Last week, the Legislature started on hearings and floor debate. Floor debate will continue to take place in the mornings, and hearings will be held in the afternoons. Hearings are currently scheduled to run through February 29.
We are excited to share that Senator Ray Aguilar of Grand Island made LB952 his personal priority bill. LB952 would require Nebraska to participate in the new permanent Summer EBT program, which has the potential to support feeding over 150,000 low income children in Nebraska with $18 million (or $120 per child) in grocery-buying benefits. This is a critical step in getting this Summer EBT bill heard by the full legislature and passed into law. We are grateful to Senator Aguilar and Senator Day for their leadership in addressing child food insecurity throughout our state! See below for information on how you can share your support for this bill.
Appleseed’s 2024 Legislative Priorities
All of Appleseed’s priority bills have been introduced, including legislation that would:
- Support young people navigating the child welfare system,
- Expand food and nutrition access,
- Strengthening worker safety, wages, and protections,
- Advance housing justice,
- Support families navigating the rising cost of living,
- Ensure equitable access to healthcare,
- Create full inclusion for longtime community members, and
- Strengthen democracy.
Click here to see the legislative priorities that Appleseed is supporting during the 2024 session.
This Week’s Hearings
There are hearings this week that you can attend in person, stream online, or submit a comment. Here are a few hearings Appleseed will be showing up for and supporting this week:
LB845 (Hunt) – Prohibit eviction of certain tenants during the school year
- Wednesday, January 31 in the afternoon in Room 1113 in front of the Judiciary Committee
- This bill would prohibit the eviction of students, legal custodians of students, and employees of schools and daycares during the school year. Children, caretakers, and school staff need and deserve stable housing to flourish.
- Take action: Appleseed supports this bill – submit a comment here by tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31 at 8:00 AM CST
LB952 (Day) – Require the Department of Health and Human Services to implement the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program
- Thursday, February 1 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee
- This bill would provide summer grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children by requiring the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to implement the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) Program.
- Take action: Appleseed supports this bill – submit a comment here by Thursday, February 1 at 8:00 AM CST
LB913 (Hunt) – Require a state plan amendment for postpartum coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program
- Friday, February 2 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee
- This bill would help Nebraska take a major step forward in ensuring that postpartum health care is available to all women and people who need it, which is critical for keeping babies, families, and our communities healthy.
- Take action: Appleseed supports this bill – submit a comment here by Friday, February 2 at 8:00 AM CST
Stay Up to Date
You can keep up with all the happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online:
- Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
- Don’t miss out on our live updates on legislative hearings on Twitter.
- We’ll let you know how you can take action to get involved and make your voice heard throughout the session!
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