LB 1205 Legislature · 109th Legislature (2025-2026)

Require the Department of Economic Development to award grants under the Business Innovation Act

LB 1205 requires Nebraska's Department of Economic Development to award grants under the Small Business Investment Program to support small businesses. The bill directs funding to microloan organizations, technical assistance groups, and innovation hubs that provide loans and business support to small businesses, with a focus on job creation and helping low-income communities. Key requirements include a $3 million annual funding limit, a 35% nonstate matching fund requirement for recipients, and mandating that at least 50% of funds support business technical assistance. This bill directly affects small business support organizations and microenterprises across Nebraska, particularly in rural and economically distressed areas.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Legislature Passage
Apr 2026
Legislature Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 21, 2026 Signed Apr 17, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Final Reading · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to add new sponsors and update the procedural history, while the core text regarding small business funding was reformatted with adjusted spacing. No substantive policy changes were made to funding amounts, eligibility criteria, or program requirements.
PROCEDURAL

Added three new sponsors to the bill: Andersen, 49; and Conrad, 46.

Updated the committee assignment to reflect the addition of the new sponsors.

TECHNICAL

Adjusted line spacing and indentation in the text describing the microloan program qualifications, but did not alter the actual policy requirements.

Floor votes · Legislature Mar 12, 2026

How they voted

340
Passed · 15 other
Total votes 49
Mar 12, 2026
N Nonpartisan49
34 Yea 15
69% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
21
Key actions
5
Committee
2
Apr 17, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor on April 14, 2026
executive
Apr 9, 2026
Legislature · Passed
President/Speaker signed
legislature
Apr 9, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Passed on Final Reading 49-0-0
legislature
Mar 12, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Clouse AM2630 adopted
legislature
Feb 17, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Placed on General File
legislature
Jan 23, 2026
Committee
Referred to Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee
legislature
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Date of introduction
legislature
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors