State senators introduced 812 bills in the first 10 days of this year’s legislative session, the highest number since 2001. First Five Nebraska has nine priority bills this year, and is following nearly 70 other Nebraska early childhood bills that could impact young children and families in our state.
View the priority bills on our website’s Policy Priorities page, where there are summaries along with sponsoring senator, hearing information and links to information FFN has published on each bill, which may include hearing testimony, policy or issue brief, blog post or other communications.
To follow the early childhood legislation FFN is watching or supports, visit our website’s Track Legislation page. There you’ll see bills listed in numerical order, a link to the Nebraska Legislature’s website, sponsoring senator, summary, FFN’s position on the legislation, the legislative committee hearing the bill and hearing dates, the last action taken, its current status and the FFN staff contact. FFN’s bill tracker updates in real time from the Legislature’s website.
Among the bills we’re watching:
LB12 (Senator Carol Blood, District 3) Creates the Human Breast Milk Bank to assist mothers and guardians in providing breast milk to their infants. It would be administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS).
LB85 (Senator Jen Day, District 49) Authorizes NDHHS to provide for express lane eligibility for initial eligibility determinations, redetermination, automatic enrollment and automatic renewals for children under the Medical Assistance Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
LB413 (Senator Carol Blood, District 3) Supports the mobility of licensed teachers through participating the Teachers interstate compact. Creates reciprocity among participant states and reduces barriers to license portability and employment.
LB419 (Senator Anna Wishart, District 27) Extends Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and utilizes federal matching funds.
LB518 (Senator Lynne Walz, District 15) Funds education programs designed to reduce educational risk factors for public schools. Funding would be secured from 35% of casino tax revenues.
LB527 (Senator John Fredrickson, District 20) Provides reimbursement to qualifying school districts and educational service units for allowable mental health expenditures. Appropriates $12 million per year from the General Fund and caps the annual increase at 10%.
LB582 (Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, District 6) Establishes a pilot program to provide doula services at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Geneva and the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.
