LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature is looking into how state-funded benefit programs may be changed to allow recipients to advance their jobs.

The legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee met Thursday to discuss a possible study of the issue. Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward is sponsoring a legislative resolution that calls for the study.

According to Kolterman, some Nebraska citizens are forced to continue depending on state-funded benefits rather than risk losing them if their work hours or income exceed limits set by the benefits program.

The committee was told that health care is one of the workforces affected by income limits in assistance programs.

Heath Boddy, president and CEO of the Nebraska Health Care Association, said there is an increasing shortage of caregivers for a growing population of elderly Nebraska citizens.