Security is a clear priority in the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The legislation allocates more than $130 billion for new Department of Homeland Security spending, including direct allocations for cities hosting the 2026 World Cup and continued DHS grants states can use for qualifying projects, including installing bullet-resistant barriers at law enforcement agencies and city buildings.
Here’s what you should know about these funding opportunities so you can be prepared to take advantage of them.
What DHS Grants Are Available?
The bill adds funding for multiple initiatives to support physical security at the state and local level. Here are a few of the biggest ones and who they impact.
$625 Million For Cities Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup will begin June 11, 2026 with Mexico City hosting the opening matches and later games being hosted in Canada and various stadiums across the United States through July 19, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.
This funding is designed to help host cities implement additional security measures, including securing perimeters, fortifying entrances and installing crowd control barriers.
Potential eligible uses based on past program guidelines may include upgrades to law enforcement agencies and public buildings that need additional security, such as city halls.
$1 Billion for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
The 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympics Games are still three years away, but preparations have been underway for years.
Paris spent nearly $9 billion when it hosted the Olympics in 2024, including over $1 billion in security costs, according to the Council on Foreign Relations and The Sports Examiner.
Los Angeles plans to spend at least $7 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times, and will receive an additional $1 billion specifically for security and infrastructure costs at the games.
This could cover anything from venue security and hiring additional personnel to coordinating between federal, state and local law enforcement.
$10 Billion for State Border Security
This funding reimburses states and local governments in border states like Texas and Arizona for security measures they have already taken or plan to implement related to constructing physical barriers.
In addition to walls and fencing, this could include guard shacks, outposts with bullet-resistant barriers and surveillance systems.
$450 Million for Law Enforcement and Security in Border States
The bill allocates funding for Operation Stonegarden, a DHS grant program that supports partnerships between U.S. Border Patrol and law enforcement in border states, allowing them to invest in additional equipment such as inspection equipment, vehicles, or surveillance towers.
While most of this funding will go directly to activities at the border, law enforcement agencies in border states may also be able to use some of this funding to strengthen their own buildings, including adding bulletproof doors or windows at police precincts, sheriff’s offices, or detention centers. The bill also makes billions available for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, according to the Security Industry Association.
$500 million for Drone-Detection Systems
City governments and law enforcement agencies will have this funding specifically for deploying air-monitoring technology to detect, track and counter drones that could threaten public spaces. These will most likely apply to state and local agencies that demonstrate a need based on potential risks, such as being in a highly populated area or located near critical infrastructure like utilities.
State and local agencies should begin working with vendors to scope out systems they may need and put together proposals.
$300 Million for Securing Presidential Residences
This funding has been made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies for costs they have incurred in protecting private presidential residences since July 1, 2024. This could include personnel and infrastructure costs.
What Funding Is Available Through the State Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Areas Security Initiative Program?
The State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) is a core part of FEMA’s funding, designed to help states prevent, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism and other threats.
Up to $373,500,000 is available for the 2025 fiscal year.
Additionally, up to $553,500,000 is available for buildings located in high-threat, high-density areas through the Urban Areas Security Initiative Program (UASI)
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, these programs will continue to be funded, giving states ongoing access to resources they can use to strengthen physical security at government buildings, law enforcement facilities, and other critical infrastructure.
States can distribute these funds to local agencies to support projects like secure entry vestibules, ballistic doors and windows, forced-entry-resistant materials, and integrated surveillance.
With this funding, government leaders can work with the designated contact at their state’s emergency management agency to plan security upgrades.
Here are a few examples of how they could use this funding.
Securing City Halls
City halls must balance openness with protection.
Those responsible for overseeing upgrades should focus on securing main entrances, transaction counters, and public meeting rooms.
We recommend starting with bulletproof doors and bulletproof windows, including transaction windows tested to at least UL 752 Level 1-3.
Many city halls also install bulletproof fiberglass panels behind reception desks and protect council chambers with ballistic doors and windows.
Guard booths are also becoming increasingly common at municipal government buildings, allowing security officers or a receptionist to safely control access.
Upgrading Police Department Security
Police stations face unique risks.
Exterior windows and doors are vulnerable to attack, while interior lobbies must remain both open and secure.
We recommend using bulletproof glass tested to UL 752 Level 3 for exterior doors and windows.
For lobbies and transaction windows, acrylic or laminated polycarbonate tested to UL 752 Level 1 offers additional protection without impacting visibility or sound quality.
There are also many options for speak-thru systems that allow clear sound transmission through bullet-resistant windows.
Backglazing can be a cost-effective option for reinforcing existing windows, offering additional protection from the inside to safeguard employees and the public.
Courthouses: Managing High-Profile Security Threats
Courthouses face elevated threats due to the high volume of volatile proceedings and public visibility.
Secure vestibules and security booths can prevent unauthorized access, while transaction windows and bullet-resistant doors within courtrooms protect staff and judiciary personnel.
We recommend Level 3 glazing at public-facing entryways and forced-entry-rated frames and doors for high-security interior zones.
You can see more strategies in our post on hardening courthouse security.
How To Access DHS Grant Funding
Most DHS grants, including SHSP and UASI, are administered through states’ respective State Administrative Agency (SAA).
Leaders of local government agencies, such as city managers, emergency managers, or police chiefs, can apply for funding by submitting project proposals through their state’s contact. In the past, state administrative agencies applied in late summer, although local deadlines for submitting to those agencies vary for each state.
To find details for your state, connect directly with your state’s emergency management or homeland security office.
To improve your chances of success, start planning early.
We regularly work with local agencies to help them specify security upgrades and align them with grant priorities.
TSS Helps You Move Fast and Minimize Downtime
Many government leaders are well aware of the need to make security improvements, but they’re concerned about how to pay for them and/or whether or not they’ll have to close their building for weeks.
Fortunately, when you work with TSS, you don’t have to.
Our team has spent more than two decades refining our process to minimize disruption.
We start with precision—measuring to 1/32 of an inch during the design phase—so everything fits exactly right the first time. We manufacture all systems in-house and plan every detail of your install to avoid disruption. That means we often complete installs in a single day, or after hours and on weekends.
The renewed and expanded funding made available through the One Big Beautiful Bill will go to the communities that move first, with projects that are designed, scoped, and aligned with strategic goals.
If your city or county is considering bullet-resistant upgrades, now is the time to start planning so you can submit a competitive application and secure your share before the next wave of deadlines.
If you need help identifying what grants are available in your state or want a no-obligation consultation with a ballistic expert, contact us today.
We’ll walk you through your options and help you build a secure, functional, grant-eligible solution.
