Redefine child under the In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Act
Summary
LB335 amends the In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Act to redefine the term “child” for purposes of the education benefit. Under the bill, a child includes a Nebraska resident or nonresident who is the biological or adopted child, or the stepchild, of a Nebraska law enforcement officer or firefighter killed in the line of duty. The bill also defines related terms used in the act, including associate degree program, baccalaureate degree program, community college, state college, state university, tuition and fees, law enforcement officer, firefighter, line of duty, fatal injury, and volunteer fire department.
The measure appears to be a technical and clarifying update to the existing dependent education benefit law, aligning eligibility language and definitions with the benefit structure administered by Nebraska’s public postsecondary institutions. It preserves the framework for tuition and fee benefits while specifying who qualifies as a dependent child and what educational institutions and degree programs are covered. The bill repeals the original section and replaces it with the revised language.
Impact
LB335 updates Nebraska Revised Statutes governing the In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Act, affecting eligibility for education benefits for dependents of fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters. It broadens and clarifies the statutory definition of “child,” and it standardizes definitions tied to the administration of tuition and fee benefits at community colleges, state colleges, and state universities. The bill primarily affects surviving family members seeking benefits and the public postsecondary institutions that administer those benefits.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been viewed very favorably and without controversy. It advanced unanimously from the Legislature and passed final reading 48-0-1, indicating broad bipartisan support and little to no opposition. The absence of committee transcript discussion suggests the measure was likely considered straightforward and noncontroversial.
Contention
No notable substantive contention is reflected in the available record. Because the bill is a definitional update to a dependent education benefit statute, any potential issues would likely have centered on eligibility scope—such as whether stepchildren and nonresident children should qualify—but the unanimous votes indicate those questions did not generate visible opposition. The bill’s support appears to have been strongest among lawmakers favoring benefits for families of officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.