LB 417 establishes the Nebraska Promise Program, providing tuition waivers for eligible Nebraska residents attending University of Nebraska campuses or Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. It covers up to 15 credit hours per semester after federal grants and scholarships are applied, targeting students with family incomes under $65,000 annually and requiring a 2.5 GPA. The bill also extends similar tuition waivers to community colleges (up to 2 years) and state colleges (up to 4 years) for qualifying low-income students. Funding for these waivers comes from a new College Promise Fund, with reimbursements distributed monthly from the General Fund to institutions after annual certification. The program requires institutions to verify eligibility and maintain a standardized appeals process through the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.
LB 581 was a funding bill that allocated $3,000,000 from the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2025-26 to Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services. The funds were specifically designated for behavioral health services for youth in facilities that also operate early childhood development centers. The bill was amended into another measure (LB261) on June 6, 2025, and did not create new policies or regulations. It directly affected youth receiving behavioral health services at participating facilities.
LB 674 amends Nebraska law to redirect funds from the Perkins County Canal Project Fund. It requires transferring $250 million to the General Fund and $250 million to the Water Sustainability Fund by June 30, 2025, for state use. The bill also directs the Department of Natural Resources to conduct a study on the canal project's costs, timeline, alternatives, and impacts on Lincoln and Omaha's water supplies, with findings due to the Legislature by December 31, 2022. This legislation restates the state's intent regarding the South Platte River Compact but does not fund actual canal construction. The bill takes immediate effect due to an emergency declaration.
This bill allocates $266,358 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $272,186 for fiscal year 2026-27 from Nebraska's General Fund to the Department of Labor's Program 194. The funds are specifically designated to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 293 (the parent bill, introduced earlier in the same session). The bill also sets annual limits of $179,108 for salaries/per diems in 2025-26 and $184,482 in 2026-27 for these appropriations. It is a funding measure with no policy changes of its own.
This bill creates a state grant program administered by Nebraska's Department of Economic Development to fund nonprofit organizations operating bike-sharing systems. Nonprofits must apply for grants, report on fund usage, and return unused funds. The bill specifically intends to allocate $250,000 from the General Fund to establish this program, directly affecting community bike-sharing initiatives and their nonprofit operators.
This bill authorizes the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to design and build residential facilities for nursing and allied health students in Norfolk, Nebraska, at a total cost of $23 million. It directs annual state appropriations of $1.15 million for 20 years to fund the project, with provisions allowing long-term financing contracts (without pledging state credit) and requiring unused funds to transfer to the General Fund by 2045. The bill also allocates $250,000 for educational technology at the Norfolk facilities. The project directly affects UNO students in health programs and Norfolk residents through new campus infrastructure.
LB 654 allocates $300,000 from the General Fund for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The funds are specifically designated for the Nebraska AgrAbility program to purchase assistive technology and equipment for farmers and ranchers who do not qualify for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding. This bill directly affects Nebraska farmers and ranchers by providing state-funded support for accessibility tools. The appropriation is procedural and does not create new eligibility or policy changes, solely funding an existing program's equipment needs.
LB 307 allocates specific state funds to Nebraska's public colleges and universities for existing tuition waiver programs benefiting first responders and their dependents. It sets aside designated amounts from the General Fund for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for Nebraska State Colleges (Program 48) and the University of Nebraska (Program 781), funding waivers under the First Responders Recruitment Act, In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Act, and related statutes. The bill declares an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately upon approval. This is a funding measure for established programs, not a new policy change.
LB 62 appropriates $19 million from the General Fund for fiscal year 2025-26 to the Department of Administrative Services. The funds must be used to provide portable/mobile radios, programming, installation, and training for volunteer departments (like fire and rescue teams) to connect to the Statewide Radio System. Eligible departments receive grants with no fees for equipment or training, based on their needs and size, and all funds must be distributed by June 30, 2028. This bill directly supports volunteer departments by improving emergency communications interoperability with state agencies.
LB 54 appropriates specific funds from Nebraska's General Fund and Federal Funds for fiscal year 2025-26 to the Department of Health and Human Services. It directs these funds exclusively to increase reimbursement rates paid to providers of developmental disability services by 11% for two specific programs (424 and 348). This bill directly affects service providers who support individuals with developmental disabilities by guaranteeing a funding increase for their operations. The bill declares an emergency, meaning it would take effect immediately upon approval without a waiting period.
