✅ LB102, introduced by Senator Ashlei Spivey, would put money in the pockets of families who need it by adjusting the eligibility and benefit level calculation for Nebraska’s ADC program.
In Nebraska, the direct cash assistance program funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant is known as Aid to Dependent Children (ADC). The income eligibility limit for the ADC program is incredibly low, and the benefit amounts are shockingly small. For example: Under current law, a household of three has to have a monthly net income of less than $1,003 to be eligible for ADC benefits, and can only receive $552 per month at the most. Families cannot make ends meet at these levels, especially as inflation and rising prices have impacted the costs of everyday goods and services.
LB102 would require the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to adjust the eligibility and benefit level calculation (based on the “Standard of Need”) every year instead of every two years. The bill would also adjust the eligibility limit and benefit amount calculation for ADC to better reflect the monthly amount necessary for basic subsistence. Under LB102, a household of three with a monthly net income of less than $1,919 would be eligible for ADC benefits, and could receive up to $1,055 per month.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Your Senator to SUPPORT LB102!
A public hearing for this bill is scheduled for Thursday, February 6 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee.
Submit a comment here by Thursday, February 6 at 8:00 AM CT expressing your support for this bill. Want some help putting a comment together? Check out this document with some tips and a template. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
How to submit a comment:
- On the page for the bill you want to comment on, click “Submit Comments Online”
- Read through the pop-up notification and click “I Understand”
- Click “Yes” on the “Include Comment in Public Hearing Record” question, if you want your comment to be part of the public record
- Fill out your personal information and use your email to confirm submission
- Write your comment in the “Written Statement” box
- Complete the reCAPTCHA prompt (“I am not a robot”)
- Click “Submit Comment”
- After submitting, remember to confirm your submission in the email that will be sent to you
- Do a little power dance, ’cause you just used your voice in the legislative process!
Let’s make sure the Health and Human Services Committee members know that they need to take action NOW to make sure that ADC benefit amounts actually help meet the basic needs of Nebraska’s lowest income families with children.
Thank you for your continued advocacy!