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Nebraska Legislation Affecting Early Childhood

Our legislative efforts promote accountable early childhood investments with impactful outcomes that eliminate the achievement gap for Nebraska’s youngest learners.

Nebraska Legislation Report updated daily during the Legislative session
Nebraska Legislation Highlights from the 2017 Legislative session

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LB22
Provide, change, and eliminate provisions relating to appropriations and reduce appropriations

Sponsor: Scheer
Status: 2/15/2017 Approved by the Governor
FFN Position: Priority
Category: Economic Assistance/Public Benefits, Systems/Governance

Introduced at the request of the Governor, LB22 sets forth reduced appropriations for the current biennium to address the shortfall (FY15/16). A $200,000.00 cut to the Early Childhood Grant program (children aged birth-3) is included, reducing the appropriation from $5M to $4.8M.
First Five Nebraska written testimony (PDF)

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LB327
Appropriate funds for the expenses of Nebraska State Government for the biennium ending June 30, 2019

Sponsor: Scheer
Status: 5/15/2017 Approved by the Governor with line-item veto
FFN Position: Priority
Category: Economic Assistance/Public Benefits, School Funding, Systems/Governance

Introduced by Speaker Scheer by request of the Governor, LB327 appropriates funds for the state government over the FY2017-18 and FY2018-19. This budget will address the nearly $1B estimated shortfall for the stated fiscal years.
First Five Nebraska written testimony (PDF)

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LB335
Change provisions relating to a child care market rate survey

Sponsor: Scheer et al., Health & Human Services Committee Priority Bill
Status: 5/12/2017 Approved by the Governor
FFN Position: Priority
Category: Child Care, Early Childhood Workforce

Eliminates the market rate survey adjustment for child care providers in the state for the year 2017 only. The rate after 2017 will continue to be adjusted using the market rate survey.
First Five Nebraska written testimony (PDF)
Nebraska Child Care Subsidy Rates (PDF)

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LB484
Create the School Financing Review Commission

Sponsor: Kolowski, Kolowski Priority Bill
Status: 2/16/2017 Notice of Hearing: Education Committee Monday, March 06, 2017
FFN Position: Priority
Category: Child Care, Early Childhood Workforce, Education, School Funding

Creates a commission consisting of 20 members, with membership requirements listed in the legislation. The Commission will be tasked with examining an in-depth review of the financing of public schools, including; using income, sales tax, other states methods as a component of financing schools. Also included are examining financing as it relates to quality and performance in Nebraska schools, expansion of prekindergarten services, financing for college-readiness and career readiness programs, and examine the costs and resources necessary to educate poverty and limited English proficiency students.

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LB521
Change provisions related to early childhood education in the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act

Sponsor: Walz
Status: 2/16/2017 Notice of Hearing: Education Committee Tuesday, February 28, 2017
FFN Position: Priority
Category: Child Care, School Funding, Systems/Governance

For aid calculated for FY18-19 and after, state funding for qualified early childhood education will be calculated at 80% of the average daily membership of students who will be eligible to attend kindergarten in 1 of the 2 following school years. The current level is 60%. The bill also addresses calculation for early childhood education transportation costs as the number of miles traveled by vehicles owned, leased or contracted by a district/districts in a local system on a regular route exclusively for the transportation of early childhood education students.
First Five Nebraska written testimony (PDF)

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LB645
Add dyslexia for purposes of special education

Sponsor: Pansing Brooks et al.
Status: 5/10/2017 Approved by the Governor
FFN Position: Priority
Category: Education

Dyslexia will be added under special education in Nebraska Schools. Dyslexia will be defined as a specific learning disability that is neurobiological, characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor spelling and decoding, and typically results from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is unexpected in relation to their cognitive abilities and effective classroom instruction.

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Bill enacted into law
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