The Nebraska Catholic Conference is taking positions on around 50 legislative bills during the 2025 legislative session. Look below to learn more about the bills we are supporting or opposing, as well as the "why" behind our position. We will continue updating our testimonies as each bill comes up for a legislative hearing. You can also see our positions on bills in prior legislative sessions.
Nebraska 109th Legislature (2025-2026)
Life and Human Dignity
LB66: Adopt the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act
Introducer: Sen. Wendy DeBoer
Description: Replaces Nebraska’s existing laws that outline how a person may designate an agent to make health care decisions for them in the event of their incapacitation with a new set of laws that is less clear, more vulnerable to manipulation, and less protective of patients.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB67: Require Abortifacient Emergency Contraception
Introducer: Sen. Jane Raybould
Description: Forces all hospitals that provide treatment to women who have been victims of sexual assault, including Catholic hospitals, to offer and administer “emergency contraception.” Such “emergency contraception” has abortifacient capabilities and hospitals would be required to offer and administer it even if the hospital concludes that conception has probably already occurred.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB124: Harmonize Motor Vehicle Fetal Homicide Laws
Introducer: Sen. Rick Holdcroft
Description: Corrects a discrepancy in current law that unequally punishes a person who kills someone while driving under the influence of alcohol or on a revoked license based on whether the victim of the crime is born or not yet born. LB124 would make the punishment the same, regardless of the victim’s age.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB213: Require Fetal Development Curriculum
Introducer: Sen. Rick Holdcroft
Description: Directs the State Board of Education to develop science standards for students to learn about the development of the unborn child in utero using objective, longstanding, scientific materials.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB214: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Introducer: Sen. Rick Holdcroft
Description: Allows for the safe, anonymous surrender of an infant in a padded and climate-controlled “baby box” equipped with a silent alarm and located at a hospital or fire station that is staffed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB233: Mandate IVF Coverage in State-Sponsored Health Care Plans
Introducer: Sen. Danielle Conrad
Description: Requires that the State offer IVF coverage for state employees in its health care plans.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB512: Adopt the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol Act
Introducer: Sen. Rick Holdcroft
Description: LB512 would ensure that women and girls are protected from a profiteering abortion industry. It requires abortion facilities to screen women and girls up front for ectopic pregnancies, which if not identified could be life-threatening to the mother. It also requires a follow-up appointment to check for health complications and to begin compiling data about these complications.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB632: Provide Humane Disposition of Fetal Remains
Introducer: Sen. Ben Hansen
Description: Ensures that the remains of unborn children are treated with dignity by requiring individual burial or cremation instead of disposal as medical waste.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB669: Strengthen Informed Consent & Screening for Domestic Violence & Trafficking
Introducer: Sen. Tanya Storer
Description: Strengthens protections for women against forced abortions, domestic violence, and sex trafficking by requiring abortion facilities to screen women for these factors privately and ensuring women have an opportunity to make a confidential phone call if desired. Read our testimony here.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB655: Adopt Conscience Rights Protections for Health Care Professionals
Introducer: Sen. Dave Murman
Description: Prevents discrimination against health care professionals, health care institutions, and health care payors if they opt-out of a health care service or procedure based on conscience concerns (whether moral, ethical, or religious).
Status Read our testimony here.
