Recap of a productive 2023 Legislature
Friends and neighbors of Legislative District 44:
Now that the 108th Legislature, First Session has adjourned for the year, I’d like to recap legislation that I introduced this previous year and where these legislative measures currently stand in the legislative process.
LB 218 will appropriate $6 million dollars to the Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Species Assistance Fund. As water resources become more scare, it is important to protect what we have. LB 218 provides greater funding for ridding our waterways of invasive plant species. LB 218 was originally amended into LB 116, but due to the filibuster, LB 218 was not enacted into law this year and will carry over to next year.
LB 219 directly affects our rural hospitals. Currently, when a critical access hospital provides care to a Medicaid patient, they receive a per-diem from the State which covers approximately 50% of the cost, and then the hospital waits 18 – 24 months for the full payment. LB 219 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adjust this per-diem rate every two years to ensure that our rural hospitals receive more of the costs owed to them when the services are delivered. LB 219 was amended into LB 227 and will become law when the Governor formally signs the bill.
LB 220 mandates the Board of Pardons to notify victims of violent crimes when their aggressor is to appear before the Pardons Board and if a pardon has been granted. LB 220 was necessary to ensure constitutional rights of Nebraskans are provided when they are victims of crimes. LB 220 was amended into LB 50 and will become law when the Governor formally signs the bill.
LB 221 redefines the term “salary” under the First-Class City Retirement Plan for firefighters to mirror the definition of “salary” under the First-Class City Retirement plan for police officers. While there are no first-class cities in LD 44, as a member of the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee, this issue was brought to me and I introduced legislation to remedy this inconsistent language between the two plans. LB 221 will carry over to next year as negotiations are ongoing.
LB 660 was introduced to continue funding for the Rural Practice Loan Repayment Assistance Program at an amount of $150,000 per year. This program is aimed at ensuring students who graduate from law school with sometimes considerable debt are provided an opportunity and incentive to locate in rural Nebraska. Provisions of LB 660 were included in the State’s budget so this critical program will continue to assist those who wish to practice law in rural Nebraska.
LB 661 creates a grant program under the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to applicants around the state who propose innovative projects for improving access to food while at the same time improving the resilience of the food supply chain. There are currently ten counties in Nebraska which do not have a grocery store. This bill seeks to help fill voids in our rural communities to reduce the number of food deserts. LB 661 remains in committee and will be carried over to next year.
This session, I prioritized LB 249, introduced by Senator Tom Briese, which updates the Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act. Due to the filibuster, LB 249 was ultimately amended into LB 191. Due to fiscal constraints, LB 249 did not include additional funding for the Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act, but does allow housing projects that receive federal or state low-income housing tax credits, community development block grants, HOME funds, funds from the National Housing Trust Fund, or funds from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to qualify for Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act grants. The amended LB 239 also expands the scope of eligible activities to include extension of sewer or water service in support of workforce housing. LB 191 was adopted by the Legislature and signed into law on May 26.
As always, if I can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My e-mail address is tibach@leg.ne.gov, and the office phone number is 402-471-2805. Tyler and Julie are always available to assist you with your needs. If I am not immediately available, please do not hesitate to work with them to address any issues that you may need assistance.