Rep. Wendy DeBoer

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $3,157,170 from the General Fund to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for fiscal year 2026-27 to support programs established under Legislative Bill 304. The funding is designated specifically for Program 347 and cannot be used for employee salaries or travel expenses. No money is appropriated for fiscal year 2025-26, meaning the program will only receive state funding starting in the next fiscal year. The bill enables the department to implement services or initiatives outlined in the original 2026 legislation.

Maddy summaryLB 983 amends Nebraska's civil procedure rules to clarify and harmonize third-party claims and deposition subpoena requirements. It updates Section 25-331 to specify when a defending party can bring a third party into a lawsuit, including filing deadlines and the third-party defendant's rights. For subpoenas (Section 25-1223), it adds clear requirements for deposition subpoenas to state whether the deposition will be in-person, via video link, or by phone, along with necessary instructions. These changes directly affect parties, attorneys, and witnesses involved in civil court cases by standardizing procedural rules. The bill focuses on procedural clarity rather than substantive policy changes.

Maddy summaryLB 1055 requires Nebraska adult protective services officials - state employees who develop and implement protective services - to complete mandatory training on Alzheimer's and dementia care. The training, at least one hour long, must cover topics like behavioral symptoms, respectful communication, safety risks (including wandering), identifying abuse and neglect, and referral protocols. Officials must complete this training before starting their role or within 30 days of the bill's effective date, and renew it every five years. This bill directly affects state employees in adult protective services roles under Nebraska's Adult Protective Services Act.

Maddy summaryNebraska's LB 1032 amends adoption laws to recognize and enforce tribal customary adoptions under the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Act. The bill directly affects Native American children, tribes, and families involved in tribal adoption processes by ensuring these adoptions are legally valid in Nebraska courts. Key provisions harmonize state adoption statutes (including those governing consent, parental rights termination, and foster care) with tribal practices, requiring courts to honor tribal adoption orders. The bill defines terms like "tribal customary adoption" and removes barriers that previously prevented tribal adoptions from being recognized under state law. This change aligns Nebraska's adoption system with tribal sovereignty and the federal Indian Child Welfare Act.

Maddy summaryNebraska's LB 1054 appropriates $250,000 from the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2026-27 to the State Department of Education. This funding creates a grant program to help school districts, educational service units, and approved private or parochial schools purchase cybersecurity products and services. The bill directly affects K-12 schools across Nebraska by providing financial support for cybersecurity measures. The key provision is the allocation of specific funds for grants, not general funding, to address cybersecurity needs in educational institutions.

Maddy summaryLB 1177 creates Nebraska's Child Care Cash Fund, a permanent state fund administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. The fund will provide sustained funding for the child care subsidy program, directly supporting working families who qualify for assistance and helping child care providers maintain stable operations in both urban and rural areas. Key provisions include using the fund for timely payments to providers, setting fair reimbursement rates, covering administrative costs, and funding quality improvement programs - while ensuring it doesn’t replace the state’s required funding match. The bill requires annual reports tracking fund usage, families served, and application outcomes to ensure transparency. This legislation aims to strengthen Nebraska’s workforce and child care system through reliable, long-term investment.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $10 million from Nebraska's General Fund for Fiscal Year 2026-27 to the Public Service Commission specifically for the Broadband Bridge Program (Program 793). It directly affects the Public Service Commission, which will use these funds to continue implementing the program aimed at expanding broadband access. The bill declares an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately upon approval. This is a funding allocation, not a new policy, focused solely on providing resources for existing broadband infrastructure efforts.

Maddy summaryLB 1175 amends Nebraska's Parental Rights in Social Media Act to allow parents or minors harmed by social media companies to sue under product liability law instead of general civil actions. It reclassifies social media platforms as "products" for legal purposes, enabling lawsuits claiming harm from platform design or features (like addiction or exploitation) as if they were defective products. This directly affects parents of minors or minors themselves who believe social media companies violated the act by retaining their data or causing harm. The bill changes the legal mechanism for seeking damages but does not alter the types of harms (e.g., self-harm, addiction) that qualify for compensation under the law.

Maddy summaryLB 1176 modifies Nebraska's traffic laws to allow speed control enforcement systems in highway work zones, which use cameras to photograph vehicles exceeding the speed limit by 11 mph or more. This directly affects drivers in construction zones and law enforcement agencies, requiring clear signage and visible officer presence during enforcement. The bill also redefines "automatic license plate reader system" to exclude speed enforcement technology, clarifying that such systems cannot be used for criminal investigations under the Privacy Act. Key provisions include new definitions for terms like "alert" and "secured area" to strengthen privacy protections for license plate data collected by law enforcement. The bill repeals prior sections to implement these specific changes to traffic enforcement and privacy rules.

Maddy summaryLB 1080 allows individuals to use "unsworn declarations" instead of traditional sworn affidavits in most civil court cases across Nebraska. These declarations require specific penalty-of-perjury language and must state where and when they were signed within the U.S. They can replace affidavits for most purposes, except motions requiring court orders without notice to the other side. The bill also updates perjury laws to treat false unsworn declarations similarly to false sworn statements, maintaining criminal penalties for intentional lies in court documents.