The state of Ohio set up a $10 million grant program paid for by its federal American Rescue Plan Act money for courts that want help clear backlogs of cases that stem from the coronavirus pandemic, the governor's office announced Wednesday.

The grants, part of what the state named the Ohio Court Backlog Reduction Program, will be doled out for proposals from lower municipal to appellate courts and most in between, according to the news release by Gov. Mike DeWine's office.

A request for proposals for the program lists more than 20 options, several of which include technological upgrades. Projects may qualify if they relate to case management before trial, prior to sentencing or after judgment.

Programs to simplify how court staff process bench warrants may also be eligible, as well as proposals to fill vacancies, rehire for eliminated positions and hire new employees, according to the document.

While some courts had case backlogs before the pandemic's onset in March 2020, their problems were then exacerbated when lawyers, parties and judges were forced to delay proceedings or hold them virtually.

Court systems across the state saw more new cases in 2021 than 2020, though increases varied by the type of case. New criminal cases in common pleas courts increased statewide by 12.5% in 2021, while new common pleas civil cases were up by 0.5%, according to figures provided by the Ohio Supreme Court. Clerks also saw big jumps in the amount of new juvenile and traffic cases

The court also said the monthly average number of cases that remained open longer than usual grew between 2019 and 2021.

Bret Crow, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, said there are many other possibilities beyond those listed in the request for proposals,

"We're not really sure what we're going to get," he said.

The Department of Public Safety's Office of Criminal Justice Services, along with Ohio Supreme Court staff, will review submissions, then the head of the public safety department will make final decisions. Courts must propose programs "to address the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic," the request for proposals says.

The $10 million for the grants comes from quarter of a billion dollars the state received through ARPA that were legislatively allocated to law enforcement and first-responder programs addressing issues made worse by the pandemic. DeWine, a Republican who is running for reelection this year, signed the bill in December.

Ohio Supreme Court spokeswoman Lyn Tolan said the new program dovetails with its initiatives to improve technology in courts across the state, a need that became more apparent during the pandemic. She said the court supports the new grant program and that Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor emailed lower courts about the grant opportunities.

If a project started on April 1 or later, a court can apply for a backdated grant, the request for proposals states. The deadline to apply is July 29.

--Editing by Adam LoBelia.