State intent regarding appropriations for reimbursement rates for child welfare service providers

LB 359 requires Nebraska's state agencies to appropriate funds for a five-percent increase in reimbursement rates for child welfare and juvenile justice service providers during fiscal year 2025-26. This directly affects providers contracted by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Supreme Court, including group homes, foster care agencies, family support services, and emergency shelters. The increase applies to all existing contracted services under these programs, such as out-of-home care, family preservation, and kinship navigation, and is intended to be in addition to any other funding increases provided by law.