Rural Ambulance Service Grants House Bill 3000

The 89th Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 3000 to establish a grant program to support adequate ground ambulance services in rural areas.

The program provides funds for rural counties to purchase ambulances, including necessary accessories and modifications. Eligible counties may apply for grants beginning as early as January 2026, regardless of its fiscal year start-date. After fiscal 2026, counties will apply online according to the start of their fiscal years.

Eligibility

A qualified county is any Texas county with a population of 68,750 or less.

Available Funds and Qualified Expenditures

For qualified counties with a population of fewer than 10,000, the county is eligible for a grant not to exceed $500,000. For qualified counties with a population between 10,000 and 68,750, the county is eligible for a grant not to exceed $350,000.

Counties may use the grants to purchase an ambulance, including necessary accessories and modifications.

The county must receive its grant disbursement before it orders an ambulance. The county must purchase the ambulance with the awarded money and take possession of the vehicle no later than five years after the fund disbursement.

How to Apply

The county judge must apply for the grants and provide the following information:

Name of the county applying.
Name and contact information for the county judge applying for the grant.
Texas Identification Number (TIN).
Mail code.
County’s fiscal year end.
Name of up to two qualified ambulance service providers that the county wants to be considered to benefit from the grant:
- Assumed name/DBA of provider(s).
- Main address for ambulance service provider(s).
- Phone number for ambulance service provider(s).
- Tax ID number for ambulance service provider(s).
- Contract or letter of agreement with qualified ambulance service provider(s) in PDFform.

A qualified ambulance service provider may only receive grant funds from one county per fiscal year. The program allows counties to list two options for ambulance service providers in the application, if applicable.

If multiple counties list the same service provider, the Comptroller’s office will consider each county’s average per capita taxable property value, per capita income and unemployment rate to determine which one will be awarded funds.

Contact us with questions about the Rural Ambulance Service Grant Program.

Need Help?

For additional information, contact the Data Analysis and Transparency Division.