Nebraska's LB 414 establishes a suicide mortality review team within the Department of Veterans' Affairs to address veteran suicides. The team, made up of VA staff, mental health professionals, law enforcement, and veteran advocates, will collect data on all veteran suicide deaths in Nebraska, analyze causes, and develop prevention protocols for agencies like hospitals and law enforcement. It requires an annual report by April 1st starting in 2026, detailing each reviewed case (including age, location, and contributing factors) and recommendations to reduce preventable suicides. The bill directly affects veterans who died by suicide and aims to improve data-driven prevention strategies through coordinated reviews.
LB 457 requires Nebraska school districts and licensed child care facilities to adopt written policies for managing anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) by July 1, 2026. These policies must include emergency protocols, individualized care plans for children with allergies, and strategies to reduce allergen exposure, based on model guidelines developed by the Health and Human Services Department. The bill also limits out-of-pocket insurance costs for epinephrine injectors to $50 annually for covered individuals, effective January 1, 2026. It directly affects schools, child care programs, and insured individuals needing emergency allergy treatment.
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.
This Nebraska bill updates requirements for blood tests during pregnancy. It mandates that healthcare providers offer voluntary syphilis tests at the first prenatal visit, third trimester, and delivery, and voluntary HIV tests during pregnancy (with written refusal allowed). Providers must clearly inform patients about these tests and their right to decline. The bill also ensures Medicaid-covered individuals will have syphilis test costs covered by Medicaid funds, and test results must be reported to health officials without appearing on birth certificates.
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.
Nebraska's LB 168 (signed April 9, 2025) adopts the 340B Contract Pharmacy Protection Act to protect access to federally discounted drugs. It prohibits drug manufacturers from restricting 340B drug deliveries to authorized locations (like contract pharmacies) or demanding extra data (such as patient records) beyond federal requirements. The law directly affects safety-net hospitals, clinics, and other 340B entities that rely on discounted drugs, as well as drug manufacturers and distributors. It ensures these providers can continue using 340B discounts without unnecessary barriers imposed by manufacturers.
LB 527A is an appropriation bill that allocates specific state and federal funds to two health programs (344 and 348) under Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to support implementation of Legislative Bill 527. It provides $18.05 million for Program 344 and $162.40 million for Program 348 in fiscal year 2025-26, with increased amounts for 2026-27, sourced from the Medicaid Access and Quality Fund and federal Medicaid funds. The bill restricts these funds to the purposes of Legislative Bill 527 and prohibits their use for state employee salaries. Approved by the governor on April 7, 2025, it takes immediate effect due to an emergency declaration.
LB 527 creates a Medicaid Access and Quality Fund by imposing a 6% tax on certain health insurance premiums starting January 2026. The fund will increase payments to nonhospital Medicaid providers (like clinics and doctors) to improve access to care, especially for rural patients, pregnant women, and children. It also allocates $75 monthly per patient to primary care providers who serve as medical homes for Medicaid beneficiaries. This directly affects Nebraska Medicaid beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and insurance companies paying the tax.
This bill, LB 195, grants legal immunity to individuals who administer opioid overdose reversal medications (like naloxone or nalmefene) in good faith during an overdose emergency. It directly protects health professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists), family members, friends, school staff, emergency responders, and police officers who obtain and use these medications appropriately. Key provisions shield them from criminal prosecution, administrative action, or civil liability when acting reasonably to assist someone experiencing or likely to experience an opioid overdose. The law specifically covers medications approved by the FDA for reversing overdoses, whether obtained via prescription, from a health professional, or over the counter.
This bill establishes minimum training requirements for nurse aides working in Nebraska's intellectual and developmental disability facilities. It mandates a 20-hour training program (including 15 hours of personal care training) for these facilities, compared to 75 hours for other nursing homes. Nurse aides must also meet English proficiency standards and pass background checks. The law replaces prior requirements and creates a registry with mandatory abuse reporting training as part of the curriculum.
