Operation Lone Star Grant Program (OLS), FY2027
Program owner: Texas Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office
Summary: Texas state funding for eligible local-government Operation Lone Star projects involving border-related law-enforcement operations, jail operations, court administration, human-remains processing, and directly supporting Fire/EMS operations. Federally recognized Native American tribes are also named as eligible organizations, although the announcement's subsequent county-or-municipality restriction creates ambiguity regarding tribal eligibility.
The Texas Office of the Governor's Public Safety Office is soliciting applications for local projects supporting Operation Lone Star. The program supports coordinated border-security operations intended to deter and interdict criminal activity, reduce drug smuggling and gang or cartel activity, improve criminal intelligence, and increase coordination among local and state law-enforcement agencies.
Eligible activities include law-enforcement operations, jail operations, court administration, human-remains processing, and Fire/EMS operations directly supporting Operation Lone Star. Funding may cover eligible personnel, equipment and technology, supplies, contractual support, travel, and training. Awards are subject to available state appropriations.
Who is eligible?
Applicant types: Units of local government and federally recognized Native American tribes are named as eligible organizations. The announcement then states that an eligible applicant must be a county or a municipality located in a qualifying county, creating unresolved ambiguity about how federally recognized tribes qualify.
Counties and municipalities located in qualifying Texas counties may apply. The county must have issued a disaster declaration relating to border security and must be included in the Governor's most current proclamation renewing the Border Security Disaster Declaration. Federally recognized Native American tribes are also listed as eligible organizations, but the source does not explain how they fit the separate county-or-municipality requirement. Police departments and sheriff's offices are supported operationally, but the source indicates application through the eligible unit of local government rather than establishing them as independent applicants. Preference is given to applicants in or supporting specified international-border or Gulf Intracoastal Waterway counties.
What can the funding be used for?
Personnel, equipment, technology, supplies, direct operating expenses, contractual support, travel, and training supporting Operation Lone Star. Law-enforcement uses include eligible overtime; continuation of qualifying regular, straight-time, or temporary positions previously funded through the FY2026 OLS solicitation; augmentees; temporary support staff; enhanced patrol, search-and-rescue, recovery, investigative, surveillance, interdiction, intelligence, and dispatch capacity; mission-related equipment and technology; supplies; fuel and prorated vehicle operating expenses; and travel or training. Funding may also support eligible jail operations, court administration, human-remains processing, and Fire/EMS operations directly related to OLS.
Restrictions
Inherently religious activities; lobbying; compensation for elected or appointed government officials; vehicles or equipment for general agency use; weapons, ammunition, tasers, or explosives; amusement, recreational, or sporting-event admission; promotional gifts; food, meals, beverages, or refreshments except eligible travel per diem; individual membership dues; expenses or services readily available at no cost; supplanting; body cameras, ballistic vests, or ballistic shields covered by separate PSO programs; fundraising; salary stipends; construction; aircraft, including drones and other unmanned aircraft; fire engines; ambulances; and uses prohibited by federal, state, or local law.
How to apply
Applicants must register and apply through the Texas Public Safety Office eGrants system. A complete application must be submitted and certified with all applicable attachments by March 12, 2026, at 5:00 PM CST as stated in the announcement. PSO will screen applications for compliance and review them based on eligibility, reasonableness, funding availability, and cost-effectiveness. PSO may decline an application, partially fund it, or narrow its scope.
Required materials
Required or conditionally required materials include a fully executed governing-body resolution; the CEO/Law Enforcement Certifications and Assurances Form for each applicable local unit of government or institution of higher education operating a law-enforcement agency; a letter from the county attorney and district attorney, or criminal district attorney, expressing active participation in OLS prosecutions for applicable applicants; the Cybersecurity Training Certification for local governments; and an approved local overtime policy for projects requesting overtime. Applicants must also be registered in SAM and have a UEI, although the source does not expressly identify SAM or UEI information as an application attachment.
Program contact
eGrants Help Desk
[email protected]
512-463-1919
Official sources
- Texas Office of the Governor eGrants checked September 13, 2026
Grant details can change. Confirm all requirements on the official source before applying.