It’s Day 32 today, which means we are officially more than halfway through the 2026 Legislative Session!
Last week, senators and committees finalized and designated their personal priority bills for the session. We are excited to share that several Appleseed priority bills have been prioritized (see below), and we’ll be sure to share updates as these bills move through the legislative process.
Last Week’s Highlights
The following bills were named as priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session:
- ✅ LB929, introduced by Senator John Fredrickson, protects Nebraskans’ access to care through Medicaid by prohibiting Nebraska DHHS from requiring Medicaid enrollees to pay copays that aren’t required by federal law, and by requiring Nebraska DHHS to set the new copays for Medicaid expansion enrollees required by HR1 at the lowest amount possible.
- ✅ LB966, introduced by Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, aka the Hunger-Free Schools Act, makes more students eligible for free school meals by using state funds to make all reduced-price eligible student meals free.
- ✅ LB1032, introduced by Senator Wendy DeBoer, recognizes tribal customary adoptions in Nebraska state law. Tribal customary adoptions allow Native children to be adopted without severing their relationship with their biological family, respecting the traditions, values, and laws of their tribes.
- ✅ LB1034, introduced by Senator George Dungan, keeps Nebraska children and learning environments safe by preventing ICE from entering schools without a judicial warrant. This bill would reinstate ICE’s own previous guidelines ensuring that schools are safe and protected spaces.
- ✅ LB1089, introduced by Senator Jana Hughes, protects Nebraska workers by ensuring that employees can pursue legal action if their employer violates their rights under our current paid sick leave law. This bill reinstates the private right of action that the legislature removed from the voter-approved paid sick leave law last year.
In addition to these priority bills, we also participated in several hearings last week, including:
- ✅ LB843, introduced by Senator Victor Rountree, protects Nebraskans’ access to food by reversing eligibility changes that prevent refugees, asylees, and other immigrants from participating in SNAP.
- ❌ LB925, introduced by Senator Bob Andersen, bans camping or storing personal property on any public land— targeting anyone who is forced to sleep outdoors. Punishing people for experiencing homelessness is cruel and only hurts those that need support the most.
This Week’s Hearings
Yesterday, we testified in support of ✅ LB1009 (Senator George Dungan), a bill that supports Nebraskans injured on the job by reducing Nebraska’s longest-in-the-nation waiting periods for workers’ compensation – the system that helps people recover after workplace injuries.
We also testified in support of ✅ LB1056 (Senator Danielle Conrad), which supports Nebraskans injured on the job through several updates to the workers’ compensation system – adding a much-needed cost of living adjustment, increasing support for the loss of different body parts, covering some interpretation costs, and improving the process for choosing your own doctor.
There are several important hearings this week that you can attend in person, stream online, or submit a comment on:
✅ LB777 (Senator Machaela Cavanaugh) – Provide for eligibility and reporting requirements under the medical assistance program
- Wednesday, February 25 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee
- This bill makes sure that Nebraskans with low incomes aren’t drowning in medical debt by protecting our state’s current levels of retroactive Medicaid coverage for new enrollees.
- TAKE ACTION: Appleseed SUPPORTS this bill – submit a comment here by Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00 AM CT
✅ LB734 (Senator Megan Hunt) – Change waiver of work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Thursday, February 26 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee
- This bill protects Nebraskans’ access to food by reinstating work requirement exemptions for some of our most vulnerable populations enrolled in SNAP.
- TAKE ACTION: Appleseed SUPPORTS this bill – submit a comment here by Thursday, February 26 at 8:00 AM CT
✅ LB854 (Senator Megan Hunt) and ✅ LB906 (Senator Margo Juarez) – Prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings or disguises and require officers to wear appropriate identification
- Combined hearing: Friday, February 27 in the afternoon in Room 1525 in front of the Judiciary Committee
- These bills protect Nebraskans by prohibiting any law enforcement individuals from wearing masks or utilizing other means to conceal their identity while performing official duties.
- TAKE ACTION: Appleseed SUPPORTS these two bills – submit a comment here for LB854 and submit a comment here for LB906 by Friday, February 27 at 8:00 AM CT
✅ LB881 (Senator Dunixi Guereca) – Require law enforcement agencies, jails, and the Nebraska State Patrol to receive approval prior to entering into agreements to enforce immigration law
- Friday, February 27 in the afternoon in Room 1525 in front of the Judiciary Committee
- This bill supports public safety by requiring transparency and process before enacting harmful policies that force local law enforcement into a federal immigration agent role. Police have noted that serving a federal immigration agent role is mission drift that harms public trust and undermines police ability to do their primary job of investigating and fighting crime.
- TAKE ACTION: Appleseed SUPPORTS this bill – submit a comment here by Friday, February 27 at 8:00 AM CT
✅ LB907 (Senator Margo Juarez) – Prevents ICE from entering sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship without a judicial warrant
- Friday, February 27 in the afternoon in Room 1525 in front of the Judiciary Committee
- This bill keeps Nebraska communities and children safe by preventing ICE from entering sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship without a judicial warrant. This bill would reinstate ICE’s own previous guidelines regarding these formerly protected spaces.
- TAKE ACTION: Appleseed SUPPORTS this bill – submit a comment here by Friday, February 27 at 8:00 AM CT
Thank you for your advocacy this session!
