The following is a list of Voices for Children priority legislation for the 103rd Legislature, Second Session.

To contact your state senator, click here

Budget and Taxes

LB 670: Change agricultural land valuations
Introducer: Senator: Senator McCoy
Status: Hearing February 7, 2014; McCoy Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: OPPOSE
Click here for Voices for Children testimony on LB 670 and 813

LB 691: Increase Child Tax Credit
Introducer: Senator Bolz
Status: Hearing February 12, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 721: Cut income and corporate tax rates
Introducer: Senator Janssen
Status: Hearing February 13, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: OPPOSE
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 813: Change agricultural land valuations
Introducer: Senator Hansen
Status: Hearing February 7, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: OPPOSE
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 871: Allow more time to request fiscal notes for bills
Introducer: Senator Harr
Status: Hearing January 30, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 956:  Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit
Introducer: Senator Conrad
Status: Hearing February 19, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 974: Expand Performance-based budgeting
Introducer: Senator Mello
Status: Placed on General File with AM 2025; Appropriations Committee Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 1056:  Cut taxes for middle-class families
Introducer: Senator Davis
Status: Hearing February 13, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 1097: Cut income and corporate tax rates
Introducer: Senator Harr
Status: Hearing February 13, 2014; Smith Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: OPPOSE
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

Economic Well-Being

LB 359: Establish a small earned income disregard for ongoing child care assistance eligibility
Introducer: Senator Cook
Status: On Select File
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 732: Exempt Educational Savings from resource tests in public programs
Introducer: Senator Kolowski
Status: Placed on General File with AM1822
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 898:  Establish quarterly reports to the Legislature on Access Nebraska
Introducer: Performance Audit Committee
Status: Placed on General File
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 943: Increase the Minimum Wage
Introducer: Senator: Nordquist
Status: Placed on General File with AM 1922
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 947: Increase minimum wage for tipped workers
Introducer: Senator Lathrop
Status: Hearing February 3, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 955: Paid Family Leave
Introducer: Senator Dubas
Status: Hearing February 24, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 1088: Increase Income Eligibility for Child Assistance
Introducer: Senator Conrad
Status: Hearing February 6, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 1090: Paid Sick Time
Introducer: Senator Conrad
Status: Hearing February 24, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LR 400: Create Access Nebraska Special Legislative Committee
Introducer: Senator Dubas
Status: Reported to Legislature for Further Consideration
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Letter of Support

Education/Early Childhood

LB 834: Provide funding to qualifying schools who operate school breakfast programs.
Introducer: Senator Avery
Status: Hearing February 24, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 872: Create a director of school safety and security within the Nebraska Department of Education
Introducer: Senator Kolowski
Status: Placed on General File with AM 1714
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children Letter of support

LB 952: Third Grade Reading
Introducer: Senator Lautenbaugh
Status: Hearing January 28, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: NEUTRAL
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 992: Early childhood data committee
Introducer: Senator Howard
Status: Hearing February 4, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children letter of support

LB 1050: Require Inspection for Child Care Licensing
Introducer: Senator: Campbell
Status: Placed on General File with AM 1827
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children letter of support

Health

LB 944: Funding for early childhood mental illness
Introducer: Senator Bolz
Status: Hearing February 5, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

Safety – Child Welfare

LB 503: Implementing an Alternative Response Pilot Project to a report of child abuse or neglect
Introducer: Senator Coash
Status: Placed on General File with AM 1967
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 660: Extend Nebraska Families Collaborative Pilot Project in Douglas County to ensure stability in the child welfare system and ongoing evaluation
Introducer: Senator Krist
Status: Placed on General File with AM 1882; Speaker Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 853: Strengthens guardianship for older youth in the foster care system by clarifying that guardianship subsidies will extend until age 21
Introducer: Senator McGill
Status: Hearing January 22, 2014; HHS Committee Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 908:  Create statute governing permanent guardianships and allowing its extension to 21
Introducer: Senator Coash
Status: Placed on General File with AM 1911; Speaker Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 928:  Enhancements to current state statute on Indian Child Welfare Act
Introducer: State Tribal Relations Committee
Status: Hearing January 29, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 936: Funding for Developmental Disabilities services for state wards exiting to a permanent home
Introducer: Senator Bolz
Status: Hearing February 10, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children letter of support

LB 1000: Mandate equal parenting time in all custody cases
Introducer: Senator Karpisek
Status: Hearing February 27, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: OPPOSE
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

Safety – Juvenile Justice

AM 1674 to LB 464: Establish Juvenile Court as the court of original jurisdiction for most young people. AM 1674 replaces the language of LB 464
Introducer: Senator Ashford
Status: Hearing February 5, 2014; Ashford Priority
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony

LB 1021: Automatically seal juvenile court records
Introducer: Senator Seiler
Status: Hearing February 13, 2014
Voices for Children’s Position: SUPPORT
Click here for Voices for Children testimony