Nebraska's LB 299 allows eligible immigrants authorized for employment (under federal rules as of January 1, 2025) and their dependents to access public benefits tied to employment. The bill expands eligibility for benefits like retirement programs (including state employee and school employee plans), unemployment assistance, education financial aid, and health-related support. It requires verification of employment authorization using standard documents (such as work permits or resident cards) but does not change existing definitions of public benefits or limit current eligibility. Dependents of eligible immigrant workers gain access to benefits without regard to their own immigration status. The bill amends multiple Nebraska statutes to implement these changes, effective upon passage.
LB 224 requires Nebraska state employers to provide paid maternity leave to eligible employees who give birth and assume parental responsibility. Full-time state employees receive 12 weeks of paid leave, while part-time employees get proportional leave based on their regular hours. The bill prohibits retaliation against employees who take leave, mandates return to equivalent positions after leave, and ensures continued benefits during leave - while running concurrently with federal Family and Medical Leave Act protections. It also prohibits using this leave against other accrued leave types like vacation or sick time.
This bill (LB 379) increases the maximum time limit for cash assistance under Nebraska's Welfare Reform Act from 24 months to 60 months (5 years) for families with children. It directly affects low-income families receiving cash assistance, extending their eligibility period while adding specific conditions: assistance may be extended if the state fails to meet self-sufficiency contract terms, if no jobs paying at least the assistance amount are available, or if extreme hardship (inability to cover basic needs like food, housing, or child care) exists. The bill also clarifies that work-related child care assistance remains available after cash assistance ends, with cost-sharing based on income thresholds tied to federal poverty levels.
LB 501 adjusts property tax assessments for real property damaged by disasters like fires, floods, or tornadoes. It directly affects property owners whose homes or land suffer significant damage (exceeding 20% of assessed value) after January 1, 2019, excluding damage caused by the owner. The bill requires owners to report damage to county assessors by July 15, triggers a county review by July 20, and mandates that the county board of equalization adjust the property’s assessed value to what it was *before* the disaster occurred. This ensures affected properties are taxed based on their pre-damage value for the current year only, without requiring new property appraisals.
This bill appropriates specific funds to the Nebraska State Patrol for Program 100 to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 148. It allocates $29,629 from the General Fund and $28,236 from the Nebraska State Patrol Cash Fund for fiscal year 2025-26, and $30,921 from the General Fund and $28,236 from the State Patrol Cash Fund for 2026-27. The funding is restricted to permanent/temporary salaries and per diems, with annual spending limits of $33,856 (2025-26) and $34,872 (2026-27). It directly affects the Nebraska State Patrol by providing targeted financial resources for a specific program.
LB 41A is an appropriation bill that allocates specific state and federal funds to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for two Medicaid-related programs (344 and 348) to support implementation of Legislative Bill 41. It provides $28,021 (state and federal combined) for Program 344 and $155,579 for Program 348 in fiscal year 2025-26, with similar amounts for 2026-27. The funds must be used exclusively for their designated program purposes and cannot cover state employee salaries. This bill directly affects the Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid programs it administers.
LB 22A is an appropriation bill that allocates specific funds to support Legislative Bill 22. It provides $380,628 from the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund and $694,972 in federal funds for fiscal year 2025-26, and $774,002 plus $1,377,198 for 2026-27, all to the Department of Health and Human Services' Program 348. These funds are designated exclusively to carry out the provisions of LB 22, with no use permitted for state employee salaries or per diems. The bill directly affects the state's Medicaid program administration by providing targeted financial resources for its implementation.
LB 645A allocates $66,000 in state funds (comprising $40,000 from the School Expense Fund and $26,000 from the State Patrol Expense Fund) for fiscal year 2025-26 to support Nebraska's Public Employees Retirement Board. The funds are specifically designated to carry out the provisions of another bill, Legislative Bill 645 (which relates to retirement program administration). This appropriation is limited to $20,000 for salary and per diem expenses during the current fiscal year, with no funds allocated for the following year. The bill takes immediate effect as an emergency measure.
LB 608A is an appropriations bill that allocates $781,647 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1,351,495 for fiscal year 2026-27 from Nebraska’s General Fund to the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (Program 692). The funds are specifically designated to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 608 (related to postsecondary education), with strict limitations requiring the money to be used only for that purpose. The bill prohibits using these funds for state employee salaries or per diems. This measure was indefinitely postponed on May 14, 2025, and never became law.
This bill appropriates $122,000 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2025-26 and $125,966 for 2026-27 to the Nebraska Board of Parole for Program 358. The funds are specifically designated to support implementation of Legislative Bill 215, which is referenced in this appropriation. The bill also sets spending limits, capping total salary and per diem expenses at $85,400 for 2025-26 and $88,015 for 2026-27. It directly affects the Board of Parole's operations by providing dedicated funding for Program 358. This is a standard funding measure to enable the execution of another legislative bill, not a standalone policy change.
