Strengthening the collective voice, leadership, and capacity of nonprofit organizations while enriching the quality of community life throughout Nebraska and Western Iowa is the mission of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM). One of the ways to complete that mission is to present the needs of the area’s nonprofits to the Unicameral.
As Hannah Young, Policy and Communications Manager for the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands, explains to Mike Hogan on this “Live & Local” interview, the Nebraska Legislature's Appropriations Committee is currently deliberating what programs and issues they will include in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal fund distribution. Hannah talked about how the process works and what NAM’s priorities are. She has published the list of priorities below along with the invitation to contact members of the Appropriations Committee to let them know which, if any, of the bills below resonate with you.
Appropriations Committee Members
Robert Clements | 402-471-2613 | rclements@leg.ne.gov
Myron Dorn | 402-471-2620 | mdorn@leg.ne.gov
Steve Erdman | 402-471-2616 | serdman@leg.ne.gov
Robert Hilkemann | 402-471-2621 | rhilkemann@leg.ne.gov
Mark Kolterman | 402-471-2756 | mkolterman@leg.ne.gov
Mike McDonnell | 402-471-2710 | mmcdonnell@leg.ne.gov
John Stinner | 402-471-2802 | jstinner@leg.ne.gov
Tony Vargas | 402-471-2721 | tvargas@leg.ne.gov
Anna Wishart | 402-471-2632 | awishart@leg.ne.gov
Below are the key NAM priority bills, so you can identify the bill number in your emails – or you can indicate an issue area – housing, child care, etc. NAM encourages your active participation because they need to hear from the experts on where this money should be spent.
NAM ARPA Priority Bills
Bills in bold are designated as highest priority
Childcare
LB865 (DeBoer) Change provisions relating to reimbursement for child care and state intent to appropriate federal funds
LB1203 (Briese) Appropriate federal funds for child care programs
Food
LB1201 (DeBoer) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services for grants to nonprofit organizations providing food assistance
Health
LB1007 (Murman) Change provisions relating to the Rural Health Systems and Professional Incentive Act
LB1055 (McDonnell) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services for premium-pay to front-line nurses
LB1066 (Stinner) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Nebraska for behavioral health care services
LB1067 (Stinner) Appropriate funds to the University of Nebraska for the Behavioral Health Education Center
LB1075 (Stinner) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services for technology that will support statewide pediatric mental health services
LB1076 (Stinner) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to develop software to streamline coordination of care for children with medically complex conditions
LB1091 (Dorn) Adopt the Nebraska Nursing Incentive Act and state intent to appropriate federal funds
LB1183 (Aguilar) State intent to appropriate federal funds for federally qualified health centers
LB1267 (Vargas) Appropriate federal funds for health equity liaisons for various state commissions
LB1269 (Murman) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services for repayment of qualified educational debts owed by certain health professionals
Housing
LB940 (Hansen, M.) Appropriate federal funds for housing
LB968 (Dorn) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Economic Development for affordable housing and job training
LB1024 (Wayne) Adopt the North Omaha Recovery Act and state intent regarding appropriation of federal funds
LB1025 (Wayne) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Economic Development for the North Omaha Recovery Grant Program
LB1041 (McDonnell) Appropriate federal funds to the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority for loans for development of affordable housing Units
LB1052 (Cavanaugh, J.) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program
LB1070 (Williams) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Economic Development for infrastructure related to rural workforce Housing
LB1071 (Williams) Appropriate funds for the workforce housing grant Program
LB1142 (Vargas) Appropriate federal funds to the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority to support the development of affordable housing units
LB1238 (Vargas) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Economic Development for the South Omaha Recovery Grant Program
Workforce
LB721 (Hilkemann) Appropriate funds for the University of Nebraska Medical Center Rural Health Complex
LB1063 (Morfeld) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Labor to increase the number of apprentices and provide premium pay
LB1167 (Flood) Appropriate federal funds to the Department of Economic Development for internships and expanding and retaining Nebraska's workforce
Bills in bold are designated as highest NAM priority
