Senate-Passed Funding Bills Advance Boozman Priorities and Investments in Arkansas

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) welcomed Senate passage of several additional Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills that would directly fund projects in Arkansas. Boozman, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, won approval to include numerous items in the package providing full-year funds for the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education as well as other related agencies.

The package also includes bipartisan legislation Boozman has championed to reauthorize critical federal research, education and intervention activities to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality, the PREEMIE Act, in addition to a measure that would make it easier for living organ donors to give the gift of life by expanding eligibility for compensation to cover wages, travel, childcare and caregiver expenses associated with donation, the HOLD Act.

"Arkansans deserve to have their hard-earned tax dollars reinvested in their communities to help improve health outcomes including robust support for maternal and infant care, increase economic opportunity, and transform critical infrastructure. I am proud to have secured funding that would meet these critical needs throughout the state. I am also pleased our bipartisan initiatives to combat preterm birth and infant mortality as well as reduce financial barriers to organ donation are one step closer to becoming law," Boozman said.

Boozman secured federal investments in the following projects:

Maternal Health, Clinical Care and Medical Education

- $15 million to support construction and equipment needs at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith's Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare to improve health outcomes in the River Valley.

- $15 million to expand and upgrade labor and delivery capacity at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

- $13.3 million for technology and infrastructure updates at the Arkansas Department of Health.

- $9 million to build a Healthcare Simulation Building at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro that will help address maternal and infant health workforce shortages and regional health disparities.

- $8 million for the Infant Maternal Mortality Project at UAMS to support a comprehensive program focused on improving outcomes for low-income women and infants.

- $7.7 million for construction of a Health Science Center at Arkansas State University-Newport with a focus on improving maternal and mental health outcomes.

- $7 million to enhance Philander Smith University's educational facilities to advance health outcomes.

- $5 million for care and mental health treatment for UAMS students and faculty through the Wellness, Health, and Education Center.

- $4.5 million to establish the UAMS Barton Bridge to Translational Research, which will unite basic, translational and clinical research within a centralized staff.

- $3 million to provide UAMS equipment to advance clinical care and medical education.

- $2.5 million to support expansion of UAMS' rural prenatal care program including mobile units and basic life support service vans.

- $2 million to support necessary improvements at UAMS' Chemical Waste facility to ensure compliance with federal and state environmental regulations.

Workforce Development

- $30 million to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture to create a state-of-the-art Agriculture Center of Excellence in Food Science that will support research, outreach and workforce development.

- $20 million for the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College workforce training venue in support of current and future industries within the Port of Little Rock Industrial Park.

- $20 million for Southern Arkansas University Tech: $15 million to construct the Aerospace Defense Manufacturing Center of Excellence facility and $5 million to provide educational equipment to the Center.

- $750,000 to support hiring and retaining of national security faculty personnel at the University of Arkansas to enhance research-related degree programs.

Transportation Infrastructure

- $15.8 million to construct a portion of I-49 near Fort Smith.

- $8.1 million to increase warehouse capacity for freight rail utilization at the Port of Fort Smith.

- $5 million for the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District to construct a new rail track at the Yellow Bend Port in Desha County, which will enable Class I rail service connectivity.

- $4.1 million to build a storage facility for inclement weather equipment at Fort Smith Regional Airport.

- $2 million to replace the North Little Rock Main Street Viaduct bridge for improved industrial and residential travel.

National Security

The Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026 legislation provides funding for numerous Natural State national security missions and installations, including the F-35 Pilot Training Center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, multiple facility modernization projects for the Arkansas National Guard, the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Robinson, and Red River Army Depot. Additionally, it delivers investments to update and generate new production lines at Pine Bluff Arsenal as well as among defense industry partners in Camden, and supports defense research initiatives at the University of Arkansas.

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