Veterans (Veteran Education)

LB 1117 amends Nebraska's tuition waiver programs for dependents of veterans and first responders. It updates eligibility rules for veterans' dependents (e.g., requiring residency, exhausting VA benefits, and specifying qualifying service-related deaths/disabilities) and revises the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act to clarify waiver terms for their dependents. The bill's key new provision requires the state to reimburse public colleges 50% of waived tuition costs for veterans' dependents starting July 1, 2028, based on available funds, with prorated payments if appropriations are insufficient. This directly affects veterans' dependents, first responders' dependents, and public institutions receiving these waivers. The bill harmonizes existing rules but does not change the core waiver benefits themselves.