Marriage, Family, & Human Sexuality
LB70: Allow Any Two People to Adopt
Introducer: Sen. Wendy DeBoer
Description: Allows any two people, regardless of their marital status or relationship to one another, to be eligible to legally adopt a child together.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB89: Adopt the Stand with Women Act
Introducer: Sen. Kathleen Kauth
Description: Provides protection for women and girls to keep their spaces private, safe, and exclusively for the female sex.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB157: Adopt the Child Tax Credit Act
Introducer: Sen. Danielle Conrad
Description: Creates a state income tax credit for families of $1,000 per child in their household, with a reduced credit for families who have higher levels of household income.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB172: Criminal Prohibition on Computer-Generated Child Pornography
Introducer: Sen. Brian Hardin
Description: Provides needed updates to the Child Pornography Prevention Act by including realistic computer-generated images as a type of “visual depiction” that can be recognized as a form of child pornography, and prosecuted as such.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB367: Ban Talk Therapy
Introducer: Sen. Megan Hunt
Description: Defines any therapy or counseling that helps a person deal with and reduce unwanted LGBT sexual attraction, sexual feelings, sexual actions, or “gender identity” as a deceptive trade practice and grounds for discipline or revocation of the therapist or counselor’s license to practice.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB368: Adopt Youth in Care Bill of Rights
Introducer: Sen. Megan Hunt
Description: Creates a list of 'rights' for children in foster care that would conflict with and undermine the wishes and rights of biological parents, guardians, or foster parents.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB383: Adopt the Parental Rights in Social Media Act
Introducer: Sen. Tanya Storer
Description: Ensures that new social media accounts cannot be made unless the user is at least 18 years old or receives parents' permission.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB504: Adopt the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act
Introducer: Sen. Carolyn Bosn
Description: Ensures that online platforms, such as social media, have safeguards, limitations, and greater parental control of children's accounts to reduce addictive behaviors. And requires default settings that greatly reduce the chances of addiction to platforms and manipulation of children by others online.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB605: Allow Boys in Girls' Sports (Withdrawn by Bill Sponsor)
Introducer: Sen. Jane Raybould
Status Read our testimony here.
LB709: Adopt the Adoption Tax Credit Act
Introducer: Sen. Eliot Bostar
Description: Creates the Nebraska Adoption Tax Credit program, and allows a refundable state income tax credit equal to 10% of the federal adoption tax credit, to help families who have adopted a child.
Status Read our testimony here.
LR5CA & LR6CA: Strike State Constitutional Protection of Marriage as between One Man & One Woman
Introducer: Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh
Description: Revokes Article I, Section 29 of the Nebraska Constitution which states that only marriages between one man and one woman are recognized by our Constitution.
Status Read our testimony here.
Education
LB131: Expand 529 Accounts for K-12 Tuition Expenses
Introducer: Sen. Tony Sorrentino
Description: Allows 529 education savings accounts to be used for K-12 tuition expenses, which has been an allowable use under federal law since 2017.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB306: Allow Alternative College-Level Entry Exams for Scholarships
Introducer: Sen. Dave Murman
Description: Allows alternative college-level entry exams, such as the Classical Learning Test, to qualify for state-sponsored college scholarships.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB411: Expand Teacher Recruitment & Retention Grants
Introducer: Sen. George Dungan
Description: Expands the state's teacher recruitment and retention grant program to allow all teachers to access these grants, instead of only providing them at certain points in a teacher's career.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB427: Create Educational Savings Accounts
Introducer: Sen. Bob Andersen
Description: Provides every student in Nebraska the opportunity to access a $1500 education savings account which can be used at a public or non-public school in Nebraska, in addition to other allowable educational expenses.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB481: Create the Foster Care Child Scholarships Act
Introducer: Sen. Beau Ballard
Description: Provides education scholarships to foster care children to assist them in selecting a school of their choice, with the goal of establishing educational stability and helping them flourish as a human person.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB509: Adopt the Scholarship Tax Credit Act
Introducer: Sen. Tony Sorrentino
Description: Provides increased scholarship opportunities for students, particularly low-income students, wanting to attend non-public schools by providing a state income tax credit to taxpayers who make contributions to non-profit scholarship granting organizations.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB557: Scholarship Funding for Option Enrollment Denials
Introducer: Sen. Christy Armendariz
Description: Provides students who are denied option enrollment by public schools a scholarship of $2500 which can be used at an approved or accredited non-public school of their choice.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB624: Appropriate State Funds for School Choice Scholarships
Introducer: Sen. Rob Dover
Description: Provides $20 million in the upcoming biennial budget for education scholarships for low-income and at-risk students.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB631: Funding for School Emergency Response Mapping
Introducer: Sen. Ben Hansen
Description: Provides an additional $4 million in funding for public and non-public schools to develop school emergency response mapping that can be used by first responders.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB633: Create Nebraska Option Enrollment Scholarship Fund
Introducer: Sen. Ben Hansen
Description: Provides students who are denied option enrollment by public schools a scholarship equal to the amount of option enrollment funding received by public school students (approximately $11,000) which can be used at an approved or accredited non-public school of their choice.
