As we sped past the halfway point of session this week, several bills were debated that are relevant to District 1. These topics range from education standards and access to higher education to helping military families with finding employment in our state. This column will highlight a few of the bills that would be a great benefit to our state.

Senator Albrecht introduced LB 281, which would require schools to adopt a child sexual abuse prevention program beginning with the 2022-23 school year for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The goal of this bill is to curb child sexual abuse by providing students with the knowledge and tools necessary to communicate incidents of potential and actual sexual abuse. There was an amendment from the Education Committee that would extend the program through twelfth grade and specify that the curriculum be evidence-based. LB 281 advanced to Select File on a vote of 32-1.

Senator Clements’s LB 92 addresses higher education and in-state tuition for home school students. Currently, students are considered residents for tuition purposes if they reside with their parent or guardian while attending a public or private high school in Nebraska and graduate from a public or private Nebraska high school. LB 92 would allow students to be considered residents if they complete the program of instruction offered by a home school. It would also prohibit publicly funded colleges or universities from discriminating against students on the basis of having been homeschooled. This bill also advanced from General File with a vote of 35-0.

LB 389 was introduced by Senator Sanders and was passed on Final Reading with a vote of 46-0. This bill would help Nebraska welcome and support military families by establishing a streamlined path for military spouses to receive a teaching certificate or permit in Nebraska if the applicant holds a valid certificate or permit in another state. Our state ranks behind several other states that have enacted more military-friendly reciprocity statutes related to teacher certification. LB 389 will now allow Nebraska to grant teaching permits to our military families and welcome them to our state.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.