PREPARED BY: Suzanne Houlden
LB 119 DATE PREPARED: January 24, 2025
PHONE: 402-471-0057
Revision: 00
FISCAL NOTE
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ANALYST ESTIMATE
ESTIMATE OF FISCAL IMPACT – STATE AGENCIES (See narrative for political subdivision estimates)
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27
EXPENDITURES REVENUE EXPENDITURES REVENUE
GENERAL FUNDS
CASH FUNDS
FEDERAL FUNDS
OTHER FUNDS
TOTAL FUNDS See below See below
Any Fiscal Notes received from state agencies and political subdivisions are attached f ollowing the Legislative Fiscal Analyst Estimate.
LB 119 seeks to codify the Rural Health Opportunity Program, also known as RHOP. RHOP is a collaborative educational initiative
between the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the Nebraska State Colleges (NSCS). It was designed to address the
healthcare needs of rural Nebraska by encouraging and financially supporting rural residents to pursue a career in a number of
healthcare fields. The program first began in 1989 for Chadron State and Wayne State, with Peru State added in 2012.
Students selected for the RHOP Program are pro vided an RHOP Tuition Waiver which fully covers the cost of tuition for all coursework
completed at the State Colleges. They are also guaranteed admission to UNMC, provided all program requirements are met and the
per-professional studies are completed. In order to ensure the RHOP “slots ” continue to be filled, NSCS also selects and financially
supports a number of students as “RHOP Alternates”, who are offered slots if they become available through attrition or changes of
major.
The goal of the State College System is to cover 50% of tuition and fees for all RHOP slot recipients and alternatives by FY27. For
FY25, about 71 students are projected to be in rotation, with the goal of reaching 110 students in FY26 and 150 by FY27.
The FY25 base appropriation for this program is $600,000. According to NSCS, t he cost to achieve the by-FY27 goal is an additional
$600,000 per year. The agency has a pending budget request for FY25-27 related to this increase over the upcoming biennium.
This bill includes intent to appropriate sufficient funds for the program.
If passed, LB 119 would require the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to administer the program with a 0.20 FTE St udent
Success Coordinator. The activities and responsibilities of the Coordinator are described in the University of Nebraska’ s fiscal note. The
Fiscal Office has no basis to disagree with the Universit y’s stated cost of $24,906 for FY26 and $25,370 for FY27, with $10,000 each
year designated for program -related travel expenses. It is assumed that the UNMC currently absorbs these costs as program
coordination is already in effect.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES STATE BUDGET DIVISION: REVIEW OF AGENCY & POLT. SUB. RESPONSE
LB: 119 AM: AGENCY/POLT. SUB: Nebraska State College System
REVIEWED BY: Kimberly Burns DATE: 01/16/2025 PHONE: (402) 471-4171
COMMENTS: Agree with the Nebraska State College System’s assessment of no fiscal impact from LB 119.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES STATE BUDGET DIVISION: REVIEW OF AGENCY & POLT. SUB. RESPONSE
LB: 119 AM: AGENCY/POLT. SUB: University of Nebraska System
REVIEWED BY: Kimberl y Burns DATE: 01/22/2025 PHONE: (402) 471-4171
COMMENTS: No reason to dispute the University of Nebraska System’s estimate of fiscal impact from LB 119.
0119Provide requirements for the Rural Health Opportunity Program and
provide tuition waivers
__________________________________
EXPENDITURESEXPENDITURES
NUMBER OF POSITIONS
Please complete ALL (5) blanks in the first three lines. 2025
LB
(1)
FISCAL NOTE
State Agency OR Political Subdivision Name:
(2)
University of Nebraska System
Prepared by:
(3)
Anne Barnes Date Prepared:
(4)
01/17/2025 Phone:
(5)
(402) 559-6300
ESTIMATE PROVIDED BY STATE AGENCY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
FY 2025 - 26 FY 2026 - 27
EXPENDITURES REVENUE
GENERAL FUNDS
24,906.00 0.00
CASH FUNDS
0.00 0.00
FEDERAL FUNDS
0.00 0.00
OTHER FUNDS
0.00 0.00
TOTAL FUNDS
24,906.00 0.00
EXPENDITURES REVENUE
25,370.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
25,370.00 0.00
Explanation of Estimate:
LB0119, if passed, requires UNMC to administer the program with a .20 FTE Student Success Coordinator.
