April 13, 2026

​109th Legislature, 2nd Session

109th Legislature Nearing the Finish Line

The 109th Legislature ended the week with a marathon agenda of 65 bills on Final Reading. Friday marked day 59 of the 60-day session with nearly all business now complete. Throughout Friday's debate, senators gave tributes to the outgoing senators who are either term limited or, for three senators, choosing not to run for reelection. The Legislature will convene for its final day on Friday, April 17, which will include a farewell message from Speaker John Arch (La Vista) and an address from Governor Jim Pillen.

The week was marked with successes and some controversy as more than 100 bills were passed and sent to Governor Pillen. Lawmakers cleared a major hurdle when Governor Pillen signed the mid-biennium budget bills without issuing any line-item vetoes, an uncommon outcome that allowed the Legislature to finalize its two-year budget after weeks of negotiation. The budget package, which initially failed to pass, allowed the Legislature to close a projected $646 million deficit and survived earlier stalemates tied to opportunity scholarship funding and childcare subsidy provisions. Separately, senators advanced a revamped overhaul of the Nebraska Brand Committee, expanding its membership and updating inspection rules in what rural lawmakers described as a workable compromise after years of disagreement over modernizing the state's brand laws. LB 1187, introduced by Senator Barry DeKay (Niobrara) represented a significant compromise between the various factions of the cattle industry.

At the same time, several high-profile policy objectives stalled. Late-session attempts by Senator Kathleen Kauth (Omaha) regarding transgender medical procedures and to require public bathrooms to align with biological sex failed after senators ruled the amendments nongermane or pulled underlying bills from the agenda. A major, K-3 reading bill, LB 1050, introduced by Senator Dave Murman (Glenvil) on behalf of Governor Pillen, also fell short of the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Opponents cited unfunded mandates and concerns about retention policies. The setbacks underscored the limited floor time in the final stretch of the session and the difficulty of advancing contentious proposals amid procedural fights and coalition splits. Whether or not there will be ripple effects remains to be seen.

NBA Legislation Passes

On Friday, senators advanced a series of NBA affirmative legislation. First, the Legislature advanced LB 838, introduced by Senator Mike Jacobson (North Platte), on a vote of 46-3. LB 838 amends existing elder and vulnerable adult statutes to allow financial institutions to designate an "authorized contact" in the event of an emergency, a loss of contact with the customer, or suspected financial exploitation. LB 838 also includes LB 1118. Senator Carolyn Bosn (Lincoln) introduced LB 1118 on behalf of the NBA to combat the rising use of fraudulent social media advertisements to perpetrate fraud. The bill, as included in the amendment, amends the Nebraska Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act to require social media platforms that accept paid advertising to establish programs to verify the identity of their customers, and a process for detecting, investigating and removing fraudulent advertising. LB 838 was designated as the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee's banking priority bill and includes LB 837, introduced by Senator Jacobson on behalf of the NBA, which allows banks and merchants to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel.

Additional fraud legislation was included in LB 965, introduced by Senator Elliot Bostar (Lincoln). LB 965 was designated as the Judiciary Committee's priority bill and was amended to include several important criminal justice reforms. Among the provisions included was LB 785, introduced by Senator Bob Hallstrom (Syracuse). LB 785 amends the existing statutes for possession of burglary tools to include the unauthorized possession or use of keys or locks for mail receptacles, including those used by the U.S. Postal Service and commercial carriers. Such possession would be a Class IV felony. The legislation directly targets organized mail theft rings that have fueled identity theft and financial fraud across the state.

The Legislature also took up three important bills related to housing. First, senators advanced LB 768, introduced by Senator Rob Dover (Norfolk). LB 786, as introduced, allows the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to enter into a contract to allow an outside entity to administer housing programs. The underlying goal is to allow the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) to administer all housing programs for the state. LB 786 includes LB 819, introduced by Senator Hallstrom on behalf of the NBA to extend the sunset of the Nebraska Rural Workforce Housing and Middle-Income Workforce Housing programs. The Legislature also passed LB 803, which includes the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Account Act, originally introduced by Senator Hallstrom. Third, the Legislature passed LB 1067, also introduced by Senator Hallstrom. LB 1067 creates a dedicated, ongoing funding stream for Nebraska's Rural Workforce Housing and Middle-Income Workforce Housing programs by adding a $1-per-$1,000 increase to the documentary stamp tax, with all new revenue split evenly between the two funds. As initially introduced, the increase would have been $1.50 per $1,000.

All in all, four out of five NBA affirmative legislative bills were passed this year. Additionally, all bills opposed by the NBA failed to advance. Be on the lookout for our comprehensive Legislative Wrap-Up that will provide greater detail on the 109th Legislature, Second Session.