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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 1218
Introduced by Brandt, 32.
Read first time January 21, 2026
Committee: Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the County Bridge Match Program; to amend1
sections 39-2805 and 66-4,100, Revised Statutes Cumulative2
Supplement, 2024; to require the County Bridge Match Working Group3
to award money as prescribed; to change provisions of the Highway4
Cash Fund and the Roads Operations Cash Fund; to provide for5
transfers of money from the Roads Operations Cash Fund; to eliminate6
obsolete provisions; and to repeal the original sections.7
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,8
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Section 1. Section 39-2805, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,1
2024, is amended to read: 2
39-2805 (1) The County Bridge Match Program is created. The3
department shall administer the program using funds from the4
Transportation Infrastructure Bank Fund. The purpose of the program is to5
promote innovative solutions and provide additional funding to accelerate6
the repair and replacement of deficient bridges on the county road7
system. Participation by counties in the program shall be voluntary.8
(2)(a) (2) The County Bridge Match Working Group is hereby created.9
The Governor shall appoint two representatives to serve on the working10
group from a list of county highway superintendents, county surveyors, or11
county engineers submitted by a statewide association representing county12
officials. The Director-State Engineer shall select three representatives13
of the department to serve on the working group. The working group shall14
develop the program, including participation criteria and matching fund15
requirements for counties, and shall score the applications and award the16
funds. A meeting of the working group does not constitute a meeting as17
defined in section 84-1409. 18
(b) The working group shall award at least four million dollars to19
applicants each fiscal year under the County Bridge Match Program.20
(3) The County Bridge Match Program terminates on June 30, 2029.21
Sec. 2. Section 66-4,100, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,22
2024, is amended to read: 23
66-4,100 (1) The Highway Cash Fund and the Roads Operations Cash24
Fund are hereby created. If bonds are issued pursuant to subsection (2)25
of section 39-2223, the balance of the share of the Highway Trust Fund26
allocated to the Department of Transportation and deposited into the27
Highway Restoration and Improvement Bond Fund as provided in subsection28
(8) of section 39-2215 and the balance of the money deposited in the29
Highway Restoration and Improvement Bond Fund as provided in section30
39-2215.01 shall be transferred by the State Treasurer, on or before the31
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last day of each month, to the Highway Cash Fund. If no bonds are issued1
pursuant to subsection (2) of section 39-2223, the share of the Highway2
Trust Fund allocated to the Department of Transportation shall be3
transferred by the State Treasurer on or before the last day of each4
month to the Highway Cash Fund. 5
(2) The Legislature may direct the State Treasurer to transfer funds6
from the Highway Cash Fund to the Roads Operations Cash Fund. Both funds7
shall be expended by the department for: 8
(a) Acquiring (1) for acquiring real estate, road materials,9
equipment, and supplies to be used in the construction, reconstruction,10
improvement, and maintenance of state highways; , 11
(b) The (2) for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, and12
maintenance of state highways, including grading, drainage, structures,13
surfacing, roadside development, landscaping, and other incidentals14
necessary for proper completion and protection of state highways as the15
department shall, after investigation, find and determine shall be for16
the best interests of the highway system of the state, either independent17
of or in conjunction with federal-aid money for highway purposes; ,18
(c) The (3) for the share of the department of the cost of19
maintenance of state aid bridges; , 20
(d) Planning (4) for planning studies in conjunction with federal21
highway funds for the purpose of analyzing traffic problems and financial22
conditions and problems relating to state, county, township, municipal,23
federal, and all other roads in the state and for incidental costs in24
connection with the federal-aid grade crossing program for roads not on25
state highways; , 26
(e) Tests (5) for tests and research by the department or27
proportionate costs of membership, tests, and research of highway28
organizations when participated in by the highway departments of other29
states; , 30
(f) The (6) for the payment of expenses and costs of the Board of31
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Examiners for County Highway and City Street Superintendents as set forth1
in section 39-2310; , 2
(g) Support (7) for support of the public transportation assistance3
program established under section 13-1209 and the intercity bus system4
assistance program established under section 13-1213; ,5
(h) Purchasing (8) for purchasing from political or governmental6
subdivisions or public corporations, pursuant to section 39-1307, any7
federal-aid transportation funds available to such entities; ,8
(i) Costs (9) for costs related to the administration of the9
Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation as specified10
in section 3-107; , 11
(j) Furnishing (10) for furnishing the Nebraska Broadband Office12
with necessary office space, furniture, equipment, and supplies as well13
as providing administrative and budgetary support, including salaries for14
professional, technical, and clerical assistants, as provided in section15
81-702; , and 16
(k) The (11) for the County Bridge Match Program.17
(3) The State Treasurer shall transfer five four million dollars18
from the Roads Operations Cash Fund to the Transportation Infrastructure19
Bank Fund on or before June 30, 2026 2024, on such dates and in such20
amounts as directed by the budget administrator of the budget division of21
the Department of Administrative Services. The money shall be used for22
the County Bridge Match Program. The State Treasurer shall transfer five23
four million dollars from the Roads Operations Cash Fund to the24
Transportation Infrastructure Bank Fund on or before June 30, 2027 2025,25
on such dates and in such amounts as directed by the budget administrator26
of the budget division of the Department of Administrative Services. The27
money shall be used for the County Bridge Match Program.28
(4) Any money in the Highway Cash Fund and the Roads Operations Cash29
Fund not needed for current operations of the department shall, as30
directed by the Director-State Engineer to the State Treasurer, be31
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invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital1
Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act, subject to2
approval by the board of each investment. All income received as a result3
of such investment shall be placed in the Highway Cash Fund.4
Sec. 3. Original sections 39-2805 and 66-4,100, Revised Statutes5
Cumulative Supplement, 2024, are repealed. 6
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