2022 Bill Tracker

LB 933 will protect all unborn human life to the greatest extent possible the moment Roe v Wade is overturned by providing that when Roe is overturned the performance of an abortion in Nebraska will be an illegal act, saving women and children from the harms of abortion.

On March 15, 2022, the Judiciary Committee voted 5-3 not to advance the bill. Senator Albrecht filed a motion to pull the bill out of committee, and on March 25, 2022, the Legislature voted 28-13 to place the bill on General File. LB 933 failed to overcome a filibuster during the first round of debate, and it was defeated on a 31-15 vote. Thirty-three votes were needed to advance the bill.

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The Nebraska Heartbeat Act will save countless lives by requiring an ultrasound before any abortion can be performed and prohibit abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 24, 2022. On March 15, 2022, the committee voted 5-3 not to advance the bill.

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LB 1086 requires an in-person exam by the physician before any chemical abortion can take place, the physician must schedule a follow-up appointment, and no abortion-inducing drugs can be administered after 7 weeks gestation. This is a critical bill for protecting the health and safety of women and the lives of unborn children.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 24, 2022. On March 15, 2022, the committee voted 4-3 not to advance the bill. 

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LB 1129 would require the state to provide free contraceptives, including those that can cause early abortions, to any person who requests them.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 24, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 715 seeks to expand abortion access by eliminating the existing prohibition preventing the publicly funded insurance coverage for abortion.

The Banking Committee held a hearing on March 1, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 716 seeks to expand abortion in Nebraska by expanding the category of who is legally allowed to perform an abortion to include registered nurses, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 24, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 276 eliminates the requirement that a physician be physically present in the room during an abortion, which would expand abortion in Nebraska by allowing for webcam abortions and for the abortion pill to be distributed through the mail.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on March 12, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 67 would allow school-based health centers to dispense, prescribe, and counsel for contraceptive drugs and devices in schools.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 18, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 963 protects the religious freedom and conscience rights of medical care providers, healthcare institutions, and healthcare payers to not be compelled to participate in or pay for medical procedures or prescribe medications that violate their conscience.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on March 2, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

The First Freedom Act defends the First Amendment rights of all Nebraskans by establishing a clear standard to ensure that religious liberty rights are not infringed by government and that government cannot treat churches and religious organizations worse than secular businesses.

The Government Committee held a hearing on January 19, 2022. LB 774 remained in committee after a vote to advance the bill was at a 4-4 deadlock and did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 231 violates the free-speech and religious freedom rights of licensed counselors and engages in viewpoint discrimination by forcing counselors to only be able to counsel in favor of transgenderism and same-sex attraction. Everyone who seeks counseling has the right to choose their own path, and a counselor shouldn’t be used as a tool to impose the government’s views on their patients.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 26, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

When the government treats churches worse than casinos, gyms, and abortion clinics, the Constitution is violated. LB 167 ensures churches and religious organizations cannot be treated worse than secular organizations and bars government officials from prohibiting religious organizations from operating during a state of emergency.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 26, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 120 & 230 undermines constitutional freedoms, targets small businesses, threatens women’s equality and privacy, and empowers the government to punish people with religious beliefs on marriage and sexuality. These laws are used as a sword against people of faith rather than a shield against discrimination.

The Judiciary Committee held hearings on February 26, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bills did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 1237, similar to its predecessor, LB 364, creates more freedom and choice in education by providing for a tax credit for private donations to nonprofit scholarship granting organizations to generate more scholarships for low-income families to send their children to the school of their choice.

The Revenue Committee held a hearing on February 9, 2022. LB 1237 was amended into another measure, LB 730, which advanced from committee on a 6-0 vote, but it was not debated by the Legislature before senators adjourned for the year.

LB 1158 ensures all school districts develop a policy in support of parents’ rights that must state how the district will involve parents, how parents can access all learning materials, and how parents can opt their child out of lessons or activities. The policy must be reviewed annually following a public hearing and be displayed prominently on the website for each school.

The Education Committee held a hearing on February 15, 2022. LB 1158 advanced from committee with six senators voting “Yes” and two senators “Present-Not-Voting,” but it was not debated by the Legislature before senators adjourned for the year.

