The Nebraska legislative session wrapped up today, capping off a challenging few months as state senators worked to close a significant budget deficit. Unfortunately, those difficult decisions included a reduction in biomedical research funding. While we were able to successfully advocate against eliminating this funding entirely, the final budget includes a $5 million cut.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting and growing investment in biomedical research. We are especially grateful to State Senator Robert Dover for introducing LR 399 on our behalf—an interim study examining the impact of biomedical research investments in Nebraska. We look forward to partnering with him to highlight the critical economic and health benefits this funding delivers to our state.

Following the May 12 primary, we will also be engaging with legislative candidates to continue advancing the case for strong, sustained investment in research.

Here is a look at where the other bills we were following ended up:

Full Nebraska Cures Legislative Agenda

LB 755, LB 804, LB 816 – Support – All three bills have the goals of expanding access to peer support for first responders by providing confidentiality. – LB 816 passed

LB 724 (Quick) – Support – Require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a cost study of behavioral health care rates – Did not advance

LB 773 (Dungan) – Support – Eliminate a sunset date and change provisions of the Nebraska Prenatal Plus Program – Amended into LB 958 and passed

LB 860 (Bostar) – Monitor – Require the Department of Health and Human Services to create a program to provide behavioral health care services to individuals under twenty-one years of age – Did not advance

LB 912 (Hardin) – Support – Adopt the Community Health Worker Training Endorsement Act – Passed

LB 939 (Murman) – Monitor – Seeks to create protections for minors interacting with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots with humanlike features – Did not advance

LB 1025 (Bosn) – Monitor – Creates a tax on certain social media platform businesses and created a youth mental health fund. – Did not advance

LB 1229 (Strommen ) – Monitor – Creates the Rural Health Transformation Fund – Elements included in budget bill