For School Districts with On-Campus Police Programs:
The Comptroller offers block grants to school districts with school-based police programs to enforce Subchapter N, Chapter 161, Texas Health and Safety Code, concerning the sale and distribution of tobacco products to persons younger than 18 years of age.
Grant funds must be used exclusively for the following compliance activities:
- prohibiting anyone under 18 years of age from possessing, smoking or using tobacco products on school property or at school-sanctioned events;
- providing compliance education programs on the tobacco laws to school-aged children; and
- preparing monthly/quarterly activity reports for the Comptroller’s office.
For Local Law Enforcement Agencies:
The Comptroller offers block grants to local law enforcement agencies to enforce Subchapters H and N, Chapter 161, Texas Health and Safety Code, concerning the sale and distribution of tobacco products to persons younger than 18 years of age.
Grant funds must be used exclusively for the following compliance activities:
- on-site compliance inspections of tobacco-permitted retail outlets (e.g., grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and mass merchandisers) that may result in citations for violations such as required signs not posted, lack of proper certification, direct access by minors to tobacco and use or possession by a minor of tobacco products;
- on-site compliance inspections involving the use of minors as decoys (i.e., “stings”);
- compliance education of retailers, judicial and court personnel; and
- monthly/quarterly activity reports for the Comptroller’s office.
The 2011 tobacco compliance grant application deadline has passed. Please check back in early April 2011 for the 2012 grant cycle.