LB 768 protects schoolchildren and parental rights by preventing the State Board of Education from developing or promoting any academic content standards outside of what has been explicitly authorized by the legislature: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.

The Education Committee held a hearing on February 15, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 364 creates more freedom and choice in education by establishing a tax credit for private donations to nonprofit scholarship granting organizations, which will generate more scholarship opportunities for low-income families to send their children to a private school of their choice.

The Revenue Committee held a hearing on January 28, 2021. Senator Linehan designated LB 364 as her Senator Priority Bill in 2021 and 2022. The bill failed to overcome a filibuster during debate by the full legislature both years. In 2022, 28 senators voted “Yes,” 14 senators voted “No,” and 7 senators were “Present-Not-Voting.” Thirty-three votes were needed.

LB 210 requires school boards to establish policies and procedures to allow home school students to participate in extracurricular activities to the same extent as public school students.

The Education Committee held a hearing on January 25, 2021. LB 210 advanced from committee unanimously with an amendment stating that a homeschool student shall be required to take no more and no less than ten credit hours in any semester to participate in extracurricular activities.

LB 1136 requires senior care facilities to adopt LGBT policies that would force elderly residents to have room assignments, bathroom access, and pronoun usage based on gender identity and not biological sex.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 16, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 745 undermines the truth about marriage and human sexuality by requiring gender-neutral language on marriage licenses and certificates. “Husband and wife” would be replaced with “Spouse 1 and Spouse 2.”

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 16, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 517 provides for genderless state ID cards and driver’s licenses and allows for the sex listed on birth certificates to be changed. These changes elevate gender dysphoria into law and encourage sex changes for minors.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 26, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LR 20CA seeks to remove the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman from the Nebraska Constitution, undermining the truth about marriage that was placed in the state constitution by voters.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on January 29, 2021. LR 20CA was advanced from committee 5-2, but it was not debated by the full Legislature.

If passed by the Legislature, LR 2CA would put the legalization of recreational marijuana on the ballot for the 2022 General Election.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 19, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 1246 enhances the safety and protection of trafficking victims by maintaining the confidentiality of their identity by withholding identifying information from public records until criminal charges are filed.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on February 3, 2022. The committee advanced the bill unanimously. LB 1246 passed through three rounds of debate by the full Legislature unanimously, and it was signed into law by the Governor on April 18, 2022.

LB 204 would update Nebraska’s Sex Offender Registration Act by requiring those who are guilty of sex trafficking crimes to be part of the sex offender registry.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on March 4, 2021. The bill advanced from committee with 7 “Yes” votes and 1 “Present-Not-Voting.” LB 204 was amended into LB 1246, passed through the Legislature unanimously, and it was signed into law on April 18, 2022.

LB 1268 would expand the sale of lottery tickets by allowing tickets to be sold through electronic vending machines. Designed for people to lose, the state lottery preys on the poor and contributes to cycles of poverty by taking the most from those who can least afford it.

The General Affairs Committee held a hearing on February 28, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 876 significantly increases the number of racing days and live races needed to be held annually by racetracks that host casino gambling to limit the number of casino locations there can be across the state. Racetracks that do not meet the live racing requirements cannot operate a casino.

The General Affairs Committee held a hearing on January 24, 2022. The bill advanced from committee with seven senators voting “Yes” and one “Present-Not-Voting.” LB 876 passed through the Legislature on a final vote of 38 “Yes,” 3 “No,” and 5 “Present-Not-Voting,” and it was signed into law on April 19, 2022.

LB 713 would prohibit the use of tax-increment financing for building casinos in Nebraska, protecting taxpayers and ensuring casinos don’t receive special treatment.

The Urban Affairs Committee held a hearing on February 8, 2022. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

LB 545 seeks to classify sports betting and poker as “games of skill” in order to authorize commercialized sports betting, including online wagering, across the state. LB 545 would substantially expand gambling in Nebraska, exploit the poor and financially desperate, and increase gambling losses and addition.

The General Affairs Committee held a hearing on February 1, 2021. The committee took no immediate action, and the bill did not advance before the Legislature adjourned for the year.