As used in this subchapter:

1. (1)
2. (2)
3. (3)
4. (4)
5. (5)
6. (6)
7. (7)

8. (8) "Cabinet" means the Cabinet for Economic Development; "County population ranking" means the score of each county determined by the cabinet under KRS 154.14-050(7); "Eligible grant applicant" means a county or city governing body, any entity organized in Kentucky providing public services through law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, rescue, waterfront development, a water utility, or a waste water utility to persons domiciled in Kentucky, or a nonprofit charitable organization organized under 26 U.S.C. sec. 501(c)(3) and engaged in public benefit improvements; "Eligible project" means a project that:

   1. (a) Meets the requirements for a federal grant offered or administered by a qualifying federal entity that: 1. Requires a local match; or 2. Is a Delta Regional Authority project that includes language explicitly stating that a local match will make an application more competitive;
   2. (b) Benefits the public or substantially benefits the public and satisfies the evaluation criteria in KRS 154.14-050 and that is initiated on: 1. 2. Publicly owned property; Property to be acquired, which comes with either a: a. Legally binding letter of intent or option for the sale to an eligible grant applicant; or Legally binding sale agreement for the sale to an eligible grant applicant; or b. 3. Private property on which a project is located that is in the public interest and for a public purpose and that benefits an eligible community; and
   3. (c) Requires local matching funds based on the county population ranking as provided in KRS 154.14-050; "Eligible use" means the authorized purpose for which an awarded grant may be used depending on the source of funds from the federal government; "GRANT Program" means the Government Resources Accelerating Needed Transformation Program established in KRS 154.14-030; "GRANT Program fund" means the fund established in KRS 154.14-060; "Population density":
   4. (a) Means the number of persons per square mile of a county;
   5. (b) Is calculated by dividing the total county population by the square miles in the county; Is determined by using the population estimate from the most recent available five (5) year American Community Survey as published by the United States
   6. (c)
9. (9)
10. (d) Census Bureau; and Is used to rank each county in descending order, with the county having the largest population density receiving a rank of one (1) and the county with the smallest population density receiving a rank of one hundred twenty (120); "Qualifying federal entity" includes the following:
11. (a) The Domestic Policy Council;
12. (b) The Office of Management and Budget;
13. (c) The United States Department of Energy;
14. (d) The United States Department of the Treasury;
15. (e) The United States Department of the Interior;
16. (f) The United States Department of Agriculture;
17. (g) The United States Department of Commerce;
18. (h) The United States Department of Labor;
19. (i) The United States Department of Health and Human Services;
20. (j) The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development;
21. (k) The United States Department of Transportation;
22. (l) The United States Department of Education;
23. (m) The United States Department of Homeland Security;
24. (n) The United States Department of Justice;
25. (o) The United States Department of Defense;
26. (p) The United States Environmental Protection Agency;
27. (q) The Appalachian Regional Commission;
28. (r) The Delta Regional Authority;
29. (s) The National Science Foundation; and
30. (t) Any federal agency, department, or entity that is the successor of an entity listed in paragraphs (a) to (s) of this subsection;
31. (10) "Regional project" means an eligible project that is proposed by eligible grant applicants residing or having a primary business address in different counties in this Commonwealth or by eligible grant subrecipients as part of a multistate project who submit a regional grant application; and

32. (11) "Ten (10) year percentage change in population":

    1. (a) Means the percentage change in population within a county;
    2. (b) Is determined by comparing the population estimate from the most recent available five (5) year American Community Survey as published by the United States Census Bureau to the same survey ten (10) years prior to the most recent available survey; and Is used to rank each county in descending order, with the county having the largest positive percentage change in population receiving a rank of one (1) and the county with the largest negative percentage change receiving a rank of one hundred twenty (120).
    3. (c)

Effective: April 13, 2026

History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 1, effective April 13, 2026. -- Amended 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 71, sec. 1, effective March 24, 2025. -- Created 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 188, sec. 2, effective April 12, 2024.