Legislative Services

This month the Texas A&M Forest Service announced the availability of $192 million in one-time grants to address previously unfunded requests from rural volunteer fire departments (VFDs). The funding was appropriated in House Bill 500, the supplemental appropriations bill for the current two-year budget ending Aug. 31.

Unlike Senate Bill 1, the state’s budget for the 2026-27 biennium, which begins Sept. 1, HB 500 took immediate effect, with funds available as of June. HB 500 also includes an additional $44 million for VFD grants, which are typically capped at $30 million per fiscal year, to meet rising demand and avoid future backlogs.

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the $192 million represents the most significant investment in the program’s history and is expected to accelerate the purchase of fire trucks, protective gear and life-saving equipment by VFDs across the state.

To qualify for the one-time funding, departments must have submitted an unfunded grant request on or before Nov. 7, 2024. The Texas A&M Forest Service plans to begin awarding funds for fire trucks, with a maximum of one per department, and slip-on units this fall, with other grant categories to follow. The goal is to award all eligible unfunded requests by September.

For more information on the one-time grant program, see this announcement from the Texas A&M Forest Service, and go here for more on its rural VFD grant programs.