and carries 40,000 vehicles per day in this area. The intersection of Centennial and Buckingham has had 14 intersection-related crashes in the last 5 years impacting the well-being of those involved and causing traffic delays to the other people and goods transported on this corridor.
Requested: $2,500,000
Recipient and Address: 2360 Campbell Creek Pkwy, Suite 525, Richardson, TX
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
Dallas Area Rapid Transit - DART Cityplace/Uptown Station Inclinator Replacement and Modernization Project
The funding will be used to replace the entire inclinator system at the Cityplace/Uptown Station on the DART Light Rail System. DART's inclinators are critical to maintaining convenient and efficient station access. Replacing the entire inclinator system will increase the operability and maintainability of this lift equipment and decrease downtime and inconvenience to DART riders. This is especially important for mobility-impaired rail customers. Without the inclinator, those DART riders must disembark from the trains at the next closest station and take a bus bridge to the street level entrances to the first pair of elevators. Replacement also allows DART to modernize its inclinator system with technology and design features that increase cleanliness, safety, security, and reliability.
Requested: $3,000,000
Recipient and Address: DART, 1401 Pacific Avenue, Dallas, TX 75266
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
Dallas College - Dallas College Airframe and Powerplant
Dallas College is in the process of launching an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) program housed at the Executive Airport and Workforce Center at Redbird to train a new wave of Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMT’s) in response to industry demand. Funding is needed for renovations and retrofitting of the instructional hangar to meet the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration Part-147 regulations.
Requested: $1,500,000
Recipient and Address: Dallas College, 1601 Botham Jean Blvd. Dallas, TX 75215
Approps Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
Texas A&M - Engineering Academy at Dallas College
This project is for a co-enrollment program between partner community colleges and Texas A&M University designed to facilitate a smooth transition for students pursuing an engineering degree.
Requested: $1,200,000
Recipient and Address: 1111 Rellis Parkway, Suite 5226, Bryan, Texas 77807
Approps Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
Texas A&M Agrilife - Integrated Turfgrass Water Conservation Initiative
Texas A&M AgriLife Research integrates advanced turfgrass breeding, precision water management, and community-driven education to reduce water consumption while maintaining functional green spaces. Key components include developing drought-resistant turfgrass using genomics and phenomics, implementing science-based irrigation strategies, and providing decision-support tools for urban planning. By improving turfgrass performance under water-limited conditions and enhancing ecosystem services—such as stormwater runoff mitigation, urban heat island reduction, and soil stabilization—this project contributes to the creation of resilient, water-efficient landscapes.
Requested: $4,258,710
Recipient and Address: Dallas AgriLife Center, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas, TX 75252
Approps Subcommittee: Agriculture
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
UT Dallas - Center for Critical Elements from Produced Waters
The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) aims to develop a Center for Critical Elements from Produced Waters. Challenges related to wastewater treatment, disposal, and beneficial reuse of these waters are of increasing concern to state and federal agencies. Produced waters commonly have high concentrations of dissolved salts necessitating expensive and technical treatment before reuse (e.g., in the agricultural sector). There is a clear need to identify profitable reuse scenarios that justify the high cost of saline water treatment while also supporting sustainable wastewater management. This presents a unique opportunity to stimulate the state and regional economy while simultaneously helping policymakers and developers design better practices to manage hydrocarbon wastewater.
Requested: $2,000,000
Recipient and Address: University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080
Approps Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
University of Texas at Dallas - Comparative Effectiveness of North Texas Workforce Development Programs for Semiconductors
The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will conduct a comprehensive study characterizing the effectiveness of a range of current workforce development programs, spanning K-12, vocational, and community colleges, that support the semiconductor industry. The study will be conducted by experts in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) who have expertise in relating educational/training programs to tangible results for industry partners. EPPS program leaders will leverage the North Texas Semiconductor Institute (NTSI), which has an array of academic and industry partners. By examining what works and what does not work, we will identify best practices that will be transferable throughout the educational/training ecosystem. The long-term economic impact that will result from this work will support the global leadership of North Texas in the semiconductor industry and ensure a robust technology-oriented economy.
Requested: $1,250,000
Recipient and Address: University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080
Approps Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Certification Stating No Financial Interest in This Project
The University of Texas at Dallas - Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Test and Evaluation Center
The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will develop and operate an O-RAN (open radio access network) test and evaluation center for telecommunications technology interoperability. This Center will provide unbiased, neutral evaluation of network components to ensure quality performance needed for mobile wireless network continuity. The effort will be spearheaded by UTD faculty, staff, and students with expertise in high-speed network architecture and performance characterization.
Requested: $3,000,000
Recipient and Address: University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080
Approps Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies