Nebraska Bills

LB 101 amends Nebraska's landlord-tenant law to guarantee tenants the right to a jury trial in eviction cases. It prohibits landlords from including rental agreement clauses that waive tenants' legal rights (including jury trial rights) or require tenants to pay landlord attorney fees. The bill requires courts to inform defendants of their jury trial option at first appearance and mandates that eviction cases seeking possession be scheduled for trial within 10-14 days if tried without a jury. This directly affects tenants facing eviction and landlords initiating eviction proceedings under Nebraska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

This bill amends Nebraska's newborn screening law to explicitly allow parents or guardians to object to screening for specified metabolic disorders. It affects parents who wish to decline the standard screening tests for conditions like phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, and others listed in the law. The key change adds a provision stating that screening is not required if a parent or guardian objects, while maintaining the existing list of screened conditions. This exemption applies to all diseases currently mandated under the law, removing the legal requirement for screening when objections are raised.

LB 87 creates a statewide program administered by Nebraska's Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired to support deaf-blind residents in achieving greater independence. The program must provide specific services including assistance with daily living (like transportation and mail handling), access to environmental information, human guide services, and help facilitating conversations. The bill requires the commission to develop this program using transferred resources from a prior division and allocates $100,000 for each of the next two fiscal years to fund it. This directly affects deaf-blind Nebraskans by establishing a structured support system to help them transition toward independent living and community participation.

Nebraska's LB 432 adds nitrogen hypoxia (inhalation of pure nitrogen gas) as an alternative method for carrying out the death penalty, alongside lethal injection. The bill requires the Department of Correctional Services to develop a written protocol for both methods, including equipment selection, team training, and procedures to ensure the condemned person is unconscious before administering substances. It also clarifies that execution-related activities - such as obtaining substances or administering nitrogen - do not violate medical licensing laws or the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, and protects execution team members from professional disciplinary action. This bill directly affects individuals sentenced to death in Nebraska and the state's correctional system, not the eligibility for the death penalty itself.

LB 94 adopts the Digital Skills Empowerment Act to expand digital skills training in Nebraska's underserved communities. It directly affects residents in qualified census tracts (including North Omaha) and returning prisoners by providing grants for training centers ($20M/year) and covering costs like tuition and childcare for low-income individuals ($20M/year). The bill establishes standardized curricula, partnerships with tech companies, and paid apprenticeships ($10M/year) to develop job skills in fields like web development and cybersecurity. Key provisions require training centers to offer virtual/in-person options and ensure industry-aligned programs to increase local employment opportunities.

This bill removes nonalcoholic beer from the Nebraska Liquor Control Act's regulatory scope. It amends definitions to explicitly exclude nonalcoholic beer (defined as containing less than 0.5% alcohol by volume) from the terms "alcoholic liquor" and "beer," meaning it will no longer require liquor licenses or be subject to liquor-specific regulations. This change directly affects nonalcoholic beer producers, retailers, and distributors who previously navigated liquor control requirements for these products. The bill harmonizes existing definitions and repeals outdated sections related to this classification.

LB 324 amends Nebraska's Business Improvement District Act to update protest procedures for creating or modifying business improvement districts (BIDs). It requires city councils to rule on written protests received before a hearing ends, and sets new thresholds: if over 50% of affected property owners (for special assessments) or business space users (for occupation taxes) protest in writing before the hearing, proceedings terminate if less than 50% vote in favor. The bill directly affects property owners and businesses within proposed or modified BID areas by changing how protests halt the process. It replaces existing protest rules in sections 19-4027, 19-4029.01, and 19-4029.04 with these clearer, threshold-based procedures.

LB 670 requires all Nebraska public school districts and nonpublic schools to adopt annual safety plans covering fire, tornado, and vehicle evacuation drills. It also changes training requirements for child care providers, teachers, and school staff, mandating at least four hours of annual training focused on child safety, health, and emergency response. The bill updates the Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System to track staff training and clarifies the State School Security Director’s role in supporting school safety planning and assessments. These changes directly affect schools, child care programs, and their staff by establishing standardized safety protocols and training obligations.

LB 291 creates a new state grant program called the Aid to Municipalities Act, providing cities and villages with funds to finance eligible infrastructure projects. Municipalities can apply for grants (capped at $5 million each) through the Department of Economic Development to cover construction, acquisition, or bond payments for projects like water systems, wastewater treatment, airports, convention centers, and transportation facilities (excluding public roads). The state will appropriate $15 million annually into a dedicated fund for these grants, requiring separate accounting to ensure funds are used solely for approved infrastructure. This bill directly affects Nebraska municipalities by offering new state financial support for critical local infrastructure development.

LB 375 creates a grant program to help Nebraska grocery stores in smaller communities expand access to nutritious food. It provides funding for specific "new investments" like technology upgrades, transitioning to cooperative business models, or improving supply chains, primarily targeting stores in towns under 40,000 residents or Nebraska’s 90 least-populated counties. To qualify, stores must meet eligibility criteria including demonstrating community need, having a self-sustaining plan, and committing to match at least half the project cost. Grants must be spent within three years, and the program requires annual reporting on funded projects and outcomes.

LB 132 modifies Nebraska's Rules of the Road (section 60-6,273) to change how evidence about not wearing seatbelts is used in civil lawsuits. It prohibits courts from considering whether a person was not wearing an occupant protection system or three-point safety belt when determining liability or cause in injury cases. However, such evidence may be used to reduce damage awards for failure to mitigate harm, but only by up to 5%. This directly affects individuals involved in civil litigation following vehicle accidents where seatbelt use is disputed.

LB 489 prohibits private companies (not government-run utilities) from operating, maintaining, constructing, or acquiring transmission lines or related facilities carrying more than 700 volts in Nebraska. It specifically exempts public power districts, municipalities, electric cooperatives, and other government entities that already provide electric service. The bill amends Nebraska law to remove approval requirements for these exempt entities while banning non-exempt private entities from such infrastructure projects. It repeals the previous version of Section 70-1012 to implement this restriction. This change directly affects private energy companies seeking to build or manage transmission infrastructure within the state.