State Public Safety Grant Guide
Louisiana Public Safety Grants
Funding pathways, recent awards and practical rules for surveillance, cybersecurity and drone procurement across Louisiana parishes, municipalities and state agencies.
This page helps Louisiana public-safety teams plan grants for law enforcement, emergency management, surveillance, communications, forensic work, cyber resilience, training and eligible UAS missions.
Review each funding notice and award terms before budgeting equipment. Louisiana's own procurement restrictions can apply to local purchases even without federal funding. For the broader federal framework, read MAXSUR’s NDAA, TAA, FCC & Blue UAS guide.
Planning note: The old summary said Louisiana had “no statewide ban” and that “NDAA compliance” was mandatory only with federal funds. Both are misleading. Louisiana law independently restricts defined telecom and video surveillance procurements by state and local public agencies, with a vendor affidavit. It does not name DJI or automatically ban every foreign-made drone.
Louisiana Procurement & Cybersecurity
What Louisiana Buyers Should Check Before Selecting Cameras or Drones
Louisiana has a state-law restriction for specified telecommunications and video surveillance equipment and services, plus federal restrictions and grant-specific requirements for UAS. Apply each rule to the actual system, its components, the funding source and the intended mission.
Local funds still count
The statutory agency definition reaches parishes, municipalities and other public agencies. Screen covered telecom and surveillance purchases even when paid from local budgets.
Components matter
A different brand name does not resolve a product containing equipment defined as prohibited by R.S. 39:1753.1(A).
ASDA funds rule
Federal awards generally cannot pay to procure or operate FASC-prohibited UAS after Dec. 22, 2025, absent an applicable exemption or waiver.
Prior approval and Blue UAS
BJA requires express approval, DCMA Blue UAS based certification and privacy/cybersecurity assurances for UAS bought with its funds.
Louisiana’s Section 889-Related Statutes
R.S. 39:1753.1 defines prohibited telecom or video surveillance equipment or services using categories associated with Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua, as well as equipment or services of an entity found to be owned, controlled or otherwise connected to the PRC government under the cited Section 889 definition. Covered components inside another product are included. The law names computers, network-capable devices, building automation, access controls and facility monitoring as possible examples; it does not make all such items prohibited regardless of what they contain.
R.S. 38:2237.1 parallels these requirements for agencies and covered educational entities. The statutes cite Acts 2022, No. 695 among their amendments, correcting the attachment’s 2021 attribution.
Vendor Affidavit, Void Purchase and Audit
Before procuring telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services, obtain the vendor’s affidavit documenting that the proposed items are not prohibited. Without it, a covered agency cannot make the purchase. A procurement that violates the restriction is void; a vendor that falsely certifies and supplies prohibited items must replace them at its expense with nonprohibited equipment or services of at least equal quality and performance. Legislative Auditor review applies.
Ask for a bill of materials, manufacturer and affiliate identities, radio and camera subsystem details, firmware/cloud endpoints and the affidavit before ordering. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor separately confirms the affidavit requirement for political subdivisions.
Drones Need a Product-Level Review
The state statutes do not say that every drone made in China, or every DJI drone, is prohibited by name. A drone, payload, controller, communications link or service may fall within the covered telecom or video surveillance categories depending on its actual supplier, components and use. Request product-specific legal and IT review rather than treating the country of assembly as the entire answer.
A locally financed UAS may still be restricted by agency policy, operational law, state IT rules or a contract. If federal award money pays for the purchase or operation, apply the separate ASDA and award conditions.
Federal Funds, BJA/JAG and Blue UAS
OMB M-26-02, Appendix D implements the American Security Drone Act funding prohibition for FASC-prohibited UAS, subject to specific exemptions and waivers. FAR 40.202 governs federal executive-agency acquisition and operation; it is not the same as the state-local grant rule.
JAG now includes public-safety UAS among its program areas, but BJA expressly requires prior approval to buy UAS with its awards. BJA’s September 2026 guidance requires a certification that purchased/operated UAS be verified on the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List as not manufactured by a covered foreign entity, plus assurances on privacy, civil liberties and cybersecurity, and screening against the Commerce Consolidated Screening List. Its separate counter-UAS rules are stricter still.
Cybersecurity and Mission Operations
For Louisiana executive-branch systems, coordinate with the Office of Technology Services and the applicable statewide Information Security Policy; it includes third-party security review, incident response and data sanitization resources. Local agencies should apply their own IT controls and grant security terms. Map video and telemetry storage, remote access, updates, encryption, retention and evidence handling.
Louisiana also regulates certain UAS operations. R.S. 14:337 addresses targeted-facility surveillance and other conduct, and R.S. 14:337.1 restricts unauthorized flights over permitted parades. The 2026 LETS GO! Act, R.S. 14:337.2, concerns law-enforcement counter-UAS training, rules of engagement, documentation and reporting, always subject to federal law. It is not a general permission to jam aircraft.
