By: Stephanie Rouse, AICP

The 2025 Nebraska legislative session came to an end on June 9, with a total of 106 priority bills introduced. According to the Nebraska Examiner "Lumping together priority bills and all other measures passed this year, a total of 136 bills had passed the Legislature and another 34 more were one step away from passage heading into the final 10 days. These totals would be higher if they separated out the number of bills that have been packaged together.”  

Drilling down to just the bills that impact the planning profession, the Legislative Committee tracked 51 bills ranging from bike share to workforce housing. Most bills fell into a neutral or supportive category, but three were marked to track closely for negative impacts. This included LB36, 575, and 637 and only the first passed. LB36 would provide for notification of certain regulations and permits to controlling entities by counties, cities, and villages under the Wellhead Protection Area Act. The concern was how this notice requirement would impact building and zoning permitting process which our letter to the Revenue Committee reflected. 

LB575 changed provisions related to the Property Tax Request Act and property tax levy limits but did not make it out of committee. Last, LB637 would allow a developer to pull development out of city jurisdiction and not abide by local zoning, permitting, and other processes, treating them as a village. This bill also stalled in committee. 

Bills that passed include: 

• • LB7 clean up clarifying the term state relating to real estate and the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act 

• • LB36 as previously noted 

• • LB90 changing provisions relating to improvement districts in cities of the first class 

• • LB116 Change provisions of the Convention Center Facility Financing Assistance Act and the Nebraska Visitors Development Act 

• • LB240 Changing notice provisions under the Community Development Law from August 1 to July 1 

• • LB288 redefining terms and changing provisions relating to grant funding under the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act 

• • LB355 changing provisions relating to census data used for certain tax and economic development programs 

• • LB364 changing provisions relating to legislative approval of an indication of intent to incorporate land into the state park system 

• The Legislative Committee wrote 8 letters and testified in support of one bill, LB23, which would have established funding for a state bike share grant program. The Committee also wrote weekly emails and social media posts tracking progress on the bills that could impact the profession. Last, a happy hour was scheduled with legislators invited to attend and discuss with planners how we can be more engaged in the legislative process. 

Looking ahead, while the session has ended, the summer is just the start for dozens of legislative reports and additional opportunities for Nebraska planners to impact future legislation. This includes: 

• • LR 86: to identify and examine the state of affordable and accessible housing in Nebraska 

• • LR 126: to examine the impact of certain tax incentive programs currently in effect in Nebraska 

• • LR 146: to examine the intersection of tax increment financing and affordable housing within the State of Nebraska 

• • LR 147: to examine land banks under the Nebraska Municipal Land Bank Act 

• • LR 149: to explore methods for providing hearing notices for municipalities 

• • LR 157: to examine and monitor issues relating to broadband and broadband deployment in Nebraska 

• • LR 173: to investigate the financial and structural barriers impeding Nebraskans from attaining homeownership 

• • LR 201: to examine the rates, revenues, and uses of the documentary stamp tax 

• • LR 240: to examine how the Legislature can take a more coordinated, proactive, and intentional policy role in shaping economic development and innovation across Nebraska since the Covid-19 pandemic 

• • LR251: to examine the adequacy and accessibility of transportation options for people with disabilities in Nebraska 

• • LR 234: to examine the impact of the net-zero plans and goals of public power utilities 

The Legislative Committee is committed to keeping Nebraska Planners up to date on legislative impacts to the profession. If you want to get involved or just make the committee aware of a particular piece of legislation, please reach out to apanebraska@gmail.com.