LB 298 Legislature · 109th Legislature (2025-2026)

Provide for the Division of Legislative Oversight, the Director of Legislative Oversight, and the Legislative Oversight Committee and change provisions relating to the Public Counsel, the office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, and the office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System

LB 298 establishes the Office of Public Counsel and the Division of Legislative Oversight within Nebraska's state government. It creates a publicly appointed oversight role (the Public Counsel) to monitor state agencies, including child welfare and correctional systems, with a 6-year term and restrictions on political involvement. The bill also forms a Legislative Oversight Committee and reorganizes related oversight bodies by amending over 50 statutes, while eliminating outdated provisions. This primarily affects state agencies and oversight offices, streamlining their structure without creating new public policies or regulations.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Legislature Passage
May 2025
Legislature Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Jan 15, 2025 Signed Jun 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrollment and Review ER92 · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended during the Enrollment and Review process to correct section references in the list of statutes being amended. The changes add two new section numbers (50-1213 and 50-1209) to the list of statutes the bill affects and remove a reference to penalties, replacing it with language about eliminating a penalty. These are technical corrections to ensure the bill references the correct existing statutes.
TECHNICAL

Added section 50-1213 to the list of statutes being amended on page 1, line 8

Added section 50-1209 to the list of statutes being amended on page 1, line 15

Changed language from 'provide penalties' to 'eliminate a penalty' on page 2, line 2

Floor votes · Legislature May 21, 2025

How they voted

393
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 49
May 21, 2025
N Nonpartisan49
39 Yea 3 Nay 7
79% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
40
Key actions
9
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Jun 6, 2025
Introduced
Provisions/portions of LB228 amended into LB298 by AM1504
legislature
Jun 6, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor on June 4, 2025
executive
May 30, 2025
Legislature · Passed
President/Speaker signed
legislature
May 30, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Passed on Final Reading with Emergency Clause 46-2*-1
legislature
May 28, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Arch AM1600 adopted
legislature
May 28, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Arch AM1616 adopted
legislature
May 28, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Enrollment and Review ER92 adopted
legislature
May 21, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Executive Board AM1504 adopted
legislature
May 21, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Arch AM1554 adopted
legislature
May 19, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Placed on General File with AM1504
legislature
Jan 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Executive Board
legislature
Jan 15, 2025
Introduced
Date of introduction
legislature
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of John Arch
John Arch
NNonpartisan
NE
14