Practical Louisiana UAS Procurement Checklist
- Identify every funding stream. Mark state/local money and each federal award or pass-through source.
- Screen Louisiana-covered items. Check telecom/video suppliers, affiliates, components and services under R.S. 39:1753.1(A) and R.S. 38:2237.1.
- Obtain the vendor affidavit. Get the statutory documentation before a covered telecom or video surveillance procurement and retain it with the solicitation and bill of materials.
- Apply the federal award test. For federally funded UAS, review ASDA / OMB M-26-02, the award terms, any agency-specific requirements and documented exemptions or waivers.
- Seek BJA approval where applicable. For BJA-funded UAS, submit the current certification and obtain express approval before committing the funds. Counter-UAS requires separate authorization and approval.
- Review cybersecurity and operations. Document data flows, storage, updates, access controls, privacy, FAA authority and Louisiana mission restrictions.
- Keep the record current. Preserve approvals, manufacturer representations, affidavits, grants guidance and any changes to product configuration.
Federal framework: Read NDAA, TAA, FCC & Blue UAS Explained for the separate federal tests. A vendor’s Louisiana affidavit or a Blue UAS listing does not, by itself, establish every other requirement.
Available Funding Pathways
Louisiana Grant Opportunities
These official state and federal program pages are a starting point. Dates that could not be confirmed for a current cycle are marked for verification rather than projected from a prior year. Equipment eligibility and UAS approval depend on each notice and award.
| Grant | Level | Source | Best Fit / Technology | Deadline Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCLE – Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (state pass-through) | Federal / state | LCLE / BJA | Justice equipment, technology, training; UAS requires BJA prior approval | LCLE funding announcements |
| BJA – FY 2026 Local JAG Formula | Federal | BJA | Eligible local jurisdictions; public-safety equipment and UAS subject to BJA conditions | Grants.gov Oct 9; JustGrants Oct 16, 2026 |
| GOHSEP – Homeland Security Grant Program / SHSP | Federal pass-through | GOHSEP / FEMA | Risk-based prevention, protection, response and equipment | Confirm GOHSEP subaward window |
| GOHSEP – Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) | Federal pass-through | GOHSEP / FEMA | High-threat urban-area security and interoperable response | Confirm GOHSEP subaward window |
| GOHSEP – State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program | Federal pass-through | GOHSEP / FEMA | Government information-system cyber risk reduction | Confirm GOHSEP subaward window |
| GOHSEP – Emergency Management Performance Grant | Federal pass-through | GOHSEP / FEMA | All-hazards emergency-management capacity | Confirm GOHSEP subaward window |
| LCLE – STOP Violence Against Women Formula | Federal pass-through | LCLE / OVW | Victim-centered response, prosecution and training | Check LCLE 2026 notice |
| LCLE – Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) | Federal pass-through | LCLE / OVC | Direct victim services; eligibility is mission-specific | Check LCLE current notice |
| LCLE – Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement | Federal pass-through | LCLE / DOJ | Crime-lab capacity, forensic instruments and quality improvement | Check LCLE current notice |
| LCLE – National Criminal History Improvement Program | Federal pass-through | LCLE / BJS | Criminal-history records and data integration | Check LCLE current notice |
| LCLE – Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention | Federal pass-through | LCLE / OJJDP | Juvenile-justice services, data and program improvement | Check LCLE current notice |
| LCLE – Bulletproof Vest Partnership | Federal / state | LCLE / BJA | Body armor for eligible law-enforcement agencies | Confirm current BVP and LCLE cycles |
| Louisiana Highway Safety Commission grants | Federal pass-through | LHSC / NHTSA | Traffic-safety enforcement, training and data | Confirm next LHSC application window |
| BJA – Body-Worn Camera Partnership Program | Federal | BJA | Body cameras, policy, training and evidence workflows | Check BJA current NOFO |
| BJA – Paul Coverdell Competitive Grants | Federal | BJA | Forensic-science capacity and quality | Check BJA current NOFO |
| BJA – DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction | Federal | BJA | Eligible DNA laboratories and backlog reduction | Check BJA current NOFO |
| BJA – Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program | Federal | BJA | Coordinated substance-use and justice responses | Check BJA current NOFO |
| BJA – STOP School Violence Program | Federal | BJA | Threat assessment, training and eligible school-safety systems | Check BJA current NOFO |
| COPS – School Violence Prevention Program | Federal | COPS Office | School security technology and coordination | Check COPS current NOFO |
| COPS – Hiring Program | Federal | COPS Office | Sworn officer hiring; equipment is not the program focus | Check COPS current NOFO |
| OVW – Improving Criminal Justice Responses | Federal | OVW | Coordinated domestic and sexual violence response | Check OVW current NOFO |
| OJJDP – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force | Federal | OJJDP | Task-force investigations, training and digital forensics | Check OJJDP current NOFO |
FY 2026 direct local JAG: BJA lists an October 9, 2026 Grants.gov deadline and October 16, 2026 JustGrants deadline (Eastern time). Direct allocations are limited to eligible jurisdictions; other local applicants should ask LCLE about pass-through opportunities. JAG’s UAS program category does not eliminate BJA’s prior-approval rule.
