H.B. No. 318 establishes a Rural Sheriff's Deputy Shortage Relief Grant Program aimed at providing financial assistance to sheriff's departments in qualified rural counties in Texas. The bill introduces Section 130.9115 to the Local Government Code, defining key terms such as "qualified county," which refers to counties with a population of 300,000 or less that meet specific deputy-to-resident and investigator-to-patrol ratios by January 1, 2025. The comptroller is tasked with administering the grant program, allowing qualified counties to apply for funding to support the hiring of deputy sheriffs, investigators, emergency dispatchers, and investigative support staff. The grant amounts are specified, with $50,000 allocated for each qualified deputy and investigator position, and $35,000 for each qualified emergency dispatcher and investigative support staff member.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that counties must maintain certain budgetary commitments and cannot reduce their sheriff's department budget in the fiscal year following the grant award. The total funding for the program is capped at $150 million per state fiscal year, with provisions for proportional reductions if the total requested grants exceed this limit. The bill also outlines the comptroller's authority to create rules for the application process, deadlines, and compliance monitoring. The program will not be available for applications until September 1, 2026, and the act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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