Nebraska DHHS to release $3 million in domestic violence funds, urges lawmakers to identify sustainable funding source

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it would release $3 million in previously appropriated funds for domestic violence services – and warned lawmakers that the current source of funding isn’t sustainable.

Nebraska Public Media previously reported that the money, which was appropriated by the Legislature in 2025, had not reached any grantee organizations months after disbursements were meant to begin. Christon MacTaggart, the executive director of the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, said in a December interview that the coalition was told not to count on the funds.

After a previous failed attempt to funnel additional state money to domestic violence service organizations, the Legislature passed Legislative Bill 261 last year, which allocated a total of $6 million to the organizations across two fiscal years.

The additional funding was financed through the state’s Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund, which is primarily financed by profits from Managed Care Organizations that exceed contractual limits. DHHS said it initially believed that no money would be available in the fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

In a press release, DHHS said “recent communications” with Managed Care Organizations indicated that “some funding” will be available this fiscal year, allowing the state to disperse the $3 million previously allocated.

“When it became clear that funding would be available, supporting domestic violence prevention and survivor services was an obvious and immediate priority as stated in Governor Pillen’s playbook,” DHHS CEO Steve Corsi said in a statement.

Corsi and Drew Gonshorowski, the director of DHHS’s Medicaid and Long Term Care Division, urged legislators to find a more sustainable source of funding for domestic violence services. Because the money in the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund fluctuates by year, they said it isn’t a reliable source for long-term funding.

“While we are grateful for the opportunity to support these services this year, we respectfully encourage legislators to identify stable funding sources to ensure the long-term sustainability of these critical programs,” Gonshorowski said in a statement.

It isn’t clear if the fund will be able to sustain the $3 million allocated for the next fiscal year. With the Legislature in session, lawmakers are likely to introduce proposals for other funding sources.

MacTaggart said the Nebraska Coalition was "incredibly happy" to hear that DHHS identified available funds.

"We appreciate their commitment to supporting survivors, and we look forward to working with them on the distribution of the funds to domestic violence service providers across Nebraska," she said. "We will continue our work with the Nebraska Legislature to ensure sustainable funding moving forward."