Award Intelligence
Recent Louisiana Public-Safety Awards
The examples below come from 2026 Department of Justice announcements. They illustrate funded activities, not a promise that a particular camera or drone is eligible. Amounts awarded to LCLE for statewide or local subgrants are not awards directly to each local agency.
| Awardee | Grant / Program | Purpose | Amount | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office | DOJ equipment / technology award | LIDAR, electronic writing and portable crime cameras | $232,868 | Aug. 2026 |
| Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office | DOJ investigative award | Gun-violence investigations and officer safety | $39,145 | Aug. 2026 |
| Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office | DOJ officer-safety award | Body armor, carriers and trauma plates | $28,433 | Aug. 2026 |
| Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement | BJA awards | Drug enforcement, justice improvement and antiviolence | $5,894,572 | Jul. 2026 |
| Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement | OJJDP award | Juvenile-justice systems and services | $467,205 | Jul. 2026 |
| Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement | OVC victim-assistance subgrants | Local direct victim-service organizations and public agencies | $17,419,461 | Sep. 2026 |
| Baton Rouge City Office of the Treasurer | OVW Abby Honold Program | Trauma-informed response training | $500,000 | May 2026 |
| Louisiana Department of Justice | OVW Abby Honold Program | Trauma-informed response training | $430,000 | May 2026 |
Examples are individual announcement figures. They are deliberately not summed because statewide awards, subgrants and program categories can overlap.
Louisiana UAS Procurement FAQ
Common Louisiana Compliance Questions
Use the statutes, current grant guidance and agency counsel for the specific product and funding source.
Does Louisiana ban all Chinese-made drones or DJI by name?
No blanket manufacturer prohibition or DJI-specific ban appears in R.S. 39:1753.1 or R.S. 38:2237.1. Those statutes address defined prohibited telecommunications and video surveillance equipment or services. A drone package can still be affected if covered equipment, components, services, other agency policy, or federal award terms apply.
Does the Louisiana rule apply to parish and municipal purchases paid with local funds?
Yes. The statutory definition of agency includes parishes, cities, towns and other subdivisions; it does not depend on the particular purchase being paid with federal funds. Screen covered telecom and video-surveillance items and obtain the required vendor affidavit before procurement.
What does the vendor affidavit cover?
Before an agency or covered educational entity procures telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services, the vendor must document by affidavit that the proposed equipment or services are not prohibited under R.S. 39:1753.1(A). Keep the affidavit and component review with the procurement file.
Can a Louisiana department use BJA/JAG money for drones?
JAG identifies public-safety UAS as an eligible program area, but BJA permits purchases only with express prior approval. Its current UAS guidance requires a written certification tied to the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List and assurances concerning privacy, civil liberties and cybersecurity.
How does federal funding change the UAS review?
OMB M-26-02, Appendix D generally bars recipients and subrecipients from using federal award funds to procure, or in connection with operating, a FASC-prohibited UAS from December 22, 2025, subject to stated exemptions and waivers. Read both the specific award and federal agency guidance.
Are NDAA Section 889, TAA, FCC and Blue UAS interchangeable?
No. They answer different questions. Louisiana incorporates specified Section 889 categories into state procurement law, while federal award UAS restrictions and BJA approval are separate. TAA and FCC requirements depend on the product, transaction and applicable federal rules; Blue UAS status is not a universal substitute for each test.
What does the 2026 LETS GO! Act change?
R.S. 14:337.2 sets procedures for law-enforcement counter-UAS mitigation, including training, documentation, annual reporting and compliance with federal law. It is not a general authorization to jam or disable a drone and it is not a manufacturer ban.
MAXSUR Solution Pathways
Connect Louisiana Funding to Field Capability
Match the approved mission and allowable budget to documented system architecture, support and training.
Procurement Pathway
Move From Grant Approval to a Compliant Purchase
Louisiana agencies can use a cooperative contract when their procurement rules and award terms allow it. Confirm product eligibility, required affidavits, component screening, IT approval and any federal UAS approval before placing an order.
BuyBoard use does not waive Louisiana statutes, grant conditions or federal restrictions. Confirm the purchase method and product with the grant administrator and procurement office.