Rep. Wendy DeBoer

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2026-27 to the Department of Health and Human Services to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 1032. The funding is designated for Program 33 and is intended to aid in carrying out the provisions of the referenced bill. The legislation explicitly prohibits using these funds for permanent or temporary employee salaries or per diems. This is a procedural appropriation measure that provides minimal financial resources for administrative purposes related to the previously enacted bill.

Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution directs the Nebraska Judiciary Committee to conduct an interim study on the state's guardianship laws and procedures. The study will examine how judges receive information before making guardianship decisions, review best practices from other jurisdictions, assess volunteer guardian recruitment and support, and evaluate available resources for individuals under guardianship. The committee will report its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Council or the full Legislature once the review is complete. This measure focuses on gathering information to potentially improve how guardianship cases are handled in Nebraska.

Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution directs the Executive Board of the Legislative Council to conduct a study on creating a guide for assigning bills to the correct standing committees. The guide would help the Reference Committee more efficiently sort incoming legislation into the appropriate committees for review. The study team will complete its work and submit findings and recommendations back to the Legislative Council or Legislature. This measure is a procedural step that does not change any laws but instead explores improving internal legislative organization.

Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution congratulates three Omaha youth - Brayden Jensen, Hagan Jones, and Jared Pacha from Troop 308 - for earning the Eagle Scout rank, the highest achievement in Scouting America. The document formally recognizes their completion of specific requirements, including earning 21 merit badges, serving in leadership roles, and completing individual community service projects. Copies of the resolution are to be sent directly to each of the three scouts.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows a minor child with one legal parent to be adopted by a second adult person, provided the sole parent consents, the child has a parent-child relationship with the second adult, and a home study is completed. It also clarifies that adult children may be adopted by a second adult under specific conditions, such as having a six-month parent-child relationship and meeting criteria like the absence of living parents or parental rights termination. The bill updates adoption procedures by redefining terms like "sole legal parent," adjusting consent requirements, and prohibiting adoptions that would result in a child having more than two legal parents. These changes streamline adoption pathways while maintaining existing safeguards for children and birth parents.

Maddy summaryLB 103 amends Nebraska's evidence rules to prohibit asking victims about their past sexual behavior or sexual assault history during pretrial proceedings, such as hearings or depositions. This directly affects victims in criminal or civil cases involving alleged sexual misconduct, preventing attorneys from using such questions to challenge their credibility before trial. The bill allows limited exceptions in criminal cases (e.g., to establish the source of physical evidence) and in civil cases only if the court determines the evidence's value outweighs potential harm. It also requires written motions and private court hearings before admitting such evidence. The change aims to reduce trauma for victims during legal processes while maintaining specific legal safeguards.

Maddy summaryLB 136 updates Nebraska's civil procedure rules for garnishment cases. It requires creditors to serve garnishment notices on corporate garnishees (like businesses) through their registered agent in Nebraska, rather than directly to the company. The bill also clarifies that a "continuing lien" on a debtor's wages - allowing ongoing wage withholding - lasts 90 days (with a possible 90-day extension) and automatically ends under specific conditions like full judgment payment or the debtor leaving employment. This directly affects creditors seeking to collect judgments, debtors with wages subject to garnishment, and corporate entities serving as garnishees.

Maddy summaryLB 311 would allow certain Nebraska telecommunications carriers (specifically "electing local exchange carriers" with pre-1996 service certificates) to seek state deregulation of their service areas if competition meets a defined threshold. To qualify, at least 90% of households outside tribal areas must have access to voice service from two additional carriers (including one wireline/cable provider), with rebuttable evidence required if this standard isn't met. The bill explicitly preserves existing state and federal obligations, including 911 services, universal service fund contributions, and intercarrier compensation rules. It directly affects incumbent telecom providers seeking to remove state oversight from specific geographic exchanges while maintaining regulatory authority over core services.

Maddy summaryLB 499 amends Nebraska's Crime Victim's Reparations Committee membership rules to ensure more targeted representation. It requires the Governor to appoint five public members: two representing charitable organizations serving victims of sexual assault, human trafficking, or domestic abuse; two with direct experience supporting victims of those crimes; and one victim themselves. The bill also establishes staggered two-year terms for initial appointments before standard four-year terms begin. This directly affects the committee's composition and ensures members have specific expertise relevant to victim support services.

Maddy summaryNebraska's LB 371 expands legal protection for individuals whose intimate images are created or altered using AI or digital manipulation without consent. The bill amends Nebraska's Uniform Civil Remedies Act to explicitly include computer-generated or digitally manipulated images under the definition of "intimate image" and "private" images. It creates a legal cause of action for people harmed by the intentional disclosure of such images when they were created without consent and the individual was identifiable. This directly affects anyone whose intimate images are generated or altered via AI without permission, providing them a legal path to seek remedies for unauthorized sharing. The law applies to both existing intimate images and new AI-generated content.