Labor & Employment

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 335 amends Nebraska's In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Act by clarifying that "child" includes stepchildren of Nebraska law enforcement officers or firefighters killed in the line of duty. This definition change (Section 85-2303(3)) ensures children of eligible deceased officers/firefighters - regardless of birth or adoption status - qualify for the education benefit. The bill does not alter benefit amounts or eligibility criteria beyond explicitly including stepchildren in the definition. It affects dependent children of Nebraska public safety personnel who die while performing official duties.

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.

This Nebraska bill (LB 197) amends key sections of the Employment Security Law to clarify rules for unemployment benefits. It updates disqualification rules (Section 48-628.09) to better define when workers lose benefits due to labor disputes, requiring proof of non-involvement in the dispute. The bill also streamlines claim processing (Section 48-630) and sets a two-year limit for redetermining benefit amounts (Section 48-631), ensuring timely resolution of eligibility issues. These changes directly affect unemployed workers and employers navigating benefit claims, making the process more transparent and efficient under Nebraska's unemployment system.