Labor & Employment

Nebraska's LB 13 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to file a state plan amendment to align with federal child care subsidy program rules. It updates income eligibility thresholds for child care assistance: families with incomes up to 185% of the federal poverty level before October 1, 2026, and 130% afterward. The bill also establishes transitional assistance for families who exceed income limits, allowing continued support until their income drops below 85% of state median income or they reach new income caps. This directly affects low-income families seeking child care subsidies and providers participating in the federal program, with cost-sharing based on a sliding scale.

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.

This bill sets funding levels for Nebraska state agencies during fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. It allocates specific sums for state government operations, handles unspent balances from prior years, and establishes a cap on state employee salaries and per diem payments. The bill requires agencies to operate within these budget constraints, including limits on total compensation for permanent and temporary staff. It directly affects all state agencies receiving operating funds and governs how they manage their budgets.

LB 229 amends Nebraska's Employment Security Law to exclude "marketplace network contractors" (such as delivery drivers or ride-share workers for platforms like Uber) from the law's definition of "employment." This means these workers would no longer qualify for unemployment benefits under Nebraska's system. The bill achieves this by adding a specific exclusion to the law's definition of "employment," clarifying that services performed for marketplace network platforms are not covered. The change directly affects independent contractors working through digital platforms, not the platforms themselves or traditional employees.