Nebraska Bills

This bill requires Nebraska school districts to collect and report detailed student achievement and discipline data to the state. School districts must track incidents like suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement involvement, then report individual data (while keeping students anonymous) aggregated by factors such as race, poverty level, disability status, and English proficiency. The state will create a public database showing this de-identified data, searchable by school, discipline type, and demographic group. The goal is to help identify patterns in achievement and discipline outcomes, particularly for students in poverty, with disabilities, or who are limited English proficient. Failure to comply may lead to accreditation consequences for school districts.

Nebraska's LB 308, the Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act, requires health care staffing agencies (including technology platforms that match workers with facilities) to register annually with the Department of Labor for $1,500. The bill prohibits agencies from enforcing noncompete clauses that restrict temporary staff workers' employment options and mandates that agencies verify staff workers' qualifications, maintain professional liability insurance ($1 million per incident), and document compliance. Agencies must also submit quarterly reports to the state detailing average charges to health care facilities and payments to staff by licensing category. This bill directly affects staffing agencies and health care facilities that contract with them, establishing new registration, transparency, and insurance requirements.

This bill creates a state grant program administered by Nebraska's Department of Economic Development to fund nonprofit organizations operating bike-sharing systems. Nonprofits must apply for grants, report on fund usage, and return unused funds. The bill specifically intends to allocate $250,000 from the General Fund to establish this program, directly affecting community bike-sharing initiatives and their nonprofit operators.

LB 145 requires Nebraska's Director of Agriculture to administer a new grant program using funds from the Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Species Assistance Fund. The grants will support local weed control authorities, natural resources districts, and other entities for activities like research, innovative control methods, responding to invasive plant infestations threatening cropland or wildlife habitats, and monitoring invasive species. The bill also establishes a new annual funding requirement of three million dollars specifically for vegetation management along natural stream banks to improve streamflow, with priority given to river basins covered by interstate agreements. This directly affects local governments, land managers, and conservation groups working on noxious weed control across Nebraska.

This bill creates a new "military impact funding" mechanism for Nebraska school districts serving children of active-duty military members. Districts receive state funds calculated by comparing per-pupil federal impact aid (from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) to per-pupil local tax levies, with the difference paid for each enrolled military-connected child. This funding is added to the state's school finance formula starting in the 2025-26 school year. It directly affects districts that received federal impact aid in the prior year and provide free education to military-connected students.

This Nebraska constitutional amendment (LR 6CA) would change the state constitution to recognize marriage for all couples regardless of gender or race, removing the current language limiting marriage to "a man and a woman." It directly affects all Nebraska residents seeking marriage licenses by eliminating the existing constitutional barrier to same-sex marriage and removing race-based restrictions. The key provision amends Article I, Section 29 to state that "the State of Nebraska and its political subdivisions shall recognize marriage and issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender and race." The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 general election.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to remove Nebraska's current constitutional language regarding marriage and marriage licenses (Article I, section 29). If approved by voters in November 2026, it would eliminate the existing constitutional provisions that define marriage recognition and marriage licenses within the state. The amendment would require voter approval through a statewide ballot measure, as specified in Nebraska's Constitution. This change would directly affect how marriage is constitutionally recognized in Nebraska, replacing the current language with no new provisions.

LB 16 establishes Nebraska's first regulatory framework for consumable hemp products, requiring retailers to obtain licenses and follow specific rules for sales. It defines consumable hemp products as those intended for inhalation or ingestion (excluding topical products and certain seeds regulated by the FDA), creates a Hemp Control Commission under the existing Liquor Control Commission, and sets licensing procedures. This bill directly affects businesses selling hemp products for consumer use (not resale) and the commission overseeing enforcement. The law aims to regulate these products for public safety while generating tax revenue through excise taxes on consumable hemp sales.

Nebraska's LB 165 authorizes municipalities and counties to establish syringe services programs (SSPs) through local ordinances, allowing them to provide sterile syringes, safe disposal, overdose prevention resources, and referrals to health services for individuals aged 18+ who inject drugs. The bill requires SSPs to avoid locations within 500 feet of schools, childcare facilities, or public recreation centers and mandates specific services like naloxone access and substance use disorder referrals. It amends state law to exempt SSP staff and participants from drug paraphernalia penalties when handling syringes or needles as part of the program, while repealing prior sections of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. This legislation directly affects public health programs, participants, and law enforcement by creating a legal framework for harm reduction services.

Nebraska's LB 431 would add kratom to the state's list of controlled substances under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. This amendment would define kratom as a controlled substance in Section 28-401, prohibiting its possession, sale, or distribution within Nebraska. The bill directly affects residents who currently use or sell kratom, as it would make these activities illegal under state law. The key mechanism is amending the legal definition of "controlled substance" to explicitly include kratom, aligning it with other prohibited substances under Nebraska's drug regulations.

LB 92, the Residential Tenant Clean Slate Act, allows tenants to have certain eviction records sealed from public view under specific conditions. It directly affects tenants who were evicted for reasons like nonpayment during the 2020-2021 pandemic emergency, wrongful eviction, or if their case was dismissed or reversed. Key provisions require courts to automatically seal records upon dismissal of an eviction case, and allow tenants to petition for sealing if they meet criteria like a reversed judgment or a minor defendant. Once sealed, landlords cannot consider the eviction in housing applications, and tenants can deny the incident occurred in job or housing screenings. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, applying to all eviction cases regardless of when they occurred.

Nebraska bill LB 121 prohibits landfills from accepting solar panels, wind turbine blades, and their component parts. This amendment to the state's solid waste management law adds these renewable energy components to the list of materials already banned from landfill disposal, alongside items like tires, lead-acid batteries, and appliances. The bill directly affects waste management facilities, solar energy companies, and wind farm operators by requiring alternative disposal methods for these items. It does not specify new disposal requirements but mandates that these materials cannot be landfilled, aligning with broader waste management regulations. The bill is currently pending in the Natural Resources Committee.