Rural Law Enforcement Grants

The Rural Law Enforcement Grants program, established through Texas Senate Bill 22, is administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. It is designed to strengthen rural law enforcement and prosecutorial capacity by providing salary assistance to sheriff’s departments, constable’s offices, and eligible prosecutor’s offices—including district attorneys, criminal district attorneys, and county and district attorneys—in counties with populations of 300,000 or less, as defined by the 2020 U.S. Census. The program aims to improve public safety and legal representation in underserved and rural jurisdictions throughout the state. The program offers salary supplements and limited operational funding to eligible county offices. Specifically, sheriff’s offices and constable’s offices may use the funds to bring compensation levels up to legislated minimums or to fund additional personnel or salaries, provided certain baseline thresholds are already met. Prosecutorial offices may apply for funds to support salaries and public legal service operations, but restrictions apply regarding existing compensation levels and ineligible expenses. Disallowed uses of funds include software, contract or overtime staff, hazard pay, and office equipment. Applications are managed through a fixed timeline based on the start date of the applying county's fiscal year. Each county or prosecutor’s office must apply within a defined 90-day window—beginning 60 days before and ending 30 days after the first day of their fiscal year. There are two recurring application cycles: one for counties starting their fiscal year on October 1 (application period runs from August 2 to October 31), and another for those with a January 1 fiscal year start (November 2 to January 31). Missing this 90-day window disqualifies an applicant until the next fiscal year. Only county judges, prosecutors, or county attorneys—depending on the office—may submit an application. Each application must include population-verified eligibility, pre- and post-grant salary figures, and breakdowns of benefits such as FICA, retirement, and unemployment rates. Additional detail is required for constables benefiting from grant-funded raises. Recipients must also submit an Annual Compliance Report at the end of their fiscal year, which will be reviewed by the Comptroller to ensure authorized use of funds. The program is recurring annually and continues to evolve under legislative oversight. Interested applicants are encouraged to track updates via SB 22 News and should consult Local Government Code Section 130.911 for expenditure rules and statutory salary minimums. Applications must be submitted online, and compliance reports are mandatory within the designated reporting windows tied to the county’s fiscal year end.

Submit early in the 90-day window to allow for compliance clarifications; ensure all benefit percentages are included; failure to apply during window forfeits eligibility until next fiscal year.