Business and Labor

This legislative resolution directs the Nebraska Business and Labor Committee to conduct an interim study examining regulations for professional employer organizations. The study will review requirements under the Professional Employer Organization Registration Act and the Occupational Board Reform Act. Committee members will investigate current rules and submit findings with recommendations to the Legislative Council or Legislature. This action does not change existing laws but initiates a review process to assess regulatory frameworks.

LB 455 would require injury reports filed under Nebraska's Workers' Compensation Act to be kept confidential by default, meaning they cannot be publicly accessed. Employees can choose to waive this confidentiality to allow public access to their specific reports, and this waiver remains in effect even if they change jobs. The bill specifies who may access these reports without waiver, including the affected employee, their attorney, the employer or insurer involved, certain attorneys handling related claims, or government agencies compiling statistics (with employee identities redacted). It does not change the types of injuries requiring reporting but clarifies who can view the reports under specific circumstances. The bill is currently postponed indefinitely in the Nebraska legislature.

LB 847 adopts Nebraska's Registered Apprenticeship Act, creating a state framework for structured training programs that require at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning plus related instruction. It establishes definitions for apprentices, sponsors, and programs, mandating written agreements between apprentices and employers and requiring registration with the Nebraska Office of Registered Apprenticeship. The bill also modifies tax rate provisions under the Employment Security Law, though specific changes aren't detailed in the text. This directly affects apprentices, employers offering training, and the Nebraska Department of Labor, standardizing oversight of apprenticeships statewide.

LB 100 creates a new Office of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation within Nebraska's Department of Economic Development to support startups and small businesses. It requires state agencies to aim for 5% of contracts and workforce development funding to go to businesses under five years old, and encourages eliminating business license fees for new Nebraska-based businesses. The office must report annually on policy impacts and track progress toward these goals, with state agencies also required to report on their efforts. These provisions directly affect new businesses (under five years old) and state agencies managing contracts, workforce programs, and economic development funds.

LB 861 requires local governments (cities, counties, or state agencies) to use only "authorized inspectors" (credentialed by the state, county, city, or a licensed third party) for building permit inspections. It mandates that inspection records - showing pass/fail results and reasons for failure - must be publicly accessible if the building still stands when a request is made. This applies to all inspections tied to building permits, structural projects, or warranty requirements. The bill aims to increase transparency in building safety checks while ensuring inspectors meet state standards.