Nebraska's LB 724 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a cost study comparing the actual expenses of providing behavioral health services to current payment rates in both the regional behavioral health system and the medical assistance program. The study must be completed by September 1, 2026, with a final report submitted to the Legislature by December 1, 2026. This bill directly affects the Department of Health and Human Services, mandating a specific data-gathering process to analyze cost structures. It does not change existing rates or funding but provides a factual basis for future policy decisions. The bill focuses solely on collecting comparative cost data, without prescribing any specific outcomes.
LB 773 extends Nebraska's Prenatal Plus Program beyond its original 2028 end date, ensuring continued support for at-risk mothers. The bill modifies eligibility requirements, updates which services qualify for reimbursement (including nutrition counseling, psychosocial support, and breastfeeding sessions), and extends the Department of Health and Human Services' annual reporting requirement through 2034. This program directly affects pregnant and postpartum mothers in Nebraska who qualify as "at-risk" due to factors affecting maternal or infant health. The changes make the program permanent (removing the sunset date), clarify covered services, and require longer-term data collection on program outcomes.
LB 926 changes Nebraska's welfare assistance rules for families receiving aid to dependent children. The bill eliminates child care expense reimbursements and extreme hardship provisions, changes the maximum time limit for cash assistance, and updates eligibility rules for minor parents. It also modifies the transitional payment program, which provides up to five monthly payments to families that lose aid due to increased earnings but still have income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. These changes aim to harmonize related provisions under Nebraska's welfare laws.
LB 1221 defines key terms for Nebraska's Medical Assistance program (Medicaid) regarding community engagement and work requirements for recipients facing short-term hardships. It adds specific definitions, including what constitutes "inpatient hospital services" (covering admission day and related care), "outside the individual's community" (travel beyond their county), and "serious medical condition" (aligned with federal Medicaid guidelines). These definitions will directly affect Medicaid recipients who may be subject to work or community participation requirements. The bill is purely procedural, creating clear terms to implement federal requirements under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" without changing program benefits or eligibility rules.
LB 888 adjusts civil penalties for violations of Nebraska's housing standards for modular units and manufactured homes. It sets a maximum penalty of $3,650 per violation (per unit) and an annual cap of $4.56 million for related violations within one year, with both amounts automatically adjusted each August using the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation. This bill directly affects manufacturers, dealers, and operators of modular housing units, manufactured homes, and recreational vehicles who must comply with these standards. The changes apply specifically to violations of the Nebraska Uniform Standards for Modular Housing Units Act and the Uniform Standard Code for Manufactured Homes and Recreational Vehicles.
LB 955 allows pharmacists in Nebraska to form written practice agreements with physician assistants (PAs) who work under collaborative agreements with physicians. These agreements enable PAs to coordinate with pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care under specific written protocols for monitored or initiated therapies. The bill requires pharmacists to notify both the Pharmacy Board and the PA's licensing board about agreements, include signed protocols, and review agreements every two years. This change directly affects pharmacists, PAs, and their supervising physicians by creating a formalized process for collaborative patient care.
LB 1013 removes specific gender requirements for two Nebraska youth treatment centers: it eliminates the mandate that Kearney Center must serve only boys and Geneva Center must serve only girls. Instead, the bill requires all youth rehabilitation centers to ensure "safe and appropriate gender separation" during normal operations, while allowing temporary co-ed use for up to seven days during emergencies (like natural disasters) if needed. The bill also updates the official names of state institutions, including renaming the Kearney and Geneva centers to reflect their new operational flexibility. These changes apply to facilities under the Department of Health and Human Services providing juvenile residential treatment.
This bill (LB 929) amends Nebraska's Medicaid rules to restrict cost-sharing requirements for enrollees. It prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from imposing deductibles, copayments, or similar charges unless federal law mandates them (Section 68-912(6)). If federal requirements apply, the state must implement them no earlier than October 1, 2028, at the lowest amount permitted by federal law (Section 68-912(7)), allow managed care organizations to pay these costs on behalf of enrollees, and prevent providers from denying care due to unpaid charges. The bill directly affects Nebraska Medicaid enrollees by protecting them from unexpected out-of-pocket costs and ensuring access to care.
This bill establishes new requirements for licensed behavior analysts and modifies child care licensing rules for facilities providing applied behavior analysis (ABA) services. It prohibits remote-only supervision for ABA programs exceeding 15 hours per week per client, mandates in-person observations for supervision, and requires facilities to maintain physical presence in Nebraska. The bill exempts ABA facilities from standard child care licensing if they don’t provide custodial care or non-therapeutic recreation, but requires them to comply if offering extended care or non-billable time. Additionally, it directs the Department of Health and Human Services to review ABA services exceeding 20 hours weekly or 12 months without documented progress to ensure medical necessity.
LB 1043 would amend Nebraska's Medical Assistance Act to remove an exclusion preventing antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants from being considered for inclusion on the state's preferred drug list. This change would allow the Department of Health to evaluate these medications for the preferred list based on therapeutic equivalence and cost-effectiveness (after rebates/discounts), rather than automatically excluding them. The bill directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries who use these prescription drugs, potentially making them more accessible and affordable under the program. It does not create new coverage but changes the process for adding these drug classes to the list.
This bill amends Nebraska's Workers' Compensation Act to change when wage replacement payments begin for work-related injuries. It maintains a three-day waiting period for short-term disabilities but shifts the start date for longer disabilities: if injury lasts two weeks or more, payments begin from the injury date (not the fourth day). The change directly affects Nebraska workers injured on the job whose disability extends beyond two weeks. The bill corrects a confusing phrasing in the current law about "third seven calendar days" and "fourth eighth calendar day" to clarify the waiting period. (Note: Bill text contains apparent typographical errors in the original section being amended.)
Nebraska's LB 1163 amends rules for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) liens on properties. It changes how delinquent annual PACE assessments become liens: for single-family homes, liens are recorded immediately upon assessment (not when delinquent), while non-residential properties require recording after delinquency. The bill clarifies lien priority - PACE liens rank below prior mortgages for single-family homes but match tax lien status for other properties - and specifies that delinquent PACE assessments may be extinguished in foreclosure if sale proceeds are insufficient. This directly affects property owners with PACE financing, particularly those selling or facing foreclosure on qualifying energy-efficiency projects.
