The 2024 Nebraska Legislative session wrapped up last week, and we are pleased with many of the advances in health and research policy stemming from the work of state senators.
We continue to be grateful to Sen. Brad von Gillern for introducing LB 1172, a bill designed to address challenges cancer researchers face accessing data in the state’s cancer registry. Through his leadership, Sen. von Gillern brought together cancer researchers and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to work through these challenges, and efforts are now underway to address some of the barriers without legislation. Sen. von Gillern also introduced an interim study, LR 377, to look at broader issues with access to public health data by researchers in hopes of finding ways to clean up our state laws governing different types of data requests by researchers.
As for the other bills we took action on this session, here is how they played out:
LB 857 (Dungan) – Support letter – Creates the Nebraska Prenatal Plus Program – PASSED unanimously
LB 913 (Hunt) – Support letter – Require a state plan amendment for postpartum coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program – On General File, did not pass
LB 1023 (von Gillern) – Support – Provide income tax deductions for certain research or experimental expenditures – PASSED
LB 1060 (Hansen) – Opposition letter– Exemption for newborn screenings – Did not advance out of committee
LB 1064 (Lippincott) – Opposition letter – Prohibit tenure at public institutions – Did not advance out of committee
LB 1184 (Bostar) – Support – Adopt the Reverse Osmosis System Tax Credit Act – Did not advance out of committee
LB 1330 (Murman) – Oppose letter – Prohibit public institutions from having certain diversity, equity, and inclusion programming – Did not advance out of committee
LB 1368 (Ibach) – Support letter– Adopt the Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Act – PASSED unanimously
In addition to Nebraska Cures’ legislative agenda, Executive Director Amanda McGill Johnson serves as the co-chair of the mental/behavioral health workgroup of a coalition of nonprofit organizations. The following were priorities followed by this group that passed:
LB 929 (Fredrickson) – Provide for coordination of the 911 service system and the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline
LB 930 (Fredrickson) – Adds YRTCs to partnership for students becoming behavioral health professionals
LB 932 (Fredrickson) – Change provisions relating to provisional mental health practitioner licenses that will allow for a smoother transition for graduating students becoming licensed professionals.
LB 1029 (Conrad) – Clarifies that mental illness is an excusable illness to miss school.
Session may be over, but we are already thinking about legislation for 2025. If you have thoughts on legislation in the areas of medical research, climate and health, maternal/child health, or mental/behavioral health, don’t hesitate to reach out to Amanda at amanda@nebraskacures.com.