Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s administration has said no to participating in a new, more permanent Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program aimed at supplementing other efforts that target child hunger. A legislative bill aims to force the governor’s hand in participating. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
LINCOLN — An effort to force Nebraska to permanently participate in a pandemic-era summer food program for kids has stalled, at least for now, in a legislative committee.
Legislative Bill 952 , introduced by State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha, would reverse Gov. Jim Pillen’s denial to participate in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program for 2024 and mandate that Nebraska permanently join in future years .
Should Nebraska participate, the program is estimated to provide $18 million in grocery-buying federal funds to about 150,000 low-income children at a state cost of about $400,000 per year.
State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha. May 25, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
However, State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, which is considering LB 952’s next steps, came with a different idea Thursday: to attach Day’s bill to his LB 1381 , which would require all able-bodied individuals ages 16-59 to work in order to receive SNAP benefits.