Labor & Employment

signed · Nebraska · Legislature Jun 6, 2025

LB 265: Adopt the Manufacturing Modernization and Workforce Development Pilot Investment Act, transfer, change, and eliminate funds, change provisions relating to the state unemployment insurance tax rate, and eliminate the Nebraska Worker Training Board

LB 265 establishes a pilot program providing one-time grants to eligible Nebraska manufacturers for technology upgrades that increase productivity. It directly affects manufacturers meeting specific criteria (e.g., operating 3+ years, generating 51% revenue from goods, employing 3+ full-time staff) who must match grant funds 1:1 with private investment. The program allocates up to $250,000 from the Workforce Development Fund, capping individual grants at $50,000 for projects like job training or specialized equipment. The bill also transfers related funding, adjusts unemployment tax rates, and eliminates the Nebraska Worker Training Board.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill allocates $250k for manufacturer job training grants, directly advancing workforce development under employment standards, despite eliminating Worker Training Board.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment Workforce Development

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 308: Adopt the Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act

Nebraska's LB 308, the Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act, requires health care staffing agencies (including technology platforms that match workers with facilities) to register annually with the Department of Labor for $1,500. The bill prohibits agencies from enforcing noncompete clauses that restrict temporary staff workers' employment options and mandates that agencies verify staff workers' qualifications, maintain professional liability insurance ($1 million per incident), and document compliance. Agencies must also submit quarterly reports to the state detailing average charges to health care facilities and payments to staff by licensing category. This bill directly affects staffing agencies and health care facilities that contract with them, establishing new registration, transparency, and insurance requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires staffing agencies to verify qualifications, maintain insurance, and prohibit noncompetes, improving patient safety and care quality in healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits noncompete clauses restricting temporary staff workers' employment options, directly protecting workers' rights and mobility. Other requirements (registration, qualification verification, insurance) support industry regulation without ha...90% confidence

Track

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 363: Adopt the Apprenticeship Grant Act

LB 363 creates the Apprenticeship Grant Act to help underemployed and unemployed Nebraskans gain job skills through registered apprenticeships. Businesses can receive grants (up to $37,000 per apprentice) to cover wages or classroom tuition for apprentices in SNAP Next Step Program-affiliated training, aiming to reduce reliance on economic assistance programs. The bill requires businesses to commit to full-time hiring with livable wages and mandates annual reporting on grant usage, participant employment, and SNAP savings. It also establishes a separate grant for apprentices to cover child care costs in building/construction trades, with funds terminating in 2031.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds apprenticeships with livable wage requirements, directly advancing worker skills and employment opportunities under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Apprenticeships

Track

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 75: Change provisions of the Wage and Hour Act relating to tipped employees and provide for complaints, prohibited actions, and liquidated damages

LB 75 amends Nebraska's Wage and Hour Act to strengthen protections for tipped employees, such as servers and hotel staff. It requires employers to ensure that an employee's total pay (base wage plus tips) meets or exceeds the state's minimum wage, shifting the burden of proof to employers to verify compliance. The bill mandates employers to maintain detailed records of tipped workers' pay, hours, and tips for three years and establishes clearer complaint procedures with liquidated damages for violations. These changes directly affect businesses in hospitality and service industries employing tipped workers across Nebraska.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentStrengthens tipped workers' wage protections by requiring total pay ≥ minimum wage, shifting burden to employers, and adding liquidated damages for violations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

Track

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 45: Provide for grants for job programs for historically underserved youth

LB 45 creates a five-year pilot grant program through Nebraska's Department of Labor to fund job training and employment opportunities for historically underserved youth (ages 18 or younger experiencing homelessness, poverty, foster care, or juvenile justice involvement). Eligible organizations must be headquartered in designated high-need census tracts and commit to hiring these youth for training in high-demand fields like IT, healthcare, and skilled trades. The program will launch in specific urban and rural communities for pilot evaluation before potential statewide expansion, with grants prioritized for areas with the highest poverty and unemployment rates. The Department of Labor will report annually on program effectiveness and placement rates in target fields.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds job training for underserved youth in high-demand fields, advancing employment opportunities and workforce development through targeted grants.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Unemployment Workforce Development

