Rep. Ben Hansen

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Nebraska's Child Care Licensing Act to strengthen safety requirements for child care facilities. It requires background checks for all staff members (including prospective employees) and mandates that volunteers be counted in staff-to-child ratio calculations. The bill also revises the complaint tracking system and adds duties for the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee enforcement. These changes directly affect licensed child care centers, family child care homes, and their staff/volunteers by updating safety protocols and reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryLB 1258 renames Nebraska's Livestock Brand Act to the Livestock Protection Act, eliminates the Nebraska Brand Committee, and transfers brand registration and inspection duties to the Department of Agriculture. It makes brand inspections voluntary statewide (previously mandatory in certain areas), removes requirements for mandatory branding in specific zones, and deletes outdated rules about registered feedlots and open markets. The bill also creates a new Division of Brand Registration, Brand Inspection, and Livestock Theft Investigation within the Agriculture Department. These changes primarily affect livestock producers who register brands and choose inspections, while shifting administrative responsibilities from the eliminated committee to state agencies.

Maddy summaryLB 1188 updates Nebraska's Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act by adding a new provision prohibiting the State of Nebraska and all local governments (counties, cities, etc.) from owning real estate in "adversary nations" as defined in state law. It amends existing sections to clarify that state entities cannot acquire property in countries designated as adversaries under Nebraska law, while maintaining existing restrictions on foreign individuals and corporations purchasing real estate in Nebraska. The bill does not change current rules for private foreign buyers but explicitly extends the prohibition to state-owned property holdings. It updates a federal reference in the law and repeals the original sections it amends.

Maddy summaryLB 1259 adopts the Grid Modernization Act to establish rules for large electricity demands in Nebraska. It directly affects major industrial customers (requesting 100+ megawatts of service) and public power utilities, while creating new pathways for private energy providers to supply power through closed systems. The bill requires a mandatory evaluation before approving big service requests, assessing grid impacts, necessary infrastructure upgrades, costs, and timelines. This framework ensures safe, reliable service for large customers while defining how private power systems and public utilities interact under new contracts.

Maddy summaryNebraska bill LB 1099 creates "Husker Red" license plates as a new option for drivers, featuring a scarlet background with cream-colored text. These plates are designed to support University of Nebraska athletics and will be available for application starting January 1, 2027. Fees collected from these plates (set at $70 per application) will be split 60% to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and 40% to the Highway Cash Fund. The bill amends existing license plate statutes to add this option alongside other specialty plates like Arbor Day and Breast Cancer Awareness plates.

Maddy summaryLB 1234 establishes licensing requirements for freestanding birth centers in Nebraska, which provide pregnancy and birth care outside hospitals for low-risk pregnancies. The bill requires these centers to be licensed by the state, employ a certified nurse midwife as clinical director, and limit services to uncomplicated pregnancies with spontaneous vaginal deliveries - excluding hospital-style anesthesia or extended stays. It sets a $250 annual licensing fee, prohibits unlicensed facilities from using the term "birth center," and defines "low-risk pregnancy" as one with no anticipated medical complications. This directly affects patients seeking non-hospital birth options and birth centers aiming to operate legally within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Nebraska's newborn screening law to explicitly allow parents or guardians to object to screening for specified metabolic disorders. It affects parents who wish to decline the standard screening tests for conditions like phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, and others listed in the law. The key change adds a provision stating that screening is not required if a parent or guardian objects, while maintaining the existing list of screened conditions. This exemption applies to all diseases currently mandated under the law, removing the legal requirement for screening when objections are raised.

Maddy summaryLB 374 creates a new Licensed Midwives Practice Act in Nebraska, replacing the outdated "Licensed Midwives Practical Nurse-Certified" designation with a dedicated midwifery licensing framework. The bill adds "professional midwifery" to the list of regulated professions under Nebraska's Uniform Credentialing Act, establishing specific standards for midwife licensure, practice, and background checks. It directly affects midwives seeking or renewing licenses in Nebraska by requiring them to meet the new practice act's requirements instead of the previous, less specific rules. The bill harmonizes midwifery regulation with other healthcare professions and repeals the prior sections governing midwifery practice.

Maddy summaryNebraska's LB 631 creates the School Emergency Response Mapping Fund to support school emergency planning. The bill directs $4.525 million from the General Fund for fiscal year 2024-25 to be administered by the State Department of Education for grants that help schools implement mapping data systems. It replaces previous funding language in state law and declares an emergency to expedite the funding transfer. This policy change specifically provides dedicated state funding for school safety mapping initiatives, directly affecting school districts eligible for these grants.

Maddy summaryLB 633 creates the Nebraska Option Enrollment Tuition Account Program for families whose children's applications for the enrollment option program are rejected by school districts. It requires school districts to provide written reasons for rejections - including specific disability-related service gaps - and establishes a process for parents to decline appeals and request tuition funds. The program provides eligible families with funds equal to the adjusted average per-pupil cost (plus disability-specific supplements for students with qualifying disabilities) to cover private school expenses at accredited institutions. Parents must agree to not enroll the child in public school and use funds only for approved education costs, with access to funds lost if the child reenrolls in public school or fails to comply with program rules. The bill also mandates annual reporting by school districts on rejected applications to the State Board of Education.