With just 16 days left in the 2026 Legislative Session, senators will continue their all-day debate on Speaker and personal priority bills. Debate typically takes place from 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-5pm, with the potential to go later into the evening starting this week.
LB304 (Child Care Subsidies) Included in Budget Bill
Last week, the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee voted to fold ✅LB304(Senator Wendy DeBoer) into the budget. This bill will help parents afford the child care they need by maintaining the child care subsidy’s income eligibility level, which is otherwise set to decrease this year. If this bill doesn’t pass this year, over 2,000 families will lose access to funding for child care.
The Child Care Subsidy Program is intended to provide temporary assistance to low-income families by helping to cover the costs of childcare on a sliding scale. This program helps parents have a safe place for their children while they find work, maintain employment, or gain the education and skills needed to get a job. Without this assistance, many Nebraskans are unable to enter the workforce or pursue education and job training. LB304 would simply extend the positive child care subsidy eligibility changes that the Legislature adopted in 2023 and make those changes permanent.
The Legislature will spend this week continuing to debate the budget, including the bill containing LB304.
Currently, none of Appleseed’s 2026 priority bills are scheduled for debate yet, but we’ll be sure to share updates as they move through the legislative process.
Follow along: You can livestream all legislative happenings through Nebraska Public Media.
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