Last week, we wrapped up the first full week of the Legislature’s 2024 session. New bill introduction will continue through the end of the day today. (Click here for a list of everything introduced so far.)
Hearings will begin next Monday, January 22 and floor debate on bills will start next week after rule changes are finalized this week. Floor debate will happen in the mornings and hearings will take place in the afternoons.
Appleseed Priority Bills Introduced
Several bills were introduced last week and yesterday, including a few more of our 2024 priorities:
- LB1106, introduced by Senator Jen Day, improves access to lactation consulting services for Nebraskans with Medicaid coverage so newborns and their families have access to the resources they need. Many Nebraskans face barriers to breastfeeding, including a lack of support and access to resources.
- LB1107, introduced by Senator Jen Day, improves access to breast pumps for Nebraskans with Medicaid so newborns and their families have access to the resources they need. Breastfeeding benefits and improves health outcomes of both babies and moms.
- LB1115, introduced by Senator George Dungan, recognizes Nebraskans’ Constitutional right to a trial by jury in eviction cases. It also ensures that tenants will be informed of their right and protects against leases that would require tenants to waive their right to a trial by jury.
- LB1237, introduced by Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, specifies data Nebraska DHHS must provide in its annual Medicaid report to ensure transparency and availability of critical information regarding Nebraskans’ access to Medicaid health coverage.
Stay tuned for an overview of all of our 2024 legislative priorities soon!
Next Week’s Hearings
There are hearings next week that you can attend in person, stream online, or submit a comment. Here are a few hearings Appleseed will be showing up for next week:
LB906 (Riepe) – Enhances penalties for entities violating child labor laws
- Monday, January 22 in the afternoon in Room 2102 in front of the Business and Labor Committee
- LB906 responds to a federal investigation that discovered more than 30 minors were employed to clean Nebraska meatpacking facilities in 2022. Meatpacking continues to be one of Nebraka’s most dangerous industries; this bill takes a step in the right direction by increasing penalties for child labor violations. As our state continues to address labor violations in the meatpacking industry, we urge the state to hold corporate actors accountable for these violations.
- Take action: Appleseed supports this bill – submit a comment here by Friday at 12:00 PM CT.
LB855 (Conrad) – Prohibit school districts from using debt collection agencies to collect outstanding debts on school lunch or breakfast accounts
- Tuesday, January 23 in the afternoon in Room 1525 in front of the Education Committee
- This bill would ban debt collection agencies from collecting unpaid meal debt in Nebraska schools.
- Take action: Appleseed supports this bill – submit a comment here by Monday at 12:00 PM CT.
LB840 (McKinney) – Creates the Poverty Elimination Action Plan Act
- Tuesday, January 23 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Urban Affairs Committee
- This bill would require cities across the state to create a comprehensive poverty elimination action plan to address the specific poverty challenges faced across the state and to promote upward mobility and sustainability.
- Take action: Appleseed supports this bill – submit a comment here by Monday at 12:00 PM CT.
Stay Up to Date
You can keep up with all the happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online:
- Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
- Don’t miss out on our live updates on legislative hearings on Twitter.
We’ll let you know how you can take action to get involved and make your voice heard throughout the session!
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