This Nebraska constitutional amendment (LR 12CA) would limit property taxes on real estate to a maximum of 1.5% of a property's full cash value starting in 2027. It directly affects all Nebraska property owners, particularly homeowners, by capping annual tax rates on real property. Key provisions include allowing higher taxes for specific voter-approved bonds (e.g., school construction with 55% voter approval) but requiring strict accountability measures like annual audits for those projects. The amendment also updates tax valuation methods for agricultural land, motor vehicles, and other property classes while eliminating conflicting existing constitutional language.
LB 662 requires Nebraska state agencies receiving federal funds to submit detailed annual reports to the Department of Administrative Services by September 15 each even-numbered year. The reports must include the total federal funding received, state match requirements, contingency plans for funding cuts, and specific details about each federal agreement. The bill also prohibits state agencies from agreeing to federal "maintenance-of-effort" requirements (like mandatory state spending matches) without prior legislative approval. This directly affects all state agencies that accept federal grants or contracts, aiming to increase transparency and prevent automatic state spending commitments.
Nebraska bill LB 597 modifies how public school districts receive state education funding under the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act. Starting with the 2025-26 school year, foundation aid will be calculated as the greater of $1,500 per formula student or 7.5% of each district's basic funding. It also reduces the percentage of foundation aid counted toward formula resources from 100% to 60% for future years and adjusts local effort rate calculations (reducing the deduction from property tax levies from 5 cents to 10 cents). These changes directly affect all Nebraska public school districts receiving state aid.
Nebraska's LB 550 requires school districts to adopt a policy allowing students to miss one class period weekly for religious instruction courses, provided parents/guardians give written consent. The policy mandates sponsoring religious organizations to track attendance, handle transportation, assume liability during instruction, and use secular evaluation criteria (like class hours or syllabus review) if academic credit is offered. School districts cannot use public funds for these courses beyond minimal administrative costs, and students remain counted as attending for funding purposes during excused time. Violations allow affected parties to sue school districts for damages, attorney fees, or other relief.
LB 296A is a funding bill that allocates $0 from the State Department of Education Improvement Grant Fund for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to support Legislative Bill 296. It specifies that total expenditures for salaries and per diems from these funds cannot exceed $160,197 for 2025-26 or $165,403 for 2026-27. The bill directly affects the State Department of Education by providing a procedural funding mechanism for another legislative act. This is a technical appropriations measure with no actual monetary allocation, solely establishing budgetary parameters for a related bill.
LB 552 prohibits Nebraska's public universities and colleges (including the University of Nebraska, state colleges, and community colleges) from establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or requiring participation in DEI programs. The bill bans activities such as mandatory training on topics like systemic racism or microaggressions, preferential hiring based on race or gender, and using public funds for DEI initiatives. Exceptions allow harassment training, legal compliance offices, data collection for accreditation, and student organization activities. The law applies broadly to all public postsecondary institutions in Nebraska and takes effect if passed.
Nebraska bill LB 149 removes a legal prohibition that previously prevented schools from suspending students in prekindergarten through second grade. The bill amends sections 79-263, 79-265, and 79-267 of Nebraska law to eliminate this restriction, allowing schools to apply existing discipline policies - including short-term suspensions up to five days - to students in these early grades. It specifically repeals the prior restriction (section 79-265.01) and harmonizes related statutes. The change directly affects pre-K through second-grade students and their schools, enabling consistent application of discipline procedures across all grade levels.
This bill prohibits new academic tenure appointments for faculty at Nebraska's public universities (University of Nebraska system), state colleges (Nebraska State Colleges), and community colleges. It requires each governing board to adopt a written policy covering dismissal grounds (like performance or budget issues), annual faculty evaluations, and minimum professional standards. The policy must address how faculty employment terms and conditions are managed, replacing the previous tenure system for new hires. This directly affects faculty members at these public institutions by changing their employment security and review processes.
LB 428 requires Nebraska school districts to notify parents or guardians 15 days before administering surveys asking students about sensitive topics like sexual health, mental health, medical issues, substance use (drugs/vape/alcohol/tobacco), or political/religious views. Parents gain the right to review surveys in person, receive a copy, or opt their child out of participation. The bill specifically prohibits schools from surveying students in kindergarten through sixth grade about sexual health. It applies directly to all public school districts and families with K-12 students in Nebraska.
