The proposed bill, known as the Digital Skills Empowerment Act, aims to enhance job training opportunities in Nebraska by providing accessible and affordable digital skills training for residents in qualified census tracts, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. The bill establishes a grant program administered by the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development, to fund local educational institutions and nonprofits in developing digital skills training centers. It also includes provisions for grants to assist low-income individuals with tuition, learning materials, and other necessary support to access these training programs. The total amount of grant funds awarded for these initiatives is capped at twenty million dollars per fiscal year.

Additionally, the bill amends section 81-407 of the Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska to allow the Workforce Development Program Cash Fund to be used for grants under the Digital Skills Empowerment Act. It expresses the Legislature's intent to appropriate fifty million dollars from this fund for fiscal year 2025-26 and subsequent years to support the act's initiatives. The act is set to become operative on January 1, 2026, and the original section 81-407 will be repealed.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 81-407