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                             LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
                          ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
                                 SECOND SESSION
                    LEGISLATIVE BILL 959
   Introduced by Riepe, 12.
   Read first time January 12, 2026
   Committee: Health and Human Services
1    A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Child Care Licensing Act; to amend
2section 71-1908, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025; to require the
3Department    of     Health   and    Human    Services   to   create   a   youth
4afterschool    credential     and     an     adult   eligibility   passport   as
5prescribed; and to repeal the original section.
6    Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1Section 1. Section 71-1908, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is
2    amended to read:
371-1908 (1) Sections 71-1908 to 71-1923.03 and sections 2 and 3 of
4   this act shall be known and may be cited as the Child Care Licensing Act.
5(2) The Legislature finds that there is a present and growing need
6   for quality child care programs and facilities. There is a need to
7    establish and maintain licensure of persons providing such programs to
8    ensure that such persons are competent and are using safe and adequate
9    facilities.   The    Legislature    further      finds   and   declares   that     the
10    development and supervision of programs are a matter of statewide concern
11    and should be dealt with uniformly on the state and local levels. There
12    is a need for cooperation among the various state and local agencies
13    which impose standards on licensees, and there should be one agency which
14    coordinates the enforcement of such standards and informs the Legislature
15    about cooperation among the various agencies.
16Sec. 2.       (1) The department shall establish a youth afterschool
17    credential for individuals who are sixteen or seventeen years of age and
18   who are seeking employment in school-age child care programs or temporary
19    nonresidential     child   care   programs.      For   purposes   of   this   section
20    temporary nonresidential child care program means child care provided (a)
21   for no more than twelve consecutive hours, (b) not on a continuous or
22    regularly scheduled basis, and (c) in a location not ordinarily used as a
23    licensed child care center.
24(2) To obtain a youth afterschool credential, an applicant shall:
25(a) Complete all registry checks required for licensed child care
26    staff, including the child abuse and neglect and sex offender registries,
27    and any additional registry checks required by the department;
28(b)   Submit    all    background    check   documentation    required    by   the
29    department; and
30(c) Complete a minimum seven-hour new staff orientation for school-
31   age programs approved by the department.
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1(3) A youth applicant who has submitted all required background
2   check materials may engage in provisional employment while such checks
3    are pending if: (a) The individual is not left alone in a room with
4    children; (b) the individual is not included in staff-to-child ratio
5    requirements; and (c) the individual's provisional employment is limited
6    to school-age child care programs and temporary nonresidential child care
7    programs.
8(4) Upon completion of the requirements in subsection (2) of this
9   section, the department shall issue a youth afterschool credential. The
10   credential shall be valid for one year after the date of issuance and may
11   be renewed through an expedited process established by the department.
12(5) A licensed child care program or youth-serving program approved
13   by the department may accept a valid youth afterschool credential as
14    verification that the holder has met the initial background check and
15    training requirements under this section.
16(6) The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to
17   carry       out   this   section,    including,     but    not   limited    to,     application
18    procedures,  background     check   verification,     renewal    procedures,  fees,
19    approval of training providers, and privacy and data-sharing protections.
20Sec. 3.        (1) The department shall establish an adult eligibility
21   passport to verify program-ready status for individuals eighteen years of
22   age or older and to provide portability of background check requirements
23   between licensed child care programs and approved youth-serving programs.
24    For purposes of this section, program-ready status means verification
25   that    an    individual     has    completed      all   background    check      and   training
26    requirements established by the department and is eligible for employment
27    under this section.
28(2) An adult applicant may apply for an adult eligibility passport
29    by submitting all documentation required by the department, including:
30    (a)     A    full    criminal      history    record      information      check,       including
31   fingerprinting; (b) a check of the child abuse and neglect and sex
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1   offender registries; and (c) other background check or documentation
2   required by the department for licensure purposes.
3(3)(a) An adult eligibility passport shall be valid for one year
4   after the date of issuance and shall serve as proof that the holder has
5   satisfied all state-mandated initial background check requirements for
6   employment under this section.
7(b) Licensed child care programs and approved youth-serving programs
8   shall     accept     a    current     and     valid     adult      eligibility  passport    as
9   verification that an individual has met the initial background check
10   requirements required by this section.
11(4)     The     adult    eligibility       passport      shall      be   renewable     annually
12   through     an     expedited       process     established  by    the    department.       The
13   department       shall     automatically       update       the    passport      record     if    new
14   background check information becomes available.
15(5) The department may impose an application or renewal fee for the
16   adult     eligibility       passport,       which     shall       not   exceed     the     cost    of
17    administering        background      checks,    documentation,  and     issuance    of    the
18    passport.
19(6) The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to
20    carry   out      this    section,    including,       but    not    limited      to,    application
21   procedures,        background      check    verification,  renewal      procedures,       fees,
22   approval of training providers, and privacy and data-sharing protections.
23Sec.      4.        Original    section    71-1908,      Revised     Statutes       Supplement,
24    2025, is repealed.
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