June 2026 | By Morgan Hecht and Ryan Constance

The Texas Legislature has funded three grant programs to augment local funding for eligible law enforcement and ambulance services. Administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, these grants help provide counties with resources that they may not otherwise have access to. This allows them to create safer and healthier communities for Texas residents.

The Sheriff Immigration Law Enforcement Grant Program, effective Jan. 1, 2026, helps offset costs associated with certain immigration law enforcement activities not reimbursed by the federal government, reflecting the state’s commitment to protecting communities. Amounts are determined by population, and eligibility is limited to sheriffs’ offices that have entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Qualified Expenditures

Reimbursement for sheriff’s office activities related to the enforcement of immigration law including:

• Staff compensation
• Reporting
• Equipment
• Training
• Inmate confinement

Based on population criteria, 100% of counties are eligible to apply for an immigration law enforcement grant.

Counties with a population of 1 million or more can receive $140,000 , two percent of counties in Texas.

Counties with a population of 500,000 to 999,999 can receive $120,000 , two percent of counties in Texas.

Counties with a population of 100,000 to 499,999 can receive $100,000 , eleven percent of counties in Texas.

Counties with a population of 99,999 or less can receive $80,000 , eighty-five percent of counties in Texas

Note: Total may not add due to rounding.

In order to achieve fully-staffed and well-equipped agencies that can better protect their residents, rural law enforcement grants provide financial assistance to rural sheriffs, constables and prosecutors to supplement professional law enforcement salaries. Allowed expenditures differ based on criteria created for each law enforcement entity. Grants are based on the total population of the county or jurisdiction. A county cannot reduce existing funding for an office that receives a grant in response to that office receiving the grant.

*The 2026-27 General Appropriations Bill (SB 1 – 89(R)) allocated an additional $100,000 to the $250,000 grant amount to counties awarded the sheriff’s office grant with populations of 7,501 to 9,999.

Counties with a population under 300,000

The Rural Ambulance Service Grant Program, effective Sept. 1, 2025, provides financial assistance in small rural counties to ensure adequate ground ambulance services and that Texans have access to emergency services when they’re needed. Eligible counties — those with populations totaling 68,750 or less — may apply on behalf of their ambulance service providers for the grants, which are to be used for the purchase of ambulances, including any necessary accessories or modifications.

Of Texas counties, nearly 80% are eligible to apply for an ambulance service grant.

Counties with a population of 10,000 to 68,750 can receive funds not to exceed $350,000

Counties with a population of 9,999 or less can receive funds not to exceed $500,000