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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 855
Introduced by McKinney, 11.
Read first time January 08, 2026
Committee: Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to child welfare; to adopt the Youth Early1
Intervention and Support Act. 2
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,3
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Section 1. Sections 1 to 8 of this act shall be known and may be1
cited as the Youth Early Intervention and Support Act.2
Sec. 2. (1) The Legislature finds that: (a) Early signs of trauma,3
neglect, or instability in youth often manifest through patterns of4
school disengagement, academic decline, and unmet physical needs; (b)5
research on adverse childhood experiences confirms a direct link between6
early trauma and negative outcomes in education, health, and justice7
system involvement; (c) effective early intervention can be achieved when8
schools, families, community health workers, and public systems work9
together in a coordinated and trauma-informed manner; and (d) many10
schools and communities already possess networks of support professionals11
and organizations who, if connected through a formal system, can identify12
and respond to student needs without requiring additional full-time13
employees. 14
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature to: (a) Establish a15
standardized framework for early identification and support using16
existing school and community data; and (b) promote cross-sector17
collaboration to reduce juvenile justice and child welfare involvement.18
Sec. 3. (1) The State Department of Education, in consultation with19
the Department of Health and Human Services, shall develop and administer20
an early support system to be implemented in all Nebraska public school21
districts. 22
(2) The early support system shall identify students who exhibit two23
or more of the following early warning indicators: (a) Chronic or sudden24
changes in school attendance; (b) declining academic performance or25
incomplete work; (c) persistent or unusual behavior challenges; (d) lack26
of engagement or participation in class; (e) observable hygiene concerns,27
including body odor or unwashed clothing; or (f) documented or disclosed28
exposure to adverse childhood experiences. 29
(3) The goal of the early support system is not punitive, but is to30
facilitate early, compassionate, trauma-informed interventions through31
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collaborative planning and service coordination. 1
Sec. 4. (1) Each school district shall convene a youth support2
coordination team to implement the early support system. This team may3
include, but is not limited to: (a) School counselors or social workers;4
(b) teachers and administrators; (c) community health workers from public5
health agencies or nonprofit organizations; (d) representatives from6
community-based organizations; (e) public health or behavioral health7
liaisons; and (f) parents or family and community advocates.8
(2) Each youth support coordination team shall: (a) Develop9
protocols for reviewing flagged student data; (b) conduct trauma-informed10
needs assessments; (c) engage families in support planning; (d)11
coordinate referrals to mental health, academic, and basic needs12
resources; and (e) document and monitor interventions using secure13
systems. 14
(3) The team shall designate a lead agency or coordinator which may15
be a school district, nonprofit organization, local public health16
department, or educational service unit. 17
Sec. 5. (1) Each school district shall include one or more18
community health workers on the school district's youth support19
coordinating team, using existing partnerships with (a) federally20
qualified health centers, (b) local public health departments, (c)21
behavioral health organizations, and (d) community-based nonprofit22
organizations. 23
(2) Community health workers shall support (a) family outreach and24
trust-building, (b) social determinants of health screening, (c)25
referrals and linkage to resources, and (d) culturally responsive and26
trauma-informed care. 27
Sec. 6. (1) The State Department of Education shall: (a) Provide28
standardized protocols and training materials on trauma-informed care,29
adverse childhood experiences, community health worker integration, the30
federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 2031
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U.S.C. 1232g, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability1
Act of 1996, and cultural responsiveness; (b) offer technical assistance2
to school districts for implementation, team formation, and referral3
coordination; and (c) maintain or enhance secure data systems to enable4
districts to flag and track student indicators. 5
(2) The Department of Health and Human Services shall support cross-6
agency collaboration, including: (a) Participation in training efforts;7
(b) integration of relevant health and behavioral health resources; and8
(c) promotion of community health worker workforce support and9
deployment. 10
Sec. 7. (1) All data collected shall comply with the federal Family11
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1232g12
and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of13
1996. 14
(2) No student shall be referred to law enforcement or child welfare15
based solely on early support system indicators unless legally required16
due to imminent risk. 17
(3) The Department of Health and Human Services shall monitor18
implementation to prevent disproportionate impact based on race,19
disability, income, or language. 20
Sec. 8. Each school district shall submit an annual implementation21
report to the State Department of Education. The department shall compile22
such implementation data and electronically submit an annual report to23
the Legislature that evaluates (1) the number of students identified and24
supported, (2) the interventions provided, (3) stakeholder feedback, and25
(4) outcomes related to attendance, achievement, and system involvement.26
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