This bill expands Nebraska's Young Adult Bridge to Independence program to include young adults not lawfully present in the U.S., removing immigration status as an eligibility barrier. It amends eligibility rules (effective January 2026) to allow these individuals - primarily youth aged 16-24 transitioning from foster care - to access medical care (including Medicaid options), housing support, and case management services. Key provisions require the Department of Health and Human Services to update state plans and ensure services like emergency medical care and foster care maintenance payments are provided regardless of immigration status. The bill directly affects vulnerable young adults in Nebraska's foster care system who would otherwise be excluded from this support.
LB 535 increases penalties for assaulting specific healthcare and emergency personnel in Nebraska. It prohibits assault on frontline behavioral health providers (like direct support professionals) and healthcare workers (including licensed practitioners and facility employees) while they are on duty at their facilities. The bill amends assault statutes to add these groups to the list of protected individuals, requiring enhanced penalties for causing serious bodily injury to them during work hours. It also clarifies and streamlines existing assault provisions related to officers, emergency responders, and healthcare professionals. The law directly affects healthcare workers, behavioral health providers, and emergency responders by making assaults against them punishable as more serious offenses.
Nebraska's LB 549 allows school boards to hire chaplains - licensed by their religious organization - to provide student support services like emotional or behavioral health assistance, without requiring a teaching certificate. Chaplains may serve as paid or volunteer staff, but must pass a criminal background check and comply with school policies developed by the board. The bill explicitly states this employment does not endorse any religion and exempts chaplains from standard teacher certification rules under Nebraska law. It affects all Nebraska public school districts and directly impacts students receiving non-academic support services.
LB 338 prohibits Nebraska life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, charging higher premiums, or limiting benefits based on genetic information collected during medical treatment. It does not stop insurers from using clinical diagnoses from medical records or asking about family health history during underwriting. The bill aims to remove barriers to genetic testing by ensuring such information cannot impact insurance eligibility. Exceptions allow insurers to review standard medical records and consider diagnosed conditions, but not genetic data gathered for health care purposes.
Nebraska's LB 603 amends laws governing care management units under the Community Aging Services Act. It establishes an income-based sliding scale for client contributions: individuals with family income below 300% of the federal poverty level pay 0-90% of service costs, while others pay the full fee. The bill also changes how care units are reimbursed, requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to cover unpaid costs based on actual casework time and expenses (like personnel and admin), with reimbursement rates updated every three years. Funding for this reimbursement must be separate from regular aging services appropriations. The bill repeals the original sections it amends.
Nebraska's LB 209 expands property tax exemptions for veterans and their surviving spouses by modifying homestead exemption rules. It also creates a new property tax break for for-profit skilled nursing, nursing, and assisted-living facilities that serve Medicaid beneficiaries. The tax exemption amount for these facilities equals the average percentage of occupied Medicaid beds over the previous three years. This change specifically applies to for-profit facilities - nonprofit facilities serving Medicaid already have separate, full exemptions under current law.
LB 651 updates Nebraska's medical cannabis laws by increasing the allowable cannabis amount for patients from 2.5 ounces to 5 ounces per month and clarifying definitions for terms like "cannabis," "cannabis product," and "caregiver." It imposes a special sales tax on medical cannabis sales, directs tax revenue distribution, and prohibits open cannabis containers in vehicles. The bill also removes medical cannabis from the marijuana and controlled substances tax, updates regulations for the Liquor Control Commission, and aligns provisions with recent voter initiatives. These changes directly affect medical cannabis patients, caregivers, dispensaries, and state regulatory agencies.
LB 699 amends Nebraska's ImagiNE Act to adjust eligibility requirements for sales and use tax incentives. It sets three investment thresholds for businesses: $5 million with 30 new hires, $250 million with 250 new hires, or $50 million with no specific hire requirement. To qualify, businesses must pay wages at least 150% of Nebraska's statewide average hourly wage and offer health insurance coverage to full-time employees. The bill provides tax refunds on qualifying property purchases and exemptions from future sales/use taxes during the program period, subject to these new conditions. It directly affects businesses seeking to expand in Nebraska under the ImagiNE program.
Nebraska's LB 53 establishes legal immunity for people experiencing pregnancy outcomes that don't result in live births. The bill prohibits criminal charges, arrests, or prosecutions for outcomes like miscarriage, stillbirth, or intentional termination of pregnancy. It also grants civil immunity, blocking lawsuits based on these same pregnancy outcomes. This directly affects individuals who experience non-live-birth pregnancy outcomes by preventing both criminal and civil legal action against them. The law explicitly states it does not apply to outcomes resulting in live births.
LB 220 requires Nebraska legislators to create "developmental and intellectual disability impact notes" for proposed bills that may affect people with these disabilities. These notes, developed by the Legislative Research Office using data and research, would estimate how a bill might change existing disparities in economic, employment, health, education, and public safety outcomes for this group. The notes must include a clear statement on whether the bill is likely to increase or decrease these disparities. Requests for such notes can be made by introducing legislators or committee chairs, and the Legislative Council's Executive Board will approve or deny these requests.
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