U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the inclusion of more than $14.4 million for Alabama in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act. The bill has passed out of committee and will next be considered by the full Senate before moving to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The proposed funding includes support for a range of public safety, infrastructure and research initiatives across the state. Among the projects included are $1 million for the City of Dothan to purchase drones and related equipment for its Drone as First Responder program, and $500,000 for the City of Enterprise to acquire equipment for its Special Response Team aimed at combating fentanyl trafficking. The Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department would receive $435,000 for law enforcement vehicles, and the Lawrence County Commission would receive $650,000 to improve emergency communications infrastructure. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences would be allocated $750,000 to implement rapid DNA testing.
The Alabama Port Authority would receive $500,000 to conduct a study examining the recent increase in sediment accumulation at the Port of Mobile. Auburn University is set to receive $1 million to research and develop new technologies in agriculture, while the University of South Alabama would be allocated $2 million to enhance severe weather prediction in southern Alabama.
The bill also includes funding for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, with more than $1.3 billion for the Space Launch System, over $2 billion to support development of two independent Human Landing System vehicles, and no less than $110 million designated for nuclear thermal propulsion systems.
Additional research-related allocations include $30 million for the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), which addresses water-related challenges, and no less than $40 million for the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa. At the University of Alabama in Huntsville, $11 million has been allocated for the Vortex Southeast Hazardous Weather Research Program. The bill also includes a $5 million increase for the National Data Buoy System and $850,000 for the National Marine Fisheries Service to continue work on improving shrimp fishing technologies. Sea Grant Aquaculture Research will continue to receive level funding, and full funding is provided for the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP).
On the national level, the FY26 CJS bill includes $30 million for the National Mesonet Program, $10.6 billion for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and $2.6 billion to support the Drug Enforcement Administration’s work to “combat fentanyl trafficking and disrupt Mexican cartels.” An additional $720 million is included to support state and local law enforcement agencies.
