Neb. lawmakers want $30-million for safe haven bill

Regional News

Sen. Annette Dubas

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) _ Nebraska lawmakers will try to provide $30 million to help children with behavioral health problems. A bill (LB356) from Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton is meant to address problems brought to light by the state's open-ended safe-haven law. Dubas says often children only get help if they commit crimes or if their parents give up custody so their children become wards of the state. The measure is meant to prevent that. State health officials said the original bill could cost between $110 million and $160 million. So the Judiciary Committee _ which advanced the measure Friday _ amended it to specify an amount of money to be spent over the next two years. Dubas says it could be paid for by savings from past efforts to reduce the number of state wards. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP-02-27-09 1700CST<