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SD 3973

Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant FY26 Report

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Provides competitive grants totaling at least $6M to Massachusetts municipalities to restore or maintain police/fire staffing and related costs for SFY26.

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Bill Summary · SD 3973

Summary of SD 3973 (SFY26) — Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant Program (Massachusetts)

Purpose and intent

  • This report outlines the SFY26 Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant Program administered by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).
  • Objective: provide competitive grants to municipalities to support public safety staffing (police and/or fire) and related personnel costs, with the aim of restoring or preserving sworn staffing and civilian support, and addressing immediate public safety needs.

Key provisions and changes

  • Funding and administration

    • A minimum of $6,000,000 of appropriated funds are dedicated to a competitive state grant program for public safety and emergency staffing.
    • Administration and awarding criteria follow the same methodology as SFY25.
    • Administrative costs are capped at 4% of total awards.
    • By Feb 16, 2026, state entities administering funds must report to the House and Senate Ways and Means detailing grants awarded and distribution criteria.

  • Eligibility and applicants

    • Ten Massachusetts communities were eligible to apply: Brockton, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Newton, and Somerville.
    • Funds could support either police or fire staffing (or both) as determined by each municipality’s Mayor/City Manager.

  • Program scope and urgency enhancements (SFY26 changes)

    • Applications were opened earlier and reviewed on a rolling basis to expedite awards, influenced by lessons learned from the Gabriel House fire tragedy in July 2023.
    • An option was introduced to use grant funds over an extended 18-month contract period, in addition to the traditional 12-month period.

  • Allowable funding purposes

    • Restore laid-off sworn police/fire personnel or retain those at risk of layoff.
    • Restore staffing levels affected by attrition or other factors.
    • Restore or retain civilian personnel in police/fire departments.
    • Cover overtime necessary for adequate shift coverage or staffing levels.

  • Allowable costs

    • Salaries and employer-paid fringe benefits.
    • Overtime.
    • Additional direct costs tied to hiring/rehiring/retaining personnel (e.g., training, uniforms).

  • Application and review process

    • Application timeline: solicitation posted July 18, 2025; assistance webinar July 22, 2025; deadline August 8, 2025.
    • Separate applications required for police and fire departments when a municipality requests funding for both.
    • 16 applications (across 10 municipalities) were funded in SFY26.

  • Awards and funding status (selected results)

    • Total SFY26 MUNI grants: $5,729,996.
    • Examples of awards (periods generally Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026; some start dates adjusted per vendor):
    • Fall River Police/Fire: ~$805k each (varied start dates)
    • Lawrence Police: ~$1.21 million
    • Lynn Police: ~$634k
    • Brockton Fire/Police: ~\$324k and \$353k
    • Other municipalities received smaller awards for fire or police (e.g., Framingham, Malden, Somerville, Lowell, Newton).

  • Disbursement and contracting

    • 50% of each award released upon contract execution; the remaining 50% after submission/approval of SFY26 quarter-one report (around April 15, 2026).
    • Contracts issued with standard terms; some departments could spend immediately if on an 18-month contract.
    • Total administration set-aside: \$240,000 (not to exceed 4%).

Who is affected

  • Public safety departments (police and fire) within the 10 eligible Massachusetts communities.
  • Municipal leadership (Mayors/City Managers) determine department funding allocations for police and/or fire.
  • OGR administers grants, provides contracting, oversight, and reporting to state legislative committees.

Timelines and procedural notes

  • SFY26 grant period of performance: generally January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 (with some start dates adjusted per contract).
  • Expanded 18-month funding option available to recipients.
  • Final project reporting and accountability: quarterly/annual reporting to state legislature and grant compliance requirements.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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