This Student Success Coordinator in the College of Public Health works with undergraduate campus coordinators and the office of rural initiatives to
admit and develop undergraduate PH-RHOP students and travels the undergraduate campuses to educate the undergraduate and high school
student bodies on public health professions and recruit students from the respective campuses to the program.
Once admitted, students participate in monthly development calls on leadership, career and graduate school readiness topics, and visit the UNMC
two times for in-person and development sessions, during their undergraduate enrollment at the State Colleges.
These activities are developed and supported by the College of Public Health Student Success and Pathways Program Coordinator.
BREAKDOWN BY MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE
Personal Services:
POSITION TITLE
Student Success Coordinator
Benefits..............................................
Operating...........................................
Travel.................................................
Capital outlay....................................
Aid...................................................
Capital improvements........................
TOTAL......................................
25 - 26
1
0
26 - 27
1
0
2025 - 26
14,906.00
10,000.00
24,906.00
2026 - 27
15,370.00
10,000.00
25,370.00 Please complete ALL (5) blanks in the first three lines. 2025
LB
(1) 119 FISCAL NOTE
State Agency OR Political Subdivision Name:
(2)
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Prepared by:
(3) Gary Timm Date Prepared:
(4)
1/13/2025 Phone:
(5)
402.471.0020
ESTIMATE PROVIDED BY STATE AGENCY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27
EXPENDITURES REVENUE EXPENDITURES REVENUE
GENERAL FUNDS
CASH FUNDS
FEDERAL FUNDS
OTHER FUNDS
TOTAL FUNDS
Explanation of Estimate:
No Fiscal Impact
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _
BREAKDOWN BY MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE
Personal Services:
POSITION TITLE
NUMBER OF POSITIONS
25-26 26-27
2025-26
EXPENDITURES
2026-27
EXPENDITURES
Benefits………………………………...……
Operating…………………………...……….
Travel………………………………………..
Capital outlay…………………...…………. .
Aid…………………………………………...
Capital improvements……………………...
TOTAL……………………………… .....
Please complete ALL (5) blanks in the first three lines. 2025
LB
(1) 119 FISCAL NOTE
State Agency OR Political Subdivision Name:
(2)
Nebraska State College System
Prepared by:
(3) Brenda Owen Date Prepared:
(4)
1-15-25 Phone:
(5)
402-471-2507
ESTIMATE PROVIDED BY STATE AGENCY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27
EXPENDITURES REVENUE EXPENDITURES REVENUE
GENERAL FUNDS
CASH FUNDS
FEDERAL FUNDS
OTHER FUNDS
TOTAL FUNDS
Explanation of Estimate:
No fiscal impact.
The legislation demonstrates an intent to provide ‘a sufficient amount of money for each fiscal year to carry out
this section.’ Currently, the program is funded at $600,000 for FY25. The Nebraska State Colleges have
submitted a 2025-2027 biennium budget request seeking to increase this funding by an additional $300,000 for
both FY26 and FY27, raising the total funding to $900,000 and $1,200,000, respectively. Importantly, if the bill
passes as drafted, there will be no fiscal impact. This is because the budget request and the bill were explicitly
designed to function independently and are mutually exclusive in their fiscal implications.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _
BREAKDOWN BY MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE
Personal Services:
POSITION TITLE
NUMBER OF POSITIONS
25-26 26-27
2025-26
EXPENDITURES
2026-27
EXPENDITURES
Benefits………………………………...……
Operating…………………………...……….
Travel………………………………………..
Capital outlay…………………...…………..
Aid…………………………………………...
Capital improvements……………………...
TOTAL……………………………… .....