A three-bill package will deliver record funding for Hanford cleanup and a boost to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory research for the current fiscal year.

The Hanford site will receive more than $3.2 billion for fiscal year 2026, an increase of more than $200 million from the last two years.

President Donald Trump signed the bill package into law on Jan. 23.

Its passage was lauded by members of the state’s congressional delegation as well as by a Tri-Cities group that raised concerns last year as PNNL cut research and other staff in anticipation of slashed funding.

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Newhouse for championing this critical funding for PNNL’s research and innovation, especially in climate science and renewable energy,” said Andrea McMakin of Friends of PNNL. She said the funding ensures that the “essential science, and the highly skilled jobs that power our regional economy, can move forward without disruption.” 

The bill’s passage also allowed Congress to avoid another complete government shutdown. The continuing resolution passed by Congress in mid-November after the longest federal government shutdown in history ran out on Jan. 30. Several other funding measures are still working their way through the House and Senate. 

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, one of the lead bill authors, lauded the passage, citing Hanford and PNNL as among the big winners. 

“This legislation invests in important research at our universities and national laboratories, including Pacific Northwest National Lab, and supports new efforts like the Northwest Regional Commission that will deliver a real boost to rural communities across our region,” Murray said in a statement. “After the Trump administration once again tried to shortchange Hanford in its budget request, I negotiated a funding bill that delivers record funding to accelerate the cleanup effort sitewide.” 

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, was among the legislation’s supporters in the House, noting that it includes $10.4 billion to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including for the continued operation of the Lower Snake River dams.   

“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, my immediate focus in the new year is passing our remaining government funding legislation and avoiding another costly shutdown," Newhouse said in a statement. “This package gets us closer to that goal, with half of the bills having now been passed by the House.”

The U.S. Senate voted 82-15 to approve H.R. 6938 on Jan. 15. The bills are similar to the set of appropriations bills for the 2025 fiscal year budget approved in the U.S. House the prior week.

PNNL will benefit from several elements of the bills, including:  

• $8.4 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which funds research at PNNL and several other national labs.  
• $65 million for PNNL’s Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory.  
• $96 million for PNNL’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility.  
• $2.37 billion and $2.9 billion for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which both have substantial research portfolios at PNNL. 

In a statement, Gov. Bob Ferguson called the budget for Hanford “a positive step” in the federal government’s obligation to clean up the site.

However, the state Department of Ecology said it still falls far short of the annual appropriation necessary to keep up with legally-required milestones for the cleanup. Ecology estimates a “compliant budget” of $6.15 billion was needed for fiscal year 2026, and $6.76 billion is needed for 2027.

The anticipated funding didn’t prevent Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, or HMIS, from cutting 40 staff in the days after it was approved in Congress. A spokesperson for the Hanford contractor, which provides support services to the Hanford site’s contractors, said the layoffs were needed as its workforce size exceeded operational needs.

HMIS’s payroll included more than 1,700 employees in fall 2025, according to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’s Largest Employer list.

“This decision was made with care, and we are grateful for their service to HMIS and the Hanford site,” said a statement from the contractor. “We are committed to supporting affected employees during this transition by offering outplacement assistance, two weeks’ pay in lieu of notice, and, for those eligible, severance pay. We will also work closely with local community resources to provide additional support and transition services.”