All Roll Calls
Yes: 143 • No: 23
NebraskaLB304A109th Legislature 1st and 2nd SessionslegislatureWALLET
Appropriation Bill
Sponsored By: Wendy DeBoer
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
Cash aid rules: time limits and duties
Cash assistance is capped at a total of 60 months. The cap is extended only if the state fails to meet your self‑sufficiency contract terms. Adults must make sure children attend school; if parents do not take reasonable steps, aid can be reduced for children 16 and under, but not to the point of extreme hardship. Payments are based on family size. If adults are not the child’s parent and ask for aid for the whole family, they must sign a self‑sufficiency contract; if asking only for the child, the child may still get aid if the family pursues child support and the child attends school, after the program checks family income. An “adult in the family” means someone 19 or older who lives with and is related to a child 18 or younger.
Extra cash aid and special parent rules
Two‑parent families who meet the cited eligibility rules get cash assistance. The Department may give extra cash to people who already got the maximum if they face extreme hardship, like not having money for basic needs or when a child may lose care or housing with a parent. For minor parents, payments are based on the minor parent’s income; if the minor parent lives with a parent, the family’s income also counts. The state does not pursue support from parents when the family income is under 300% of the federal poverty guidelines.
How Nebraska funds child care changes
From July 1, 2021, through September 30, 2026, Nebraska uses federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds to pay costs from the income-eligibility changes. If those funds are not enough, the state may use TANF funds. No state General Funds are used for these costs during this period, except for administration. The Department also works with a private nonprofit to independently evaluate the income-eligibility changes if private funding is available; the evaluation is due by July 1, 2024.
Child care help: who qualifies and costs
Families can get child care help up to 185% of the federal poverty level before October 1, 2026. On or after October 1, 2026, the limit is 130% of the federal poverty level. If your income rises, you keep transitional care through your eligibility period or until you pass 85% of state median income. When that period ends, you can keep help if income is under 200% of poverty before October 1, 2026, or under 185% on or after that date. After 12 straight months on the program, the state ignores 10% of your gross earned income at each review. Families pay on a sliding scale; the program can require up to 20% of gross income and cannot exceed the transitional cost-sharing rates in place on January 1, 2015. If you lost cash aid but need child care to work and your income is at or below 200% of poverty, the state helps pay with cost-sharing.
New rules and rates for child care providers
Child care providers in the subsidy program must pass criminal history checks under the Child Care Licensing Act. The Department sets fixed subsidy payment rates that start each October 1 and update yearly. Rates may be different for infants, children with special needs, and higher-quality programs (Step Up to Quality Step 3 or higher). The state cannot pay more than a provider’s private rate.
Help for child care staff parents
If you work at a licensed child care program, your employer must try to adjust duties so you are not your child’s primary caregiver at work. If that is not possible, you can still get child care assistance for your child. A provider in your household may enroll your child in a different program and get assistance. These changes take effect July 1, 2025, and the Department sets rules to carry them out.
Old child care and cash-aid laws repealed
The law repeals two older Nebraska statutes in these areas. The text does not show direct changes to family benefits from this cleanup.
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Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Wendy DeBoer
legislature
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
legislature vote • 4/24/2026
Vote
Yes: 35 • No: 5 • Other: 9
legislature vote • 4/10/2026
Final Reading
Yes: 41 • No: 8
legislature vote • 3/30/2026
Vote
Yes: 32 • No: 5 • Other: 12
legislature vote • 3/30/2026
Vote
Yes: 35 • No: 5 • Other: 9
Actions Timeline
Presented to Governor on April 10, 2026
4/17/2026legislatureApproved by Governor on April 14, 2026
4/17/2026legislaturePassed on Final Reading 41-8*-0
4/10/2026legislaturePresident/Speaker signed
4/10/2026legislaturePlaced on Final Reading
4/8/2026legislatureAdvanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment
4/7/2026legislaturePlaced on Select File
4/1/2026legislatureDeBoer AM2962 filed
3/30/2026legislatureDeBoer AM2962 adopted
3/30/2026legislatureAdvanced to Enrollment and Review Initial
3/30/2026legislatureDate of introduction
3/25/2026legislaturePlaced on General File
3/25/2026legislature
Bill Text
Introduced
4/17/2026
Enrolled / Slip Law
Final / Enacted
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