DHS clarifies nonprofit security grants can fund police, staff
H.R. 9966 — Safe Spaces for All Act · Filed by Joe Neguse (D-CO) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jul 27, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program to explicitly permit grants to be used for hiring onsite security personnel, off-duty police officers, and administrative staff to apply for funding. It caps administrative hiring costs at 5% of the grant amount. The bill clarifies and expands what nonprofits can spend security grants on.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a technical amendment to existing grant law that clarifies eligible uses and expands permissible spending categories for an established DHS security-grant program serving nonprofits.
What the text implies
- Explicit authorization for off-duty police hiring may increase local law enforcement revenue streams and create incentive structures for police departments to market off-duty services to nonprofits.
- The 5% administrative cap applies only to grant-application personnel, not to other administrative costs, potentially creating ambiguity about what overhead is permissible under other eligible uses.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
nonprofit organizations (religious institutions, community centers, civil rights groups); off-duty police officers and security contractors; grant-writing and administrative service providers