LB 261 is Nebraska's state budget bill for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, allocating funds for government operations, education, capital projects, and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. It reappropriates unspent balances from previous years and specifies how federal recovery funds must be used, including restrictions on salary spending. The bill requires agencies to submit detailed budget reports and limits total salary/wage expenditures unless federal funds cover the excess. This directly affects all state agencies, universities, and programs receiving state or federal funds during the 2025-2027 budget period.
LB 78, now law after being signed by the governor on May 20, 2025, creates a new housing assistance program for victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking. It establishes the Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking Survivor Housing Assistance Fund, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide rental payments, security deposits, and other housing-related support. The bill also modifies juvenile sentencing rules to require courts to consider if an offender was a victim of abuse or trafficking when deciding whether to impose imprisonment. These changes directly affect survivors seeking housing stability and offenders in juvenile court cases where victimization is relevant.
Nebraska's LB 264 moves specific state funds into the General Fund to support broader state operations. The bill requires transferring $8.25 million from the State Insurance Fund, $25.5 million from the Military Installation Fund, and over $32 million from the Water Recreation Fund, among other specified amounts, by mid-2025 or 2026. These transfers affect state financial accounts, redirecting money from specialized funds like recreation, economic development, and medical spending programs. The bill also eliminates several programs and outdated provisions, but its primary action is reallocating existing state funds.
LB 650 updates Nebraska's tax and development laws by amending multiple statutes related to revenue, property tax, and tax credits. It sets a sunset date for sports complex and stadium applications under the Sports Arena Facility Financing Assistance Act, eliminates sales tax exemptions for internet towers, net wrap, and twine, and adjusts sales tax collection fees. The bill also modifies tax credit programs under acts like the Nebraska Advantage Rural Development Act and the Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act, while repealing outdated provisions including the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit Act. These changes primarily affect businesses, local governments, and developers utilizing tax incentives for community development projects.
LB 303 creates the School Financing Review Commission, a 18-member group including education officials, school district representatives, and community members. The commission will evaluate Nebraska's school funding formula under the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, review resource and student need factors, and recommend changes to help prevent property tax increases. It will also analyze how school funding impacts student outcomes like attendance, literacy, and graduation rates. The bill additionally modifies budget rules to allow school districts to exceed general fund budget limits under the act.
LB 613A is an appropriation bill that allocates $90,200 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $88,000 for 2026-27 from Nebraska's General Fund to the Department of Revenue's Program 102. It directly funds the implementation of Legislative Bill 613 (the main bill it supports) by covering salaries and per diems for staff. The bill includes specific spending limits: $64,100 for 2025-26 and $66,200 for 2026-27 for permanent and temporary staff costs. This is a funding measure, not a policy change, and it became law after approval by the governor on June 4, 2025.
This bill, LB 644A, is a funding measure that allocates specific state funds to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 644. It provides $30,000 from the State Settlement Cash Fund for Fiscal Year 2025-26 (and none for 2026-27) to the Attorney General's office for Program 507, and $50,000 annually from the General Fund for Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for Program 94. The bill explicitly prohibits using these funds for state employee salaries or per diems. As an appropriation bill, it directly affects the Attorney General and the Accountability Commission by providing targeted financial support for their work related to Legislative Bill 644.
This bill allocates $266,358 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $272,186 for fiscal year 2026-27 from Nebraska's General Fund to the Department of Labor's Program 194. The funds are specifically designated to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 293 (the parent bill, introduced earlier in the same session). The bill also sets annual limits of $179,108 for salaries/per diems in 2025-26 and $184,482 in 2026-27 for these appropriations. It is a funding measure with no policy changes of its own.
This bill allocates $680,000 annually from the General Fund for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to the Legislative Council. The funds are specifically designated to support implementation of Legislative Bill 298 (the main bill it references) and are subject to annual salary limits of $590,500 and $615,700 respectively. It modifies existing budget lines for the Legislative Council's Office of Public Counsel and repeals prior appropriation language, with immediate effect due to an emergency declaration. The bill does not change policy but adjusts funding for legislative operations.
LB 454 amends Nebraska law to update rules for regional behavioral health authorities and establish the Behavioral Health Services Fund. It requires these authorities to adopt uniform fee policies based on consumer income (not exceeding service costs), mandate competitive bidding for services unless specific exemptions apply, and maintain separate budgets for behavioral health funding. The new Behavioral Health Services Fund will provide grants, loans, and reimbursements to support community-based behavioral health services statewide, including housing assistance for very low-income adults with serious mental illness. These changes directly affect regional behavioral health authorities, behavioral health providers, and consumers receiving public behavioral health services.
