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.
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.
Nebraska's LB 209 expands property tax exemptions for veterans and their surviving spouses by modifying homestead exemption rules. It also creates a new property tax break for for-profit skilled nursing, nursing, and assisted-living facilities that serve Medicaid beneficiaries. The tax exemption amount for these facilities equals the average percentage of occupied Medicaid beds over the previous three years. This change specifically applies to for-profit facilities - nonprofit facilities serving Medicaid already have separate, full exemptions under current law.
LB 574, introduced in Nebraska in 2025, would have established specific rights for certified firefighters and emergency personnel, including paramedics and EMTs. The bill required formal investigations into complaints against firefighters to follow strict procedures: providing written summaries before interviews, recording all interviews, allowing legal or union representation, and maintaining confidentiality of all records. It also guaranteed firefighters access to mental health services, safe working conditions, and the right to challenge disciplinary actions through grievance processes. The bill further prohibited mandatory polygraph exams and protected firefighters' personal information, while allowing off-duty political activity and access to personnel records. (Note: The bill was withdrawn on February 7, 2025, and did not become law.)
