Past Legislation
2021 Legislation
Life and Human Dignity
LB20 (Sen. Carol Blood): Expanded Contraception for Low-Income families
Description: Mandates that all health insurance plans in Nebraska, including private and self-insured plans offered by employers, provide free or low-cost hormonal contraceptives to their employees and/or subscribers.
Status: Placed on General File on March 11, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB67 (Sen. Jen Day): Contraception in School-Based Health Centers
Description: Lifts restriction for school-based health centers to provide access to contraceptive services to school children.
Status: Hearing held on February 18, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB120 (Sen. Megan Hunt): SOGI & Employment, Housing, and Public Accommodations
Description: Creates special protections for ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ in the contexts of housing, public accommodations, and employment law.
Status: Hearing held on February 26, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB167 (Sen. Suzanne Geist): Religion Is Essential Act
Description: Prohibits government from infringing on the religious liberty of churches and other religious organizations during a state of emergency, unless the government can prove a compelling interest that is equally applied to all organizations and businesses.
Status: Hearing held on February 26, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB183 (Sen. Megan Hunt): Abortifacient Emergency Contraception & Hospitals
Description: Requires all hospitals—regardless of their sincerely held moral or religious views about human life—to dispense abortifacient emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault.
Status: Hearing held on February 19, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB230 (Sen. Megan Hunt): SOGI & Public Accommodations and Housing
Description: Creates special protections for ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ in statewide public accommodations law and statewide housing laws, which would require the state to discriminate against those who have traditional moral or religious views about marriage and human sexuality
Status: Hearing held on February 26, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB231 (Sen. Megan Hunt): Ban on Talk Therapy for Children
Description: Prohibits children from seeking certain forms of therapy (e.g., talk therapy, faith-based counseling, spiritual direction) when grappling with same-sex attraction and gender identity issues.
Status: Hearing held on February 26, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB251 (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh): Organ Donation Consent by Minors
Description: Changes the age of consent for minor child to choose to be an organ donor from age 16 to age 14.
Status: Placed on General File on February 19, 2021.
NCC Position: Neutral Read our testimony here.
LB276 (Sen. Megan Hunt): Eliminate Physician Presence Requirement for Abortion
Description: Repeals the requirement that an abortionist to be physically present when performing an abortion, which would allow, for example, the abortion pill to be distributed via the mail or webcam.
Status: Hearing scheduled for March 12, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose
LB447 (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh): Religious Exemption & Mandatory Vaccinations for Child Care Facilities
Description: Eliminates a religious exemption from the compulsory vaccination requirement of children in child care facilities which includes Catholic early childhood education centers and child care centers. Note: Because of an AM to reinstate the religious exemption, the NCC adjusted its position from "oppose" to "neutral".
Status: Hearing held on February 4, 2021.
NCC Position: Neutral
LB597 (Sen. Joni Albrecht): Stillbirth Tax Credit
Description: Provides a $2000 refundable tax credit for parents who experience the stillbirth of an unborn child who has reached at least 20 weeks gestational age.
Status: Amended into LB432, which was placed on Final Reading on May 18, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
Education
LB5 (Sen. Carol Blood): Purple Star Schools Act
Description: Recognizes K-12 schools which have military friendly programming and resources as a Purple Star School
Status: Approved by the Governor on April 16, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB322 (Sen. Matt Williams): School Safety & Security Reporting System Act
Description: Creates a statewide, anonymous reporting system for students, school officials, parents, and other community members to report safety and security concerns.
Status: Presented to the Governor on May 19, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB327 (Sen. Julie Slama): Financial Literacy Curriculum Mandate
Description: Requires all schools to provide a financial literacy course to high school students, which is already provided for in an authentically Catholic way without a government mandate.
Status: Hearing held on February 1, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB351 (Sen. Lou Ann Linehan): “Step Up to Quality” Rating for Early Childhood Education Centers
Description: Allows licensed child care providers—such as early childhood education centers—in good standing to maintain their Step Up to Quality rating if they alter their license.
Status: Approved by Governor on April 7, 2021!
NCC Position: Support
LB364 (Sen. Lou Ann Linehan): Opportunity Scholarships Act
Description: Provides more scholarship opportunities for low-income and working-class children to attend a private school of their choice.
Status: Failed to overcome a filibuster on April 28, 2021. See vote
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB389 (Sen. Rita Sanders): Teaching Certificates for Military Spouses
Description: Provides teacher certificate reciprocity in state statute for spouses for military members.
Status: Approved by Governor on March 31, 2021!
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB396 (Sen. Tom Brandt): Farm-to-School Program
Description: Provides an avenue for all schools to purchase locally and regionally produced or processed foods for school meal programs, with the intended goals of providing healthier food options, investing in local economies, and connecting children to the agricultural sector.
