This bill amends Nebraska's Site and Building Development Fund to update eligible activities for financial assistance. It adds new provisions allowing grants for infrastructure upgrades at military installations (like nuclear command facilities), $2 million grants to specific cities for revitalizing former university properties to support foster youth, and matching funds for inland port authorities. The bill also expands eligibility to include golf facility construction in metropolitan cities and clarifies requirements for entities receiving assistance. These changes directly affect cities, counties, military partners, and economic development organizations seeking funding for industrial sites, infrastructure, and community projects.
LB 999 creates the Business Innovation and Startup Commission to support Nebraska's entrepreneurs and small businesses. The commission, composed of 10 appointed members (including rural business owners, venture capital representatives, and economic development leaders) plus two nonvoting state agency liaisons, will develop programs to address barriers like financing access and regulatory hurdles. It will evaluate existing state programs, study best practices from other states, and make recommendations to improve Nebraska's startup ecosystem. The commission will focus on expanding support for business formation, innovation, and access to capital for startups and small businesses statewide.
LB 805 requires most health insurance plans in Nebraska to cover cranial helmets for infants under one year old with specific conditions, including deformational plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) or craniosynostosis (premature skull fusion). The bill applies to individual/group health policies, hospital/surgical plans, and self-funded employer plans (unless federal law preempts it), excluding short-term major medical plans and limited-benefit policies. Insurance companies must cover these helmets as prescribed by a doctor, ensuring families don't face out-of-pocket costs for this treatment. This directly affects infants with these conditions and their health insurers across the state.
LB 1255 prohibits public power suppliers - including municipal electric utilities, public power districts, and other government entities providing electricity - from using eminent domain to seize private property for infrastructure projects. The bill amends Nebraska statutes to remove existing authority for these entities to acquire land through eminent domain for electric generation, transmission, or distribution systems. This change directly affects how local governments and public utilities can expand or maintain electrical infrastructure, preventing them from compelling property sales for such purposes. The law takes effect upon passage, repealing prior provisions that allowed this power.
This bill changes Nebraska's sentencing rules for repeat offenders convicted of certain theft-related crimes. It raises the minimum prison term from 10 years to 25 years for individuals convicted of specific theft offenses (like shoplifting or property crimes listed in the bill) who have prior felony convictions for similar offenses. The bill creates new sentencing categories based on the type of current and prior offenses, including a reduced 3-year minimum for some repeat property crime convictions. It replaces the existing law and applies to people convicted of theft crimes with prior felony convictions in Nebraska or other jurisdictions.
This bill prohibits the retail sale of electronic smoking devices (like e-cigarettes) without a child safety feature, such as a lock or password, starting from its effective date. It directly affects retailers selling these devices in Nebraska, requiring all new devices to include such safety measures to prevent accidental access by children. Violating this rule would be a Class IV misdemeanor. The law does not apply to interstate shipping or warehouse storage of these products.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to guarantee specific rights for people with disabilities in Nebraska. It would add language to the state constitution ensuring access to public facilities, transportation, lodging, and healthcare services that meet their needs for community integration, regardless of disability type or life stage. The amendment requires voter approval in a special election during the 2026 primary, and if passed, would enshrine these rights directly into Nebraska's Constitution. It does not create new programs but legally protects existing access standards.
LB 1185 requires operators of conversational AI services (like chatbots) to clearly disclose when users are interacting with AI, especially for minors under 18. It prohibits using rewards to increase underage engagement, generating explicit content, or simulating human-like emotional connections (e.g., false romantic claims) for minors. The law also mandates AI systems to provide crisis resources for users mentioning self-harm and bans claims that AI offers professional mental health care. Violations can result in civil penalties up to $500,000 per operator, enforced by Nebraska’s Attorney General starting July 2027.
LB 1134 establishes Nebraska's baseline building, electrical, and energy codes by adopting specific editions of international codes (like the 2018 International Building Code) as the state standard. It limits local governments from creating stricter codes than the state version, prohibiting updates to local codes that exceed the state code's requirements until 2031. The bill requires local governments to provide independent third-party evidence verifying that any code change is necessary for public safety or compliance with state/federal law, rather than for cost reduction. This directly affects counties, cities, and villages that enforce building codes, as well as construction businesses and property owners subject to these regulations.
LB 1169 amends Nebraska assault statutes to specifically prohibit assault against court operations officers. It defines these officers as non-sworn court staff who provide courthouse security screening, serve legal documents, or maintain safety during proceedings. The bill expands existing enhanced penalties for assaulting public safety officers and health care professionals to include court operations officers, requiring that assaults cause serious bodily injury while the officer is performing duties. This change harmonizes assault provisions and repeals outdated sections (like 28-931.01) related to assault using vehicles. The bill directly affects courthouse security personnel and strengthens legal protections for them during official duties.
This bill amends Nebraska's Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act to clarify how property owners can seek compensation for damage caused by sewer system backups. It directly affects homeowners and businesses whose properties suffer damage due to negligent acts or omissions by a political subdivision (like a city) or its contractor operating the sewer system. The key provision requires the political subdivision's governing body to pay valid claims within 90 days if the damage amount is known and undisputed. This streamlines the claims process for affected property owners while allowing the political subdivision to seek reimbursement from negligent contractors.
Nebraska's LB 1083 adopts the Transparency in Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Act, requiring AI companies using massive computing power for high-risk systems (called "frontier models") to assess and publicly report safety risks. It directly affects "frontier developers" (those training models exceeding 10^26 computing operations) and "large chatbot providers" (with $25M+ annual revenue) who serve minors. Key provisions mandate annual safety assessments for catastrophic risks (e.g., AI enabling weapons or causing mass harm) and child safety incidents, with annual public safety reports. The bill also creates a fund for oversight and modifies public records rules to allow withholding certain AI safety information.
