Veterans

This bill allocates state funds to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 972, which was introduced in the 2026 session of Nebraska's legislature. The appropriations are distributed across three state agencies: the Department of Revenue receives funding for salary and per diem expenses, while the Military Department and Department of Motor Vehicles receive funds restricted to non-salary purposes. Specific amounts are designated for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28, with salary limits set for the Department of Revenue and no salary expenditures allowed for the other two agencies.

LB 826 amends Nebraska law to change deadlines and requirements for homestead exemption applications, directly affecting homeowners and veterans seeking property tax relief. It allows late applications for specific circumstances - such as medical conditions, spouse death, or delayed veteran status certification - with a new deadline of June 30 of the year property taxes become delinquent, requiring supporting documentation. The bill also modifies veteran exemption rules, requiring annual filings only every five years (in divisible years) and ensuring surviving spouses retain the exemption for the remaining five-year period after a veteran’s death. These changes aim to provide flexibility for eligible residents while standardizing filing processes.

Nebraska's LB 414 establishes a suicide mortality review team within the Department of Veterans' Affairs to address veteran suicides. The team, made up of VA staff, mental health professionals, law enforcement, and veteran advocates, will collect data on all veteran suicide deaths in Nebraska, analyze causes, and develop prevention protocols for agencies like hospitals and law enforcement. It requires an annual report by April 1st starting in 2026, detailing each reviewed case (including age, location, and contributing factors) and recommendations to reduce preventable suicides. The bill directly affects veterans who died by suicide and aims to improve data-driven prevention strategies through coordinated reviews.

This bill updates Nebraska's veterans' employment preference rules. It clarifies definitions for "veteran" (including spouses of disabled or deceased service members) and requires state employers to give preference to eligible veterans in hiring, reassignment, and promotions. For private employers, it allows voluntary written policies to prefer veterans, while specifying that applicants must provide documentation like a DD Form 214 or VA disability verification. The changes apply to all state government jobs and private employers who adopt the policy, directly affecting veterans and qualifying spouses seeking employment.

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.