Legislative Update: April 9

The vote to advance LB 575, the bill to ban trans youth from sports and spaces, failed on Friday. To be clear, trans individuals belong in Nebraska. Thank you for everyone who contacted their senator to oppose this bill. Together, we can continue to ensure our state is a place where we are all free to live, work and support each other for who we are. Please take a minute to thank those senators who didn’t vote to advance the bill. A special thanks to the trans youth, their families and everyone who loves them for spending so much time with lawmakers sharing about their families and working to ensure they have every right that other families do.

Additional Bill Updates 

✅ LB 233 (Sen. John Cavanaugh) advanced to Select File is back and will likely be back on the agenda today. This bill increases economic stability by allowing TANF recipients to receive child support payments.

✅ LB 840 (Sen. Terrell McKinney), to Adopt the Poverty Elimination Action, advanced to final reading today. The bill includes LB 1046 that would require a court to appoint a free lawyer in an eviction brought by the public housing authority in Omaha. Learn more about this housing justice-related bill via our fact sheet (English / Spanish).

✅ LB 856 (Sen. John Fredrickson) has advanced to Final Reading as a much narrower bill. The bill still makes certain childcare employees eligible for childcare subsidies, and allows more flexibility for home-based and smaller childcare centers.

✅ LB 857 (Sen. George Dungan) has been passed and signed by the Governor. This will improve Medicaid prenatal care services for at-risk pregnant people, which will help improve outcomes for babies and moms.

✅ LB 870 (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh) to amend the Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights advanced to Select File. This bill will allow victims control over their own evidence and is on the agenda today.

✅ LBs 1106 & 1107 (Sen. Jen Day), bills to cover breast pumps and lactation consultations under the Medical Assistance Act, passed on Final Reading as part of LB 1215 and have been signed by the Governor.

= LB 876 (Sen. Rick Holdcroft) has advanced to Final Reading. This amended bill creates a Newborn Safe Haven Act. We remain concerned that this bill will have the potential for increased surveillance of pregnant people and their pregnancy outcomes.

❌ LB 71 (Sen. Rita Sanders) has been advanced to Final Reading. The bill changes provisions relating to parental involvement and access to materials in schools.

❌ LB 606 (Sen. Joni Albrecht) would provide tax credits to donations made to anti-abortion centers, also known as “crisis pregnancy centers.” This bill was attached as an amendment to LB 937 during General File debate. We oppose this bill because anti-abortion centers, which already receive $2 million annually in state funds, are heavy in deception and manipulative tactics and low in actual health care. On a positive note, LB 58, a bill providing sales and use tax exemptions for diapers, was also successfully amended onto this bill as AM3116 and will directly benefit Nebraska families with young children.