Advocacy News 2026Feb18

Advocacy Update

We are quickly approaching the end of public hearings and the beginning of full day debate at the legislature. This means that senators and committees are in the process of designating priority bills. Priority bills are the Legislature’s way of prioritizing where to spend their debate time—think of it as a fast pass for bills. Getting your bill to the front of the line requires you to pick a specific issue that you would like to see moved forward.  February 19th is the last day for Senators and Committees to designate their priorities. Each of the 49 senators is able to pick one bill as their individual priority, and  each committee can select up to two bills. In addition to this, the Speaker of the Legislature is also able to choose up to 25 bills as his priority. From there, it is up to the Speaker of the Legislature to schedule bills for debate, so using your “fast pass” does not necessarily mean that your bill will make it through the congestion that is involved in a short session.

Non-priority bills might be heard earlier if they are deemed urgent or if the introducer and Speaker agree to a specific arrangement; although, this is rare, as non-priority bills often do not get debated at all.  General appropriations bills (budget bills) are given precedence over all other bills.

To that end, below you will find a list of the priority bills that could impact our provider members. This form will be updated as priority selections are made. 

Priority Bills Impacting LeadingAge Nebraska Members

LB958  (M. Cavanaugh)

• Provide a requirement for the Department of Health and Human Services relating to 1915(c) waivers and define nursing facility level of care under the Medical Assistance Act
• Priority: Senator M. Cavanaugh
• Stance:  Support

LB1143  (Hardin)

• Eliminates the designation of appropriation of nursing facility funding by the legislature and allows the state to move appropriated funds to establish a Money Follows the Person program under the Medical Assistance Act. 
• Priority: Senator Hardin
• Stance:  Oppose

LB1165  (von Gillern)

• Change provisions relating to the Key Employer and Jobs Retention Act, the ImagiNE Nebraska Act, and the Site and Building Development Act and create a grant program to help employers retain or attract employees.
• Priority: Senator von Gillern
• Stance:  Support

LB838  (Jacobson)

• Change provisions relating to the financial exploitation of vulnerable or senior adults
• Priority: Banking, Commerce & Insurance Committee
• Stance:  Support

LB912 (Hardin)

• Adopt the Community Health Worker Training Endorsement Act.
• Priority:  HHS Committee
• Stance:  Support

LB867 (Health and Human Services Committee)

• This bill changes and eliminates programs involving special need trusts, spousal impoverishment, child support customer service, child care grants, AABD (aged, blind and disabled), the state Commodity Supplemental Food program, and others. It specifically eliminates the designation of assets for or use of income by an individual in accordance with section 68-922 to be considered just cause for failure to use such assets or income to provide medical support of such individual’s spouse and eliminates the ability to establish a pooled special needs trust. In addition, this bill changes provisions relating to fingerprints in compacts, and tribal age of majority provisions in the Bridge to Independence Program, and eliminates obsolete provisions relating to the Nursing Compact.
• Priority:  Health and Human Services Committee
• Stance:  Oppose