Status Read our testimony here.
Social and Human Development
LB46: Authorize Restaurant Meals Program under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Introducer: Sen. Terrell McKinney
Description: Expands the state's food assistance program to allow benefits received by those experiencing poverty to use these benefits to purchase prepared meals at a reduced price at qualified restaurants. This expansion would be most impactful to the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless, as they often have difficulties preparing meals.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB78: Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence & Trafficking
Introducer: Sen. Eliot Bostar
Description: Creates grant funding to non-profit agencies that provide services to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, to specifically provide more housing opportunities and assistance.
Status Read our testimony here. And also here.
LB153: Post-Partum Health Care Coverage for Mothers
Introducer: Sen. Dunixi Guereca
Description: Provides post-partum health care coverage for up to one year for mothers who are undocumented.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB181: Provide Young Adult Bridge to Independence Services for Immigrants
Introducer: Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh
Description: Allows undocumented immigrants who have been in the foster care system to gain eligibility for the state's Bridge to Independence program which provides case management, health care, and financial assistance to young adults transitioning from the child welfare system to independent living.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB192: Maintain Income Eligibility Standards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Introducer: Sen. Dan Quick
Description: Eliminates a sunset on eligibility for the state's food assistance program, which would allow the program's eligibility to remain at 165% of the federal poverty level to obtain food assistance benefits.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB299: Provides Public Employment Benefits to Work-Authorized Immigrants
Introducer: Sen. Teresa Ibach
Description: Extends several important public employment benefits to immigrants who have legal federal work-authorization. These benefits include access to unemployment insurance which their employers pay into, retirement, education scholarships, and deferred compensation.
Status Read our testimony here. ***Note: LB299 was substantially amended after introduction and prioritization due to the original legislation being unable to move forward because of issues with federal labor and employment law.
LB301: Allow Work-Authorized Immigrants to Train & Serve as Law Enforcement Officers
Introducer: Sen. Teresa Ibach
Description: Allows certain work-authorized immigrants to become trained and certified law enforcement officers, and receive employment and benefits for their work.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB319: Food Access for Former Felons
Introducer: Sen. Victor Rountree
Description: Eliminates a ban against former drug felons from accessing food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Status Read our testimony here.
LB320: Mandate Signage and Training to Combat Human Trafficking
Introducer: Sen. Rita Sanders
Description: Provides for training of hotel employees to combat human trafficking by recognizing and identitying the signs of human trafficking.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB432: Allow Death Penalty through Nitrogen Hypoxia
Introducer: Sen. Loren Lippincott
Description: Creates another method for using the death penalty by allowing to the use of nitrogen hypoxia.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB462: Changes to Child Abuse & Neglect Reporting
Introducer: Sen. Terrell McKinney
Description: Eliminates the state's universal mandatory reporter requirement for reporting child abuse and neglect and replaces it with a list of specific professionals as mandatory reporters.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB505: Increased Funding for Food Assistance
Introducer: Sen. Jason Prokop
Description: Provides $10 million in grant funding to non-profit organizations to help address food insecurity throughout the state.
Status Read our testimony here.
LB710: Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit
Introducer: Sen. Eliot Bostar
Description: Increases the state's earned income tax credit from 10% to 20% of the federal earned income tax credit, to provide increased tax relief and self-sufficiency for Nebraska's working poor.
Status Read our testimony here.
LR15CA: Abolish the Death Penalty
Introducer: Sen. Terrell McKinney
Description: Allows the voters of Nebraska to vote on a constitutional amendment to eliminate the death penalty.
Status Read our testimony here.
LR20CA: Expanded Online Sports Gambling
Introducer: Sen. Eliot Bostar
Description: Allows the voters of Nebraska to vote on a constitutional amendment to expand online sports gambling beyond the confines of a casino.
Status Read our testimony here.
