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The Department of Economic Development (DED) announces that, in accordance with the requirement of Section
13(3) of LB 1024 (2022 Neb. Laws), it will open an optional pre-application period for qualified public and private
entities to apply for a grant using funds received from the federal Capital Projects Fund under the federal American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The DED is required by the enactment of LB 1024 to open an application period from July 1, 2022 to July 15, 2022;
however, the federal government has not yet provided final approval to a revised State of Nebraska plan to utilize
these funds. Therefore, the agency fully expects to develop formal application forms and to announce and open
additional grant application periods once federal approval of the Capital Projects Fund state plan is received.

On March 4, 2022, the State of Nebraska submitted its original Capital Projects Fund grant plan to the U.S.
Department of Treasury which dedicated the entire fund (except for administration costs) for broadband services.
The State of Nebraska is in the process of submitting a revised state plan application to incorporate the requirements
of LB 1024. No awards or allocations will be made from the federal Coronavirus Capital Projects Funds until the
state Grant Plan has been approved by the U.S. Treasury Department. A subsequent formal application period will
be announced within 10 business days of the State of Nebraska receiving approval of the revised Grant Plan from
the federal government.

Further, the DED would like to advise interested stakeholders that LB 1024 Section 13(2) requires any funds that are
used for eligible broadband infrastructure projects to be administered in a manner consistent with the Nebraska
Broadband Bridge Act, except that the matching funds requirement in section 86-1304 shall not apply to such federal
funding for broadband projects.

The updated Capital Projects Fund plan has allocated $80 million ($40 to congressional districts 1 and 3) for
broadband projects. In order to streamline applications for eligible broadband infrastructure projects in
Congressional District 1 and Congressional District 3, the DED intends to partner with the Nebraska Public Service
Commission to administer all grant applications for broadband projects in those districts.

The updated Capital Projects Fund plan has allocated $35 million to Congressional District 2. The DED will retain
administration of these funds which must be dedicated for grants to multipurpose community facilities that are located
within a city of the metropolitan class.

For further information, located below are links to: 1) LB 1024 (Neb. Laws 2022); 2) the State of Nebraska’s revised Capital Projects Fund application; and 3) the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §86-1301 – §86-1312):