Bill
LB 29
Nebraska agencies must review all existing and pending rules every three years starting 2026, filing reports on necessity, costs, effectiveness, and alternatives.
Overview
- Purpose: Establish a formal, periodic review process for all Nebraska state agency rules and regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act. The goal is to assess necessity, costs and benefits, effectiveness, and alternatives, and to clarify whether rules are tied to statutory, federal, or court mandates.
- Status: Provisions/portions of LB29 were amended into LB660 by AM1008. LB29 as a stand-alone bill is no longer active in its original form; the substantive concepts are incorporated in LB660.
Key Provisions
- New review obligation
- Beginning January 1, 2026, each state agency must review all existing and pending rules and regulations, with a new cycle every three years.
- Each agency head must designate a single individual responsible for overseeing the review process.
- Reporting requirements
- Agencies must electronically submit a detailed report (with supporting documents) to the Clerk of the Legislature by June 30 of the review year.
- Reports must assess:
- Whether the rule/regulation is essential to health, safety, or welfare of the public.
- Costs versus benefits.
- Whether the agency has an effective process to measure rule/regulation effectiveness.
- Whether a less restrictive alternative has been considered.
- Whether the rule/regulation was prompted by state statutory requirements, federal mandates, or court mandates.
- Legislative oversight and action
- After reports are received, the Reference Committee will assign each report to the appropriate standing committee based on jurisdiction.
- Standing committees must review and report to the Clerk by December 15 of the review year, including recommendations for legislation or clarifications if needed.
- Suspension during review
- Agency rulemaking and regulation activities are suspended during the pendency of the review, with exceptions for rules affecting health, safety, or welfare; time-sensitive rules; or deadlines mandated by state or federal law.
- Administrative/technical changes
- The act would amend the relevant sections of the Administrative Procedure Act (84-920 et al.) and harmonize provisions; original 84-920 language would be repealed and reissued as part of the revised framework.
Who is Affected
- All Nebraska state agencies and their rulemaking processes.
- Agency heads (must designate oversight).
- The Legislature’s Reference Committee and standing committees (receiving and acting on reports).
- The Clerk of the Legislature (receives electronic reports and forwards recommendations).
Timeline and Procedural Details
- Introductory actions: January 9, 2025 (introduction); January 13, 2025 (referred to committee); February 12, 2025 (hearing).
- First required review window: January 1, 2026.
- Reporting deadline: June 30 in the review year.
- Legislative review deadline: December 15 in the review year.
- Suspension: In effect during the review period, except for specified exceptions.
- Legal/official framework: Amends and reorganizes the Administrative Procedure Act as part of LB29’s provisions (and is now incorporated into LB660 per AM1008).
Sponsors
- Primary: Senator Danielle Conrad.
Notes
- For readers seeking the operative text, the provisions originally in LB29 are now incorporated into LB660 via AM1008. The summary above reflects the substantive content introduced with LB29.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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