LB 215 establishes a program to help eligible inmates serving long sentences (25 years for offenses committed under age 26, 30 years for others) seek reduced sentences through the Board of Pardons. It requires the Parole Board to assess rehabilitation risk, involve community input, and develop detailed reentry plans - including housing, job support, and mental health services - if commutation is granted. The bill mandates that denied applicants receive specific steps to improve future applications and requires ongoing program evaluation based on outcomes.
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.
This bill creates Nebraska's "Protection Orders Act," strengthening legal safeguards for domestic violence victims. It extends the duration of protection orders, allows victims to request immediate lock changes or lease modifications from landlords, and requires reporting child abuse/neglect involving military families to relevant military installations. Key provisions include court-ordered removal of abusers from shared homes, temporary custody of children, and specific protections for household pets during domestic violence cases. The law directly affects domestic violence victims, their children, military families, and landlords navigating tenant safety concerns.
This bill appropriates specific funds to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 288. It allocates $97,030 from the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Fund and $103,200 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for fiscal year 2025-26, and $118,110 and $126,410 respectively for 2026-27, to the Department of Economic Development’s Program 601. The funds are designated to carry out provisions of LB 288, with a cap on salary expenditures at $103,520 for 2025-26 and $138,030 for 2026-27. As a funding bill, it directly affects the Department of Economic Development’s budget execution for Program 601.
This bill appropriates $830,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1,135,000 for fiscal year 2026-27 from the Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking Survivor Housing Assistance Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services' Program 514. The funds are specifically designated to support housing assistance for domestic violence and sex trafficking survivors, as required by Legislative Bill 78. The appropriations are restricted to state aid for housing services and cannot be used for salaries or employee expenses. The bill was approved by the governor on May 20, 2025.
LB 266 prohibits local governments in Nebraska (cities, counties, and their agencies) from passing any ordinances that would impose rent controls on private rental properties. The bill defines "ordinance" broadly to include local laws, rules, or regulations, and states such restrictions are null and void if enacted. Exceptions allow local governments to adopt ordinances aimed at increasing affordable housing supply through land-use rules or voluntary private programs where property owners contractually agree to rent restrictions. This law overrides local home rule charters and became effective upon the governor's approval on April 7, 2025.
Nebraska's LB 21 adopts the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act to remove discriminatory property restrictions from land records. It directly affects property owners and homeowners' associations (HOAs) holding restrictions based on race, religion, sex, or other protected characteristics that violate state or federal law. The bill creates a streamlined process: owners can submit amendments to remove unlawful restrictions from their own property, while HOA governing bodies must remove such restrictions within 90 days of a member request without requiring a member vote. Amendments must be recorded in land records with specific language clarifying they only remove unlawful restrictions, not valid ones, and do not affect property conveyances.
Nebraska's LB 231 adopts the Uniform Special Deposits Act, creating standardized rules for "special deposits" held by financial institutions (like banks, credit unions, or digital asset depositories). These deposits include funds for specific purposes such as escrow for property sales, tenant security deposits, or payment system guarantees, where beneficiaries (e.g., tenants or buyers) receive funds upon meeting agreed conditions. The law defines key terms like "contingency" (a specific event triggering payment) and ensures financial institutions must pay beneficiaries when conditions occur and they have knowledge of the event. This applies to all such deposits governed by an account agreement, regardless of the parties' connection to Nebraska, and clarifies when beneficiaries can claim funds without court intervention.
LB 182 amends Nebraska's Affordable Housing Tax Credit Act and Child Care Tax Credit Act to clarify how tax credits can be used. It allows developers of affordable housing projects to transfer or sell their allocated tax credits to other taxpayers (like investors), and expands permitted uses of child care tax credits beyond their original scope. The bill specifically updates rules for allocating credits to pass-through entities (like partnerships or LLCs) and ensures credits only apply to projects completed after 2018. These changes directly affect affordable housing developers and childcare providers seeking tax credit benefits.
