Legislative Update

2023 Nebraska Appleseed Legislative Priorities

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The Nebraska Legislature introduced more than 800 bills and proposed constitutional amendments this session and we’re ready to fight for justice and opportunity at the Capitol!

Nebraska Appleseed Priority Bills

Here are some of the legislative priorities that Appleseed is supporting during the 2023 session. ⤵️

Strengthening worker protections

  • LB57 creates a statewide insurance program to provide paid leave to workers through the adoption of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh)
  • LB272 extends worker protections by reducing workers compensation waiting periods (from 7 days to 3 days) and retroactive periods (from 42 days to 14 days) under the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Act (Sen. Tony Vargas).
  • LB405 benefits workers in Nebraska’s meat and poultry industries by changing provisions of the Non-English-Speaking Workers Protection Act to standardize data collected for the Nebraska’s meatpacking coordinator’s report and requiring referrals where they become aware of a labor dispute (Sen. Tony Vargas).
  • LB618 fixes Nebraska’s unemployment insurance gap to ensure DACA, TPS, and other work-authorized Nebraskans can access the unemployment insurance support they earned and their employers already paid for (Sen. Mike McDonnell).
  • LB755 benefits workers in Nebraska’s meat and poultry industries by extending our state’s meatpacking coordinator position to a full-time position. (Sen. Tony Vargas).

Supporting young people navigating the child welfare system

  • LB14 ensures that youth with juvenile probation experience have access to Nebraska’s Bridge to Independence (B2I) program to support their transition into adulthood (Sen. George Dungan).
  • LB42 clarifies that certain reasonable childhood independence activities do not constitute neglect by narrowing Nebraska’s broad definition of child neglect under the Child Protection and Family Safety Act and the Nebraska Juvenile Code (Sen. Ben Hansen).
  • LB271 addresses racism and disproportionality within our child welfare system by narrowing who is required to report suspected child abuse and neglect to only include certain professionals, who must be trained in mandatory reporting duties, cultural competency, and community response (Sen. Terrell McKinney).
  • LB306 helps young people understand and exercise their rights while navigating the foster care and juvenile justice system by creating the Nebraska Youth in Care Bill of Rights (Sen. Megan Hunt).

Expanding food and nutrition access

  • LB84 ensures families have access to food by eliminating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)’s upcoming eligibility provision sunset (Sen. Jen Day).
  • LB88 helps Nebraskans support themselves by eliminating the ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for former drug felons (Sen. Megan Hunt).
  • LB99 provides free school meals for all students in Nebraska by adopting the Hunger-Free Schools Act (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh).
  • LB285 makes sure that all kids have access to healthy meals by requiring that Nebraska schools or districts who have 50% or more ‘identified students’ participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students (Sen. Lynne Walz).

Advancing housing justice

  • LB8 strengthens tenant protections within our Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act by requiring mobile home landlords to have good cause to initiate an eviction proceeding, and amending mobile home lien procedures (Sen. Carol Blood).
  • LB187 protects our neighbors by creating a right to counsel for people going through eviction proceedings in cities of the metropolitan and primary class and specifies that the cost of counsel would be paid by the county (Sen. John Cavanaugh).
  • LB248 protects families’ ability to rent housing, regardless of how they would pay their rent, by prohibiting discrimination based on lawful Source of Income (SOI) under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act and creating the Landlord Guarantee Program (Sen. Tony Vargas).

Supporting families navigating the rising cost of living

  • LB35 helps parents afford the child care they need by extending the sunset date on Nebraska’s current child care subsidy eligibility increase (Sen. Wendy DeBoer).
  • LB233 ensures that child support is used to support kids by eliminating child support income as a factor in determining families’ eligibility for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) benefits (Sen. John Cavanaugh).
  • LB290 puts money in the pockets of families who need it by increasing the eligibility limit for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), the direct cash assistance program funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh).
  • LB294 helps families fight the cost of living by adopting the Child Tax Credit Act (CTC), which would create a fully refundable tax credit of $1,000 per child under age 18 for Nebraska taxpayers in low-income households (Sen. Danielle Conrad).
  • LB310 increases the amount of aid available to families in need by changing the maximum payment level under Aid to Dependent Children program (ADC), the direct cash assistance program funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant (Sen. Danielle Conrad).

Ensuring equitable access to healthcare

  • LB62 removes language barriers between patients and providers by requiring that translation and interpretation services are reimbursed under Medicaid (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh).
  • LB85 saves Nebraska families time and resources by providing for express lane eligibility under the Medical Assistance Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Sen. Jen Day).
  • LB419 ensures that maternal health is properly covered in Nebraska by extending Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months (Sen. Anna Wishart).

Each legislative session presents an opportunity to bring long-lasting, positive change for our communities. Your voice is important to build a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive Nebraska. Here’s how you can get involved and take action during the rest of this legislative session:

Get involved

Throughout the 2023 Legislative Session, we will tell you about important moments to take action on key bills.

You can also sign up here to receive our weekly Legislative Update. We’ll let you know when bills will have committee hearings and when they may come up for a floor vote. Plus, we’ll let you know when our State Senators need to hear from you on big issues impacting our communities.

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