Summary — LB 346 (2025)
Title: Provide for termination of boards, commissions, committees, councils, funds, groups, panels, and task forces and change and eliminate funds and powers and duties of departments and agencies
Sponsor: Sen. John Arch (at the request of the Governor)
Status: Approved by the Governor (May 30, 2025). Introduced January 16, 2025. Passed Final Reading 49–0–0 (May 28, 2025).
Main purpose
LB 346 is an omnibus government-structure bill that (1) terminates or repeals a large number of advisory bodies, boards, task forces, councils, funds, and a few statutory acts, and (2) reallocates or consolidates their duties, membership, and funds into existing state agencies or other boards. The stated intent (introducer’s statement) is to seek operational efficiencies and reduce complexity in Nebraska state government.
Key provisions and changes
- Establishes a uniform termination date (most commonly July 1, 2026) for many boards, committees, task forces, and related statutory programs, after which duties are transferred as specified.
- Terminates or phases out particular acts/boards, including (not exhaustive):
- Nebraska Potato Development Act and Nebraska Potato Development Committee (terminates July 1, 2026).
- Climate Assessment Response Committee (terminates July 1, 2026).
- Nebraska Aquaculture Board (terminates July 1, 2026).
- Racial Profiling Advisory Committee (terminates July 1, 2026) — duties reassigned to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.
- Nebraska Children’s Commission Advisory Committee and multiple child welfare/advisory panels (terminations with duties consolidated to the Nebraska Children’s Commission or DHHS).
- Board of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Board of Alcohol and Drug Counseling (terminate July 1, 2026); duties moved to the Board of Nursing and Board of Mental Health Practice respectively.
- Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board — responsibilities transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Nebraska Worker Training Board — duties transferred to the Department of Labor.
- Advisory Council on Public Water Supply and Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Advisory Committee — duties transferred to the Environmental Quality Council.
- Vacant Building and Excess Land Committee and Suggestion Award Board — duties transferred to Department of Administrative Services (DAS).
- State Emergency Response Commission — duties transferred to Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.
- Eliminates the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Act and the Whiteclay Public Health Emergency Task Force.
- Transfers or consolidates numerous other advisory bodies into DHHS, DAS, Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, the 911 Service System Advisory Committee, and other permanent bodies.
- Changes to certain boards and statutory lists (for example, updates to the roster of health and professional licensing boards).
- Changes personal-qualification requirements for the State Capitol Administrator (text modified in the bill).
- The bill repeals and outright repeals numerous statutory sections (detailed lists included in the bill and its amendments).
Note: Earlier drafts proposed other membership changes (for example, adjustments to the Propane Education and Research Council), some of which were removed in later amendments.
Who is affected
- State agencies that will receive new responsibilities (DHHS, DAS, Department of Labor, DMV, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Quality Council, Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Nebraska Children’s Commission, etc.).
- Members and staff of the terminated advisory groups, boards, and task forces.
- Regulated professions and industries tied to boards being consolidated (nursing, mental health practice, motor vehicle industry, aquaculture, potato industry stakeholders, etc.).
- Stakeholders and service recipients of programs formerly overseen by the eliminated or transferred bodies.
Timeline, operative dates & procedure
- Most terminations and transfers are tied to July 1, 2026 (explicit in many sections).
- The bill was reported out of the Government, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee with amendments, advanced through Select/Final Reading with further floor amendments, enrolled, presented to the Governor on May 28, and approved May 30, 2025.
- Fiscal notes were prepared for the bill (available in the legislative file).
Implementation and stakeholder considerations
- Implementation requires agencies to develop plans to assume grant administration, regulatory or advisory functions formerly managed by terminated entities (examples: DHHS to assume grant processes for child abuse prevention fund; DMV to absorb licensing functions).
- Testimony at committee hearing included proponents (Governor’s office and interest groups) and opponents (trade groups, professional associations, and other stakeholders) raising concerns about consolidation, loss of industry-specific expertise, and transition logistics.
- Agencies will need administrative transition steps and, where applicable, statutory or rulemaking changes to effect transfers.
For full details (exact lists of terminated sections, transfers, and statutory language), refer to the enrolled bill text and the list of repealed/outright-repealed sections contained in the enacted LB 346.
