Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Awards More Than $250 Million in Grants to Boost Law Enforcement Salaries, Hiring in Smaller Communities
AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said his office has delivered about $254 million in financial assistance to rural law enforcement and prosecutor offices as part of a grant program providing supplemental salaries to sheriff’s departments, constable’s offices, and district and county attorney’s offices in eligible counties.
The 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, enacted the Rural Law Enforcement Grant Program in Senate Bill 22, which appropriated $330 million for the 2024-25 biennium to fund the Comptroller-led program.
During fiscal 2024, which ended Aug. 31, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts awarded $125.9 million to 502 grant recipients, comprising qualified counties and prosecutor offices. The Comptroller’s office awarded an additional $128.7 million to 519 grant recipients in fiscal 2025.
“This program has added a layer of support for many rural law enforcement and prosecutor offices that have lacked the resources they need to attract and retain personnel or to buy much-needed safety equipment,” said Hegar, who visited five rural law enforcement offices and prosecutor offices last year through his Good for Texas Tour series to spotlight how they have used the funds to help serve their populations. “The hard working men and women who keep our rural communities and families secure deserve our support, and I am grateful the Legislature placed this responsibility with my agency.”
The grant program allows the Comptroller’s office to administer the following to counties with populations of 300,000 or less:
- The Rural Sheriff's Department Salary Assistance Grant awards grants between $250,000 and $500,000. The grant funding must be used to provide specified minimum salaries, give salary increases, hire additional deputies or staff for the department, or to purchase safety equipment, firearms and vehicles for the sheriff's department.
- The Rural Constable's Office Salary Assistance Grant provides financial assistance to constable's offices. The grant funding must be used to provide a minimum salary of $45,000 to an elected constable who makes motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of the constable's duties.
- The Rural Prosecutor's Office Salary Assistance Grant awards grants between $100,000 and $275,000. The grant funding must be used to increase the salary of assistant attorneys, investigators or victim assistance coordinators, or to hire additional staff.
Visit the Comptroller's website for more information on the grant program.
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