A federal bill signed into law Friday morning by President Donald Trump will allow the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club to assume formal ownership of the property it has utilized for years in Paducah.
The bill – HR 1276 – was sponsored in April 2025 by Republican Rep. James Comer, who represents Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District, including Paducah.
The legislation will allow Paducah officials to transfer the city-owned Park Avenue property to the nonprofit, which was formerly disallowed by National Parks Service regulations. This move will let the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America make long-desired renovations and improvements at the facility, including an updated gym and additional classrooms.
Comer called the bill’s signing a “major victory” for the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club and the entire McCracken County community.
“For more than sixty years, the club has provided generations of young people with opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed, but outdated federal restrictions have prevented the organization from improving its facilities and serving even more children,” the Kentucky congressman said in a statement from his office Friday. “With President Trump’s signature, we are cutting through federal red tape, empowering local leaders, and clearing the way for new classrooms, an updated gym, and other long-awaited improvements.”
City of Paducah officials made the initial reach out to Comer’s office, a Friday release said, to find a solution to the burdensome NPS regulations. His office then worked with the City of Paducah, the National Parks Service, the U.S. Army, and the House Committee on Natural Resources on the bill.
