WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he secured more than $540 million in federal funding for Kentucky priorities in a package of fiscal year 2026 appropriations measures that cleared the Senate and now heads to President Donald Trump.
McConnell, a Kentucky Republican and senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the funding is spread across bills covering Commerce-Justice-Science; Interior-Environment; and Energy-Water programs.
Among the largest items are $70 million for a University of Louisville Center for Bioscience and $35 million for the University of Kentucky’s Healthy Kentucky Research Building No. 2, both aimed at expanding research infrastructure. McConnell said the projects would support work ranging from cancer research to military health.
University of Louisville President Gerry Bradley said the funding would support growth in the school’s military health and biology research. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said the project would expand research focused on health disparities in the state.
The package also includes $2.5 million for equipment at a cybercrime training facility being developed in Madisonville in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training and local officials, according to McConnell’s office. Madisonville Mayor Kevin Cotton and Police Chief Steve Bryan said the funding would support a regional cybercrime lab.
In Warren County, $352,000 is designated for law enforcement equipment and technology to support a new emergency operations center that is expected to also serve as headquarters for the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force. Task force Executive Director Tommy Loving said the group has outgrown its current facility.
In western Kentucky, the bill includes $340 million for decommissioning, decontamination and environmental remediation at the Department of Energy’s Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, along with $41 million for construction of a new program support facility intended to replace aging administrative buildings and support future industrial activity. Sandra Wilson, president and CEO of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, said the new facility would reduce maintenance costs associated with older structures.
Water infrastructure projects included in the measure total more than $21 million for the Rough River Dam Safety Modification Project, $600,000 for an erosion study at Columbus-Belmont State Park, and several allocations for water and wastewater systems across the state. Those include $9.256 million for modernization of a water treatment plant in Edmonson County, $7.334 million for construction of a new water treatment plant in Albany, and $4.8 million for modernization of a wastewater treatment plant in Martin County, according to McConnell’s office.
State Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, said the Edmonson County funding would support system modernization. Albany Mayor James Bray said a new plant is needed to address demand and capacity limitations in Clinton County. Martin County Judge-Executive Lon Lafferty said the funding would help restore service from an aging facility.
The bill also includes $7.45 million for projects at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area and $1 million for improvements to the visitor center at the Green River National Wildlife Refuge in Henderson, including updates related to accessibility standards, according to McConnell’s office.
Beyond Kentucky-specific projects, McConnell’s office said the conference report includes provisions funding invasive species management, abandoned mine land reclamation and economic development programs affecting Kentucky, as well as funding levels for certain federal law enforcement grants and continued funding availability for construction of a federal prison in Letcher County.
McConnell’s office said the Senate-passed measure now goes to the president for signature.