Status: Presented to Governor on May 20, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB529 (Sen. Lynne Walz): Lottery Fund Reallocation & Education Programs
Description: Reallocates state lottery funds that support a variety of education programs such as the Excellence in Teaching Cash Fund and the Access College Early (ACE Scholarship Cash Fund which assist Catholic school students and teachers.\
Status: Failed to overcome a filibuster on May 18, 2021. See vote
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB681 (Sen. Lou Ann Linehan): Educational Savings Accounts for K-12 Expenses
Description: Helps families of students in non-public schools save for tuition expenses by expanding the pre-existing college savings (529) accounts to be used for K-12 tuition expenses.
Status: Indefinitely postponed on April 13, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
Marriage and Family
LB97 (Sen. Wendy DeBoer): Allow Any Two People to Adopt
Description: Allows for any two people to jointly adopt a minor child.
Status: Placed on General File on February 16, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB229 (Sen. Megan Hunt): Gender Identity & Criminal Offenses
Description: Seeks to define ‘gender identity’ into state statute for the first time by amending state law governing hate crimes.
Status: Hearing held on February 24, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB321 (Sen. John Cavanaugh): SOGI & Evidentiary Prohibitions
Description: Creates special protections for ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ when courts and juries consider certain types of evidence in legal proceedings.
Status: Hearing held on February 26, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB357 (Sen. Megan Hunt): Youth in Care Bill of Rights
Description: Attempts to centralize all alleged rights owed to children, but instead undermines the rights of parents, inserts problematic sexual orientation and gender identity non-discrimination language, and arguably expands access to abortion for minors.
Status: Placed on General File on March 12, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LB517 (Sen. Megan Hunt): Change Sex on Birth Certificate & Gender Neutrality on Driver’s Licenses
Description: Creates easier processes for a person suffering from gender dysphoria to change the sex on their birth certificate and adds a third gender—gender neutral—on state operator’s licenses and identification cards.
Status: Hearing held on February 26, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
LR20CA (Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks): Eliminate Marriage Amendment
Description: Proposes a ballot referendum for the voters to remove the state constitution’s marriage amendment which defines marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman.
Status: Placed on General File on February 16, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
Social and Human Development
LB34 (Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks): Death Penalty Repeal for Persons under 21 Years of Age
Description: Eliminates the death penalty as a criminal punishment for anybody under 21 years of age.
Status: Hearing held on February 17, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB108 (Sen. John McCollister): Poverty Threshold for Food Assistance Eligibility
Description: Increases the income eligibility to apply for the federal food assistance program (SNAP) from 130% federal poverty level to 165% federal poverty level.
Status: Presented to Governor on May 20, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB121 (Sen. Megan Hunt) Food Assistance for Former Felons
Description: Amends provisions related to eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and expands the ability for former drug felons to receive food assistance.
Status: Placed on General File on March 9, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB138 (Sen. Tony Vargas): Notifications & Enforcement of Immigration Laws
Description: Requires law enforcement to notify the governing body overseeing them about any agreements to enforce federal immigration law and further requires the governing body to provide for public notice and hearing regarding the immigration enforcement agreement.
Status: Hearing held on February 3, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB298 (Sen. Mike McDonnell): Unemployment Insurance Benefits for Immigrants
Description: Ensures that legally work-authorized immigrants—such as asylum seekers, persons with temporary protected status, and DACA recipients—can access unemployment insurance benefits which they have earned.
Status: Placed on Select File on May 18, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB306 (Sen. Tom Brandt): Poverty Threshold for Energy Assistance
Description: Increases the income eligibility for the federal energy assistance program (LIHEAP) from 135% federal poverty level to 150% federal poverty level, and requires that 10% of funds be used for weatherization efforts.
Status: Presented to Governor on May 20, 2021.
NCC Position: Support
LB318 (Sen. John Cavanaugh) Increase Earned Income Tax Credit
Description: Phases in an increase to the refundable earned income tax credit which is provided to low-income and working-class persons and families.
Status: Indefinitely postponed on February 23, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB461 (Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks): Human Trafficking Information Posters & Casinos
Descriptions: In order to combat the evil of human trafficking, adds ‘casinos’ to the list of places where human trafficking information posters must be visibly placed.
Status: Approved by the Governor on April 16, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
Church as Institution
LB139 (Sen. Tom Briese): COVID-19 Liability Protection Act
Description: Enacts targeted liability protections for non-profit religious organizations and educational institutions, among others, which have acted in accord with public health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Status: Presented to Governor on May 20, 2021.
NCC Position: Support Read our testimony here.
LB226 (Sen. Robert Hilkemann): Limit Motor Vehicle Tax Exemptions
Description: Limits the amount that can be exempted on motor vehicles taxes for non-profits religious, educational, and cemetery associations, with the consequence of placing an undue burden on motor vehicles that cost more money to purchase (e.g., school buses, large passenger vans, maintenance trucks).
Status: Hearing held on February 1, 2021.
NCC Position: Oppose Read our testimony here.
