This bill changes how Nebraska school districts calculate their annual property tax budget limits and manage unused tax authority. It revises the formula to determine a district's tax request authority each year, incorporating prior-year tax requests, non-property revenue, and growth adjustments. School districts can now carry forward unused tax authority to future years (excluding amounts from base growth increases), with the state department tracking and reporting these balances. These changes directly affect all Nebraska public school districts by altering their annual budgeting process for property taxes under the School District Property Tax Limitation Act.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to set Nebraska state legislators' annual salary at $30,000. If approved by voters in November 2026, it would replace the current salary structure with this fixed amount. The amendment requires voter approval under Nebraska's constitutional process and would take effect after the 2026 election. It directly affects all current and future Nebraska Legislature members by establishing a specific annual compensation rate.
This bill requires the state of Nebraska to cover 50% of specific operational costs for county courts, directly affecting county courts and their budgets. It specifies that the state must pay for 50% of expenses related to computer hardware/software for data/word processing, communication lines for those systems, and recording equipment used in court proceedings. Counties will no longer bear these costs for the listed items, though they remain responsible for all other court expenses. The bill repeals the previous version of the statute governing these costs.
LB 657 creates a new felony offense for intentionally causing physical harm to a sports official during or immediately before/after an organized athletic event. It directly affects referees, umpires, and similar officials at all levels of organized sports (school, college, amateur, or professional) in Nebraska. The bill makes it a Class IV felony to assault such an official when the perpetrator knows or should know the victim's role, covering incidents occurring during games or right around them. This establishes specific criminal penalties for violence targeting sports officials, separate from general assault laws.
Nebraska's LB 216 eliminates elected clerks of the district court, transferring their duties to clerk magistrates starting January 1, 2026. County employees currently handling district court functions become state employees under the Supreme Court by January 7, 2027, with no loss of income, benefits, or accrued leave. The bill requires judicial districts to develop consolidation plans for office space, duties, and personnel, approved by the Supreme Court. It also protects retirement benefits by ensuring no loss of accrued benefits and sharing additional transition costs between counties and the state.
Nebraska bill LB 387 redefines "solitary confinement" in the state's Correctional Services Act to specifically mean "confinement in an individual cell having solid, soundproof doors that deprives an inmate of all visual and auditory contact with others." This change directly affects Nebraska correctional facilities and inmates held in restrictive housing, as it establishes a clear legal definition for this practice. The bill amends section 83-170 of the law by adding this definition and repealing the previous version. This is a technical clarification of terminology, not a new policy or funding change.
LB 685 requires all Nebraska public, private, denominational, and parochial schools to install an exterior secure key box meeting Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037 at each school building for emergency law enforcement access. It creates a State School Security Director with new duties, including overseeing key box installations, assessing school security, and identifying deficiencies. The bill also establishes a grant program funded by the School Safety and Security Fund to help schools purchase security infrastructure like key boxes, surveillance systems, and secure doors. These changes apply directly to all approved or accredited schools in Nebraska, with $10 million intended for the grant program.
LB 520 sets new safety and food standards for Nebraska bed and breakfast establishments (B&Bs), directly affecting small operators who run their homes as lodging. It defines B&Bs as single-family dwellings with max 10 rooms or 20 guests, requiring them to follow strict food safety rules: using only pasteurized milk, prohibiting home-canned food (except jams/jellies), maintaining specific food temperatures, and mandating food handler certification. The bill also requires B&Bs to comply with the State Fire Code, including exit safety and fire prevention measures. These changes apply to all B&Bs operating under the defined limits, replacing previous exemptions under the Nebraska Pure Food Act.
LB 201 amends Nebraska's Money Transmitters Act to require money transmitters (like Western Union or digital payment services) to collect a fee for each transaction sent outside the U.S. The fee is either 10% of the transaction value or $10,000, whichever is lower. Transmitters must pay this fee quarterly to the Nebraska Department of Banking by the 15th of the following month. This bill directly affects businesses licensed to send money internationally within Nebraska and becomes effective January 1, 2026.
LB 517 requires Nebraska school districts to provide the state school security director with annual inspection reports for protective door assemblies (including panic hardware, electronically controlled egress doors, and delayed egress systems), door-locking systems, and double-entry doors in school buildings. This affects all public school districts in Nebraska, mandating they submit specific security information to the state director annually. The bill defines "protective door assemblies" to cover key entry systems and adds this reporting requirement to the director's existing duties. It repeals the previous version of the statute to implement these changes.
Nebraska's LB 631 creates the School Emergency Response Mapping Fund to support school emergency planning. The bill directs $4.525 million from the General Fund for fiscal year 2024-25 to be administered by the State Department of Education for grants that help schools implement mapping data systems. It replaces previous funding language in state law and declares an emergency to expedite the funding transfer. This policy change specifically provides dedicated state funding for school safety mapping initiatives, directly affecting school districts eligible for these grants.
LB 611 updates Nebraska's building and energy codes by adopting the 2021 editions of the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC), replacing older versions. It requires all cities, counties, and villages to adopt these updated codes within two years or default to the state code for construction, with exceptions for farm-related projects. The bill also mandates new state buildings meet the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code. These changes directly affect local governments, builders, and developers across Nebraska.
