COPS LEMHWA Program Distributes $9 Million to Build and Expand Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Programs

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is accepting applications for the FY26 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program, a competitive opportunity funding law enforcement agencies to build, expand, and institutionally support mental health and wellness programs for sworn officers, civilian staff, and their families. The program carries $9,000,000 in total available funding distributed across three distinct categories, with no cost share required under any category. Applications are due July 30, 2026.

Assistance Listing Number: 16.070
Opportunity Identification Number: O-COPS-2026-172553
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Application Deadline: July 30, 2026

Eligible Institutional Structures and Geographic Priorities

The program divides eligibility across three categories with meaningfully different requirements. Categories 1 and 2 are open exclusively to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that hold primary law enforcement jurisdiction within their area of responsibility. Agencies whose authority is limited to specific crime types or to correctional facilities are excluded. Rural sheriff's offices, municipal police departments, and county law enforcement agencies are well positioned for Categories 1 and 2.

Category 1 targets agencies without existing comprehensive law enforcement mental health and wellness programs. Having a chaplaincy program or employee assistance program does not disqualify an agency from Category 1 eligibility. Agencies that received prior LEMHWA funding are not eligible for Category 1 but may apply under Category 2. Category 2 is for agencies with existing wellness programs seeking to expand or enhance them; prior LEMHWA recipients must propose expansion work rather than continuation of previously funded activities. Category 3 is open to for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations, and requires a national program scope.

The COPS Office provides additional consideration to agencies serving small and rural communities under Categories 1 and 2. Agencies may self-identify as rural without requiring formal federal classification, which simplifies the documentation process for most rural law enforcement applicants.

Financial Mechanics and Match Requirements

Total program funding is $9,000,000. Category 1 anticipates up to 18 grants at up to $250,000 each. Category 2 anticipates up to 18 grants at up to $250,000 each. Category 3 anticipates a single cooperative agreement award at up to $250,000. No cost sharing or matching funds are required under any category, making this one of the more accessible federal law enforcement programs for rural agencies with constrained local budgets.

The period of performance is 24 months beginning October 1, 2026. Categories 1 and 2 are structured as grants, meaning the COPS Office does not maintain active oversight of day-to-day project decisions. Category 3 is a cooperative agreement and subjects that single recipient to ongoing federal participation in project activities. A hard limit prohibits any applicant from budgeting more than 40 percent of the award for generally unallowable costs such as vehicles, food, fitness equipment, and promotional items. Applications that exceed this threshold are removed from consideration without review.

Administrative Compliance and Post Award Oversight

Awards are subject to 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance. Because individual awards are capped at $250,000, agencies receiving only this award in a fiscal year will not meet the $750,000 aggregate expenditure threshold that triggers a Single Audit. Agencies receiving multiple federal awards should monitor their total annual expenditures across all sources.

No Build America Buy America requirements apply to wellness training, counseling, or peer support programming. Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements do not apply. National Environmental Policy Act review is not triggered. Allowable costs center on program training, clinical counseling services, peer support facilitation, staff time, and project administration. Technology purchases are allowable when paired with substantive programming but cannot constitute the sole project activity. Performance reports are submitted semiannually in March and August. Recipients must attach a project timeline at the application stage, and that timeline serves as the benchmarking framework for all subsequent performance reports throughout the 24-month performance period.