This bill changes how Nebraska calculates state aid for cities and towns. It requires the Department of Revenue to use each municipality's prior year's certified property tax levy data (separating bond and nonbond taxes) to determine aid amounts. Municipalities with tax levies below the state average face a 20% aid reduction for each cent below the average, up to 80% total reduction. The calculation uses population and property tax averages, and if the aid fund is insufficient, money is allocated proportionally to all cities.
Nebraska's LB 766 updates regulations for racetracks and horseracing wagering. It sets new annual requirements: racetracks operating before April 2022 must host at least 5 live racing days and 50 races yearly through 2030 (increasing to 15 days and 120 races annually after 2030), while newer tracks have phased-in minimums. The bill eliminates the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, moves the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling under the State Racing and Gaming Commission, and allows keno players as young as 18 at racetracks (previously 21). It also revises how wagering revenue is distributed and repeals outdated sections of gaming law. The bill directly affects racetrack licensees, problem gamblers seeking services, and state gaming regulatory bodies.
LB 261 is Nebraska's state budget bill for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, allocating funds for government operations, education, capital projects, and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. It reappropriates unspent balances from previous years and specifies how federal recovery funds must be used, including restrictions on salary spending. The bill requires agencies to submit detailed budget reports and limits total salary/wage expenditures unless federal funds cover the excess. This directly affects all state agencies, universities, and programs receiving state or federal funds during the 2025-2027 budget period.
LB 650 updates Nebraska's tax and development laws by amending multiple statutes related to revenue, property tax, and tax credits. It sets a sunset date for sports complex and stadium applications under the Sports Arena Facility Financing Assistance Act, eliminates sales tax exemptions for internet towers, net wrap, and twine, and adjusts sales tax collection fees. The bill also modifies tax credit programs under acts like the Nebraska Advantage Rural Development Act and the Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act, while repealing outdated provisions including the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit Act. These changes primarily affect businesses, local governments, and developers utilizing tax incentives for community development projects.
Nebraska's LB 9 updates tobacco tax and regulation laws to address new nicotine products. It defines "nicotine analogues" (substances chemically similar to nicotine or with similar effects) and creates a new category for "alternative nicotine products" (noncombustible items like vapes or gums containing nicotine, excluding e-cigarettes and FDA-regulated drugs). The bill adds taxes on these products, allows seizure of illegal items as contraband, and imposes penalties for violations. It directly affects retailers selling these products, requiring compliance with new tax rules and labeling. The law excludes e-cigarettes and FDA-approved nicotine products from its provisions.
This bill eliminates numerous state advisory groups, boards, and commissions - including the Climate Assessment Response Committee, Women's Health Initiative Advisory Council, and Palliative Care Act - and removes their funding. It also modifies department responsibilities, such as adjusting the Board of Mental Health Practice and the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill specifically terminates the Whiteclay Public Health Emergency Task Force and streamlines overlapping government structures by repealing obsolete provisions. These changes aim to simplify state agency operations by removing redundant entities and consolidating functions.
LB 513A is a funding bill that allocates specific amounts from the General Fund and Compensation Court Cash Fund to support existing court programs in Nebraska for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. It provides funding for the Supreme Court (Programs 3, 4, 6, 7), Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court (Program 526), and the Tax Equalization and Review Commission (Program 131). The bill specifies maximum allowable expenditures for salaries and per diems for each program across both fiscal years. It directly affects these state courts and commissions by providing operational funding to carry out existing responsibilities outlined in Legislative Bill 513. The bill was approved by the Governor on May 30, 2025, and takes immediate effect.
This bill sets funding levels for Nebraska state agencies during fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. It allocates specific sums for state government operations, handles unspent balances from prior years, and establishes a cap on state employee salaries and per diem payments. The bill requires agencies to operate within these budget constraints, including limits on total compensation for permanent and temporary staff. It directly affects all state agencies receiving operating funds and governs how they manage their budgets.
LB 262 appropriates $632,982 from the General Fund for each fiscal year (2025-26 and 2026-27) to pay salaries for Nebraska Legislature members, as required by law. The bill includes a spending cap of $588,000 annually for salaries and per diems, ensuring total expenditures do not exceed this amount. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, and was approved by the governor on May 21, 2025. This procedural bill directly affects legislators by funding their compensation.
Nebraska Legislative Bill LB 263 appropriates funds for the salaries and benefits of constitutional state officers for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. It directly affects Supreme Court judges, Court of Appeals judges, district/juvenile and county court judges, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Auditor of Public Accounts. The bill specifies exact funding amounts for each position while establishing "salary limits" that restrict total expenditures for salaries and per diems. It includes provisions for reappropriating unspent funds and transferring budgets among judicial programs to support court operations. This is a standard funding measure, not a policy change, ensuring constitutional officers receive authorized compensation for the specified fiscal periods.
