LB 538 Legislature · 109th Legislature (2025-2026)

Require the State Board of Education to develop a model policy regarding discrimination and antisemitism, require school boards to adopt a policy regarding discrimination and antisemitism, and provide for Title VI coordinators

LB 538 requires all Nebraska school boards and postsecondary institutions (like colleges and universities) to adopt written policies prohibiting discrimination - including antisemitism - based on race, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics. The policies must include specific measures like ensuring equal access to programs, prohibiting biased admission criteria, and integrating the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into student and employee conduct codes. Each school must also provide antisemitism awareness training and report incidents to a new State Department of Education Title VI coordinator, who will monitor compliance, investigate complaints, and submit annual reports to the legislature. The bill harmonizes existing requirements under federal Civil Rights law without altering First Amendment protections.
Bill status died 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Legislature Passage
Feb 2026
Legislature Passage
Jan 2026
Governor
Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action Apr 17, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrollment and Review ER112 · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to shift responsibility for creating a model discrimination policy from individual school boards to the State Board of Education. Additionally, the role of the Title VI coordinator was expanded to include monitoring postsecondary institutions, and the reporting requirements were significantly altered to remove the prohibition on identifying specific individuals in annual reports.
Scope change
The bill now applies to postsecondary educational institutions and changes the entity responsible for drafting the initial discrimination policy from local school boards to the State Board of Education.
REQUIREMENT

Responsibility for developing a model discrimination policy was transferred from individual school boards to the State Board of Education.

New duties were added for the Title VI coordinator to monitor and address discrimination in postsecondary institutions.

SCOPE

The bill now explicitly includes postsecondary educational institutions under the requirements for Title VI coordinators and policy adoption.

ENFORCEMENT

The annual report requirement was changed to allow for the identification of specific individuals, employees, or students involved in incidents, removing the previous privacy restriction.

Floor votes · Legislature Jan 30, 2026

How they voted

420
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 49
Jan 30, 2026
N Nonpartisan49
42 Yea 7
85% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
49
Key actions
9
Committee
3
Apr 17, 2026
Committee
Indefinitely postponed
legislature
Feb 6, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Passed over
legislature
Feb 6, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Hardin FA960 adopted
legislature
Feb 6, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Hughes FA957 adopted
legislature
Feb 6, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Hardin AM1972 adopted
legislature
Feb 6, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Hardin FA955 adopted
legislature
Feb 6, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Enrollment and Review ER112 adopted
legislature
Jan 30, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Education AM1385 adopted
legislature
Jan 30, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Conrad AM1861 adopted
legislature
May 21, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Placed on General File with AM1385
legislature
Jan 24, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education Committee
legislature
Jan 22, 2025
Introduced
Date of introduction
legislature
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Brian Hardin
Brian Hardin
NNonpartisan
NE
48