Track

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 447: Provide certain requirements for redevelopment contracts under the Community Development Law

LB 447 amends Nebraska's Community Development Law to require specific wage standards and apprentice utilization for certain redevelopment contracts. It directly affects community redevelopment authorities and developers working on projects in designated "blighted" or "enhanced employment" areas. The bill mandates that contracts for these projects must include provisions for paying prevailing wages and using apprentices in construction roles. These requirements apply to redevelopment contracts entered into under the Community Development Law, impacting how such projects are structured and implemented. The changes focus on ensuring fair compensation and workforce development within approved redevelopment initiatives.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates prevailing wages and apprentice utilization for construction in redevelopment projects, directly advancing worker compensation and training standards under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Apprenticeships Workforce Development

Track

signed · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 429: Provide requirements and restrictions for school boards relating to professional employees’ organizations

LB 429 requires Nebraska school boards to provide equal access to school employees' mailboxes, meetings, and posting spaces for all professional employees' organizations (like teacher unions or professional development groups). It mandates that if one organization is allowed to recruit at employee events, display information, or post materials in school spaces, all similar organizations must receive the same access. The bill also prohibits school boards from naming school calendar days or breaks after any professional employees' organization. This applies to all school employees, including teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals, and aims to ensure fair treatment among competing professional groups.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnsures equal access for teacher unions to school spaces, supporting educator organizational rights without funding changes95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates equal access for professional employee organizations (e.g., teacher unions) to school spaces, directly supporting collective bargaining rights under Labor & Employment policies.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 573: Adopt the Meat and Poultry Workers and Contractors Protection Act

LB 573 adopts the Meat and Poultry Workers and Contractors Protection Act to enhance safety for workers in Nebraska's meat and poultry processing facilities. It requires large facilities (with over 250 employees) to create and submit disaster mitigation plans to the Labor Commissioner, covering risks like pandemics, extreme weather, or supply chain disruptions. During disasters, these facilities must provide full workers' compensation for job-related injuries, offer 12 weeks of severance pay (at average weekly earnings) to terminated workers within 60 days, and cover contractors and contract growers. The bill directly affects workers, contractors, and contract growers at covered facilities, aiming to address high injury rates, pandemic risks, and inadequate safety enforcement.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires disaster plans, full workers' comp, and severance pay for meat/poultry workers during disasters, directly enhancing workplace safety and benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workplace Safety

Track

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 477: Change provisions of the Workplace Privacy Act

LB 477 amends Nebraska's Workplace Privacy Act to protect employees and job applicants from certain employer demands. It prohibits employers from requiring personal login credentials, forcing employees to access personal accounts in their presence, or demanding changes to personal account settings. The bill also restricts location tracking via employer devices except during declared pandemic emergencies under strict conditions (e.g., contact tracing limited to work premises and data destruction within 48 hours). Employees cannot be fired, penalized, or refused employment for refusing these requests or for data collected in violation of the law. The bill directly affects all Nebraska workers and applicants who use personal digital accounts or devices for non-work purposes.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employers from demanding personal credentials/access to private accounts and restricts invasive location tracking, directly protecting employee privacy rights in workplace settings.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits employer demands for personal login credentials and restricts location tracking, directly protecting employee data privacy per Technology policy indicators.95% confidence

Track

died · Nebraska · Legislature Apr 17, 2026

LB 537: Provide requirements for workforce development grants under the Workforce Development Program Cash Fund

LB 537 establishes the Workforce Development Program Cash Fund to support job training grants in Nebraska. It requires the Department of Labor to award grants evenly across the state’s three congressional districts, with funds used for job skills, money management, and job placement services. Applicants must provide private matching funds equal to the grant amount, and recipients must report on job placements and progress toward self-sufficiency for participants. The bill specifies $1.5 million in funding from the General Fund for fiscal year 2025-26 to support these grants.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes state fund ($1.5M) for workforce grants, allocating public funds to support job training programs and job placement services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds job training and placement services through grants, directly advancing employment standards and workforce development as required by the bill's core purpose.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workforce Development

Track