Nebraska Bills

Nebraska's LB 941 clarifies that franchisors are generally not considered employers of franchisees or their employees under state labor laws, including the Workers' Compensation Act. The bill specifically excludes franchisors from employer status unless they directly control essential employment terms - such as setting wages, determining benefits, or making hiring/firing decisions. If a franchisor exercises such direct control (e.g., setting employee pay or work schedules), they would still be treated as an employer. This change directly affects franchise businesses and their employees by shifting labor law responsibility to the franchisee in most cases.

This bill requires Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to send written notice within 30 days to "fictive kin" (adults with a preexisting significant relationship to a child, like close family friends or mentors who aren't blood relatives) when a child is removed from their home. It directs the Department to identify, locate, and notify these individuals about the child's removal and their options to participate in care or placement. The notice must include information about foster care requirements, available support services, and guardianship assistance. The bill directly affects children in foster care and the non-biological adults who have meaningful relationships with them. It amends existing laws to ensure these notifications happen consistently and within a specific timeframe.

LB 1056 updates Nebraska's Workers' Compensation Act to improve support for non-English speaking workers and streamline benefit calculations. It requires employers to cover interpreter services for medical and compensation-related needs, with interpreters selected from an official state register. The bill also changes physician selection rules to prioritize providers familiar with the employee's medical history, adds annual cost-of-living adjustments to income benefits, and clarifies payment rules for benefits to a personal representative if an employee dies. These changes directly affect injured workers, employers, and healthcare providers under Nebraska's workers' compensation system.

LB 1094 adopts two key laws to streamline housing development in Nebraska. It requires local governments to automatically approve most housing projects (including single-family homes, accessory units, and apartment buildings) that meet existing zoning rules, eliminating discretionary reviews by planning commissions. The bill also mandates that permit decisions be made within 75 days, with automatic approval if delayed, and requires clear written reasons for denials. This directly affects developers, homeowners seeking to build accessory units, and local permitting authorities, while excluding restrictions from homeowners' associations. The law includes a court appeal process for denied permits, requiring strict review of permit authority decisions.

LB 1215 requires Nebraska government agencies (political subdivisions) to pay prime contractors within 30 days of receiving valid invoices and prime contractors to pay subcontractors within 7 days. It mandates public posting of all $50,000+ procurement solicitations 14 days before bids close on a searchable online calendar, and requires agencies to provide written debriefs to unsuccessful bidders within 10 business days. The bill also creates a public small business procurement checklist and voids contract clauses delaying subcontractor payments. These changes aim to improve transparency and cash flow for contractors, particularly small businesses, and expire on July 1, 2030.

LB 1207 requires Nebraska school districts to provide full-time school employees with five paid mental health leave days each school fiscal year, at their regular salary. Employees cannot be asked for medical documentation to use this leave, and the days do not reduce other accrued leave (like vacation or sick time). The bill takes immediate effect upon approval due to an emergency declaration, directly impacting school employees across the state.

LB 1214 creates a Nebraska pilot program funding up to five neighborhood data collaboratives through the Department of Health and Human Services. These collaboratives must include at least three neighborhood associations, one nonprofit, and one regional planning organization, and focus on resident-led data projects addressing community priorities. The $250,000 allocated will cover technology, resident training, staffing, and evaluation - not planning - while requiring annual reports to the Legislature on outcomes and scalability. The program directly affects local neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and regional planning bodies by providing resources to build data-driven community initiatives.

LB 1198 requires event sellers to provide physical paper tickets free of charge upon request for large public events (defined as those holding at least 5,000 people). This directly affects ticket sellers - both public and private entities - offering electronic tickets for events meeting the capacity threshold. The law mandates that paper tickets must be delivered to buyers before the event or made available for printing, with the Attorney General enforcing compliance. Violations carry a civil penalty of $10 per ticket sold at the affected event, with collected fines going to the state treasury.

LB 1206 would exempt the income of certificated teachers, paraeducators, and paraprofessionals from Nebraska's state income tax. The bill amends Nebraska's tax code to exclude this specific group's earnings from taxable income calculations. This change directly affects educators working in Nebraska public schools who hold these roles. The policy creates a targeted tax exemption without altering other tax provisions or requiring new administrative processes.

This bill requires all health insurance policies and Medicaid in Nebraska to cover medically necessary treatments for acquired brain injuries (like those from stroke, trauma, or tumors) and specific Alzheimer's disease testing/treatments that slow progression. It mandates coverage for defined therapies including cognitive rehabilitation, neurobehavioral therapy, and community reintegration services without lifetime or annual limits that conflict with medical standards. Insurers must provide an expedited appeal process for denied coverage, resolved within five business days, with ongoing treatment continuing during appeals. The law directly affects insurers, Medicaid, and patients with qualifying brain injuries or Alzheimer's, ensuring access to critical care without arbitrary financial barriers.

Nebraska bill LB 1147 requires the Auditor of Public Accounts to investigate and report quarterly on any delays or withholding of funds by the Governor or executive branch officials. It mandates that the Auditor produce detailed reports - including amounts, dates, reasons, affected departments, and fiscal impacts - after receiving complaints from legislators, state agencies, or eligible fund recipients. The bill directly affects the Governor’s office and executive branch when they impound funds, increasing legislative oversight of such actions. This transparency measure does not prevent impoundment but ensures regular, detailed reporting to the Legislature.

LB 1208 requires Nebraska public school districts to allocate at least 50% of their general fund budget toward teacher salaries and benefits for the 2026-27 school year and all subsequent years. This directly affects all local school districts by mandating a specific spending threshold for educator compensation. The key provision, found in Section 2 of the bill, sets this 50% minimum for teacher-related expenditures within the total general fund budget. The bill amends the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act to establish this requirement and repeals the original section of the law.