2023 Bill Tracker

Protects preborn babies by prohibiting abortion when a fetal heartbeat is present.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 1, 2023. The bill was advanced from committee on February 22nd on a 4-2 vote and was designated as a priority bill by Senator Albrecht. LB626 advanced through the first round of debate by the full legislature on April 12 on a 33-16 vote. The bill failed to advance by one vote during the second round of debate on April 27 on a vote of 32-15 with two senators “present-not-voting.”

Helps broaden support for pregnant women and parents by creating an annual $10 million tax credit for private donations to pregnancy help organizations.

The Revenue Committee held a committee hearing on February 24, 2023. The bill was advanced from committee on April 11th with 6 “yes” votes, one “no” vote, and one “present-not-voting” and awaits debate by the full legislature.

Adds “reproductive freedom” as a right under Article I of the Nebraska Constitution, alongside “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Health and Human Services Committee held a committee hearing on March 16th, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Amends the Nebraska Constitution to prohibit the state from enforcing any pro-life laws that protect preborn children from abortion.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a committee hearing on March 16th, 2023. The committee took no immediate action.

Amends the Nebraska Constitution to add a “right of individual privacy,” which was the basis for the U.S. Supreme Court to create a right to abortion in Roe v. Wade.

The Judiciary Committee held a committee hearing on March 22, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Defends the First Amendment rights of all Nebraskans by establishing a clear standard to ensure 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 February 8, 2023. The bill was advanced from committee on a 5-3 vote. It has been designated as a priority bill by Senator Hardin and awaits debate by the full legislature. 

Prohibits any government agency from requiring, compelling, or distributing the personal information of citizens who contribute to or support non-profit organizations.

The Government Committee held a hearing on February 16, 2023. The bill was advanced from committee on a 6-0 vote. It has been designated as a priority bill by Senator Lowe and awaits debate by the full legislature.

Protects the religious freedom and conscience rights of medical care providers, healthcare institutions, and healthcare payers by ensuring they cannot be compelled to participate in or pay for medical procedures that violate their conscience.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 10, 2023. The bill has been designated as a priority bill by Senator Murman and awaits a committee vote.

Ensures all school districts develop a policy in support of parents’ rights stating how the district will involve parents, provide access to 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 January 31, 2023. The committee advanced the bill on a 7-0 vote. It has been designated as a priority bill by Senator Lippincott and awaits debate by the full legislature.

Protects the rights of parents as the primary educators of their child’s education and ensures parents have access to all books, learning materials, and curriculum in schools and can object to inappropriate books or learning materials.

The Education Committee held a hearing on January 31, 2023. The committee took no immediate action.

Protects fairness and opportunity in girls’ sports and the privacy and dignity of all students by ensuring bathroom and locker room access in schools is based on biological sex and that only biological females can compete in girls’ sports contests.

The Education Committee held a hearing on February 13, 2023. The bill has been designated as a priority bill by Senator Clements and awaits a committee vote.

Creates the “Follow the Student Fund” to allow parents to receive funding for their child’s education equal to fifty-five percent of the average per pupil cost of the preceding year to pay for their child’s education expenses at the public or private school of their choice.

The Education Committee held a hearing on March 21, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Creates more freedom and choice in education by establishing a tax credit for private donations to non-profit 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 February 3, 2023. The bill was advanced from committee on a 6-2 vote and has been designated as a priority bill by Senator Linehan. LB 753 passed through the first round of debate in the full legislature on March 8th on a vote of 33-12, through the second round on April 13th on a vote of 33-11, and passed into law on May 24th on a final vote of 33-11.

Allows homeschool students who are a resident of a school district to participate in any public school extracurricular activities in their district.

The Education Committee held a hearing on March 6, 2023. LB 372 advanced from committee on April 19th on a 7-0 vote with an amendment that allows homeschool students to participate in extracurricular activities in the school district they reside in and directs school boards to require a homeschooled student to enroll in no more and no less than five credit hours in any semester. The bill was amended into LB 705 with a package of Education bills and advanced through the first round of debate by the full legislature on May 2nd on a 39-0 vote. ​

Revokes public funding from any school that maintains separate bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex or that refers to students by their biological sex rather than gender identity.

The Education Committee held a hearing on February 14, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Prohibits puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender reassignment surgeries that remove healthy body parts and create irreversible harm for minors. LB 574 ensures children receive help not harm, treatment not transition, and protection not politics.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on February 8, 2023. The bill was advanced from committee on February 22 on a 4-2 vote and was designated as a priority bill by Senator Kauth. LB 574 advanced through the first round of debate by the full legislature on March 23rd on a vote of 33-16 and through the second round of debate on April 13th on a 33-16 vote.

After many conversations and negotiations, LB 574 was amended on May 16th to include a pro-life protection prohibiting abortion after 12 weeks gestation in addition to stopping gender-altering surgeries on children and requiring puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to be subjected to a rules and regulations process established by the state’s Chief Medical Officer. The amendment was approved on a 33-15 vote and passed through the final round of debate on May 19th. Governor Pillen signed LB 574 into law on May 22nd. 

Prohibits drag show performances in front of minors and those under 21 where alcohol is served.

The Judiciary Committee held a committee hearing on March 24, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

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

LB 169 was heard by the Judiciary Committee on March 1st, and the committee took no immediate action. LB 670 was heard by the Business and Labor Committee on February 13th, and the committee took no immediate action.

Violates the free-speech rights of counselors and engages in viewpoint discrimination by forcing counselors 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 Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on March 1, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Requires gender-neutral language on marriage licenses and certificates by replacing “Husband and Wife” with “Spouse 1 and Spouse 2.”

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on March 1, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Seeks to remove the definition of marriage as 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 March 1, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Creates the offense of digital grooming and prohibits using an electronic device or social media to knowingly and intentionally communicate with a child or a vulnerable adult with the intent to engage in sexual contact or receive a visual depiction of the child or vulnerable adult for purposes of sexual gratification or extortion.

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on March 23, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Expands gambling statewide by authorizing sports betting on all Nebraska colleges and university sports teams.

The General Affairs Committee held a hearing on February 13, 2023. The committee took no immediate action. 

Expands gambling statewide by authorizing digital keno wagering on cell phones.

The General Affairs Committee held a hearing on February 13, 2023. LB 232 was amended into LB 775 with a package of General Affairs bills on a 6-2 vote with new language placing a daily wagering limit on Keno of $200. LB 775 advanced through the first round of debate on March 16th on a 33-6 vote, through the second round on April 4th on a 44-1 vote, and through the final round on April 18th on a 46-0 vote with 2 “Present Not Voting.”

Loosens restrictions and expands the sale of lottery tickets by allowing tickets to be sold through 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 March March 13, 2023. The committee took no immediate action.