In 2001, the Texas Legislature passed the Fair Defense Act. Under this new law, counties became accountable for submitting statistics indicating the amount and type of indigent defense services provided as well as an annual plan describing the procedures used to provide legal representation for indigent defendants. The Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) was also established in the Office of Court Administration to administer formula and improvement grant programs and provide training to enhance indigent defense services statewide. TIDC has contracted with PPRI to develop and maintain an online data collection system through a website.

The purpose of this website is to be the main source of information about indigent defense in Texas not just for counties, but also for the public. PPRI also conducts analyses on behalf of TIDC to evaluate the impact of the Fair Defense Act on indigent representation in Texas.