Session Review 2021 the 107TH NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE FIRST SESSION Volume XLIV, No
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Unicameral Update Session Review 2021 THE 107TH NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE FIRST SESSION Volume XLIV, No. 21 2021 Session Review Contents Agriculture .......................................................................................... 1 Appropriations .................................................................................... 2 Banking, Commerce and Insurance .................................................. 4 Business and Labor ........................................................................... 6 Education ............................................................................................ 8 Executive Board ............................................................................... 13 General Affairs .................................................................................. 14 Government, Military and Veterans Affairs ...................................... 16 Health and Human Services ............................................................ 18 Judiciary ........................................................................................... 20 Natural Resources ............................................................................ 24 Nebraska Retirement Systems ........................................................ 26 Redistricting ..................................................................................... 27 Revenue ............................................................................................ 28 Transportation and Telecommunications ........................................ 33 Urban Affairs ..................................................................................... 35 Bill Status .......................................................................................... 37 Legislative Glossary ......................................................................... 58 Senator Contact Info ........................................................................ 60 Legislative Resources ...................................................................... 61 About the Unicameral Update ......................................................... 61 Published June 2021 Unicameral Information Office Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature P.O. Box 94604 Lincoln, NE 68509 402-471-2788 NebraskaLegislature.gov UNICAMERAL UPDATE • INTERIM 2021 • 107TH LEGISLATURE • FIRST SESSION The new fee schedule takes effect Oct. 1, 2021, and ends June 30, 2023. LB572 also increases fees for new brand applications and brand renewals and authorizes the committee to charge for actual mileage incurred by an inspector to perform a physical inspection. Additionally, the bill requires the committee to pro- vide a certified bill of sale and a certified transportation permit to qualified dairies that sell or move calves under 30 days of age out of the brand inspection area. Dairies first must provide required information electronically to the committee. LB572 also makes violations of several Livestock Brand Act provisions infractions enforceable by citation. The bill makes it a Class III felony to willfully or knowingly apply, remove, damage or alter an approved nonvisual identifier — or corrupt the information recorded on an identifier — if it is done to steal or falsely assert ownership of livestock. Finally, the bill makes Nebraska Brand Committee appointments subject to confirmation by the Legislature. Introduced by Plymouth Sen. Tom Brandt and passed 48-0, LB324 allows the acquisition of meat through an animal share — an ownership interest in an animal or herd of animals created by a written contract between a consumer and a farmer or rancher — under certain conditions. Among other requirements, the Sen. Tom Brandt Sen. Steve Halloran, chairperson of the Agriculture Committee animal share owner, or someone acting on their behalf, must receive the meat, and the farmer or he Agriculture Committee this session advanced rancher must provide the consumer with a description of proposals to update the Livestock Brand Act and their livestock health and processing standards. T allow farmers and ranchers to offer livestock owner- A farmer or rancher who offers an animal share must be ship shares to customers. a Nebraska resident and maintain a record of each animal Under LB572, introduced by Sen. Steve Halloran of share sold. The name and address of each individual with Hastings, the Nebraska Brand Committee may provide an ownership interest in the particular livestock must be for electronic inspection of enrolled cattle identified by presented to the processor prior to slaughter. certain approved nonvisual identifiers, including electronic LB324 also creates an independent processor assistance devices, nose prints, retinal scans or DNA matches. program that, if funds are made available, will provide The bill, passed on a vote of 47-1, creates an electronic funding to certain federally inspected, state inspected or inspection fee of no more than 85 cents per head and low- custom-exempt slaughter and processing facilities in Ne- ers the physical brand inspection fee to the same amount. braska that employ fewer than 25 people. g FIRST SESSION • 107TH LEGISLATURE • INTERIM 2021 • UNICAMERAL UPDATE • PAGE 1 government for the next two fiscal years. The bill was introduced by Speaker Mike Hilgers on behalf of Gov. Pete Ricketts and contains provisions of several other bills, including: • LB141, sponsored by Gering Sen. John Stinner, which appropriates $7.5 million in fiscal year 2022- 23 to the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney; • LB391, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar, which appro- priates $2.5 million in FY2021- 22 to the Customized Job Train- ing Cash Fund; • LB493, Sen. Eliot Bostar sponsored by Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, which appropriates $1 million in each fiscal year of the biennium to the state’s developmental dis- ability wait Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh list; and • LB585, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas, which appro- priates $1.5 million in FY2021-22 and $3 million in FY2022-23 to local public health departments. The bill passed on a 47-0 vote and Sen. Tony Vargas Sen. John Stinner, chairperson of the Appropriations Committee took effect immediately. awmakers approved the state’s $9.7 billion budget LB384, approved 41-0, transfers funds and changes the package this session. permitted use of a fund. The bill includes provisions of The package includes a number of appropriations LB588, introduced by Stinner, that extend existing appro- L priations for deferred maintenance under the University and transfers to address the state’s prison overcrowding situation, including $100 million in general funds to the of Nebraska Facilities Program until 2062 and the State Nebraska Capital Construction Fund, to be available for College Facilities Program until 2040. the Legislature to appropriate for a new state prison should Additional budget measures approved were: one be deemed necessary in the future. • LB379, passed 47-0, which adjusts funding for state It also appropriates $14.9 million to fund the prepara- operations, aid and construction programs in the tion of designs for a possible new facility, including site current fiscal year; selection and an option to purchase, as well as completion • LB381, passed 46-0, which provides for the $12,000 of an independent engineering study regarding the useful annual salaries of Nebraska’s 49 state senators; life of the current Nebraska State Penitentiary. • LB382, passed 46-0, which funds salaries and ben- The package provides $15 million to the Prison efits for judges and constitutional officers; Overcrowding Contingency Fund and • LB383, passed 38-2, which appropriates funds for $200,000 to contract with the Univer- capital construction; sity of Nebraska to study inmate clas- • LB385, passed 44-0, which makes a number of sification within the state Department fund transfers to and from the state’s Cash Reserve of Correctional Services. Fund; and Among the budget components • LB666, passed 45-0, which provides for payment passed this year was LB380, the main- of claims against the state and agency write-offs for uncollectible debts. line budget bill, which funds state Sen. Mike Hilgers PAGE 2 • UNICAMERAL UPDATE • INTERIM 2021 • 107TH LEGISLATURE • FIRST SESSION Lawmakers also approved a bill that provides state to the Fred LeRoy Health and Wellness Center in Omaha. general funds to counties to pay certain federal judgments. A proposal introduced to appropriate funds to the LB103, sponsored by Sen. Myron Nebraska Department of Transportation to speed work Dorn of Adams, appropriates $2 mil- on the state’s expressway system was narrowed to become lion in general funds in FY2021-22 a reporting requirement before being passed by lawmakers. and FY2022-23 to any county that has LB579, as introduced by Columbus Sen. Mike Moser, a judgment against it from a federal would have appropriated $70 million court of more than $25 million if the in general funds to NDOT to offset total cost of the judgment exceeds 20 dollars spent to repair highways, roads percent of the county’s annual budget. Sen. Myron Dorn and bridges damaged during flooding An eligible county must set its property tax levy at the in 2019. maximum for each year that it receives aid under the bill An amendment adopted on gen- and any state funds received may be used only for payment eral file removed the funding provision of a qualifying judgment. and the bill instead requires the state Sen. Mike Moser LB103 passed on a 44-3 vote and took effect immediately. Department