Hays CISD is seeking financial support to provide safety equipment to campuses in the event of an emergency.
HCISD officials approved the application for an Active Attack Response Equipment Grant through the Office of the Governor at a Feb. 17 meeting. This grant would fund safety equipment required by House Bill 33, which took effect Sept. 1 and directs schools and law enforcement agencies to plan for a variety of emergencies, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
According to the grant listing, the Public Safety Office expects to allocate $15 million to the grants in FY 2027. Due to limited funds, the PSO will evaluate applications based on the number of officers and the cost per equipment set.
The big picture
If awarded, the grant would provide one set of response equipment per campus. The set includes a breaching tool and rifle-rated shield.
The Texas Education Agency provides a breakdown of additional HB 33 requirements, which include emergency operation plans, law enforcement training on incident response and safety reviews of new or updated facilities.
The background
House members passed HB 33 unanimously on April 29 during the 2025 legislative session. The bill added several requirements for schools in the event of an active shooter, including a stipulation that public schools provide a breaching tool and ballistic shield at each campus.
HB 33 was introduced by former Uvalde mayor and state Rep. Don McLaughlin, R-Uvalde.
On May 24, 2022, nineteen children and two teachers were killed during a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Documentation from the Texas Department of Public Safety and a House Investigation Committee found that law enforcement officers waited over an hour before neutralizing the shooter, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
One more thing
The listed deadline to apply for this grant was Feb. 12. The HCISD board of trustees approved the application on Feb. 17.
What’s next
Grant awards will be announced in late spring, according to district documents.