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LB 298

Provide for the Division of Legislative Oversight, the Director of Legislative Oversight, and the Legislative Oversight Committee and change provisions relating to the Public Counsel, the office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, and the office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System

109th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Arch

LB 298 centralizes legislative oversight into a new Division and Committee, moves IG offices under oversight, and strengthens subpoenas and confidentiality for investigations.

Approved by Governor on June 4, 2025
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Bill Summary · LB 298

Summary — LB 298 (2025)

Provide for the Division of Legislative Oversight, the Director of Legislative Oversight, and the Legislative Oversight Committee; change provisions relating to the Public Counsel and the Offices of Inspector General for Child Welfare and the Correctional System

Status: Approved by the Governor (signed June 4, 2025). Emergency clause included — becomes effective on enactment.

Main purpose

LB 298 reorganizes and centralizes several legislative oversight functions by creating a Division of Legislative Oversight within the Legislative Council, establishing a Legislative Oversight Committee, and revising the roles and authorities of the Office of Public Counsel and the state Inspectors General who oversee child welfare and the correctional system. The bill moves existing audit/oversight offices into the new division and modernizes subpoena, confidentiality, appointment, and reporting rules.

Key provisions and changes

  • Creates the Division of Legislative Oversight (within the Legislative Council) and (subject to the bill’s appointment provisions) a Director of Legislative Oversight who leads the Division and has responsibility for oversight coordination. The Director (per committee summary) appoints Inspectors General (five-year terms) for subordinate oversight offices.
  • Establishes a Legislative Oversight Committee (special legislative committee) to oversee the Division. Committee composition (as described in bill materials) includes: Speaker, Chair of the Executive Board, Chairs of Appropriations, Judiciary, and Health & Human Services, plus four additional Legislature members appointed by the Executive Board.
  • Transfers into the Division: the Legislative Audit Office, the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, and the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System.
  • Reorganizes the Office of Public Counsel:
    • Names statutory provisions the “Office of Public Counsel Act.”
    • Clarifies powers to investigate administrative acts, issue subpoenas (subpoenas requested by Public Counsel to be issued by Executive Board), and access agency records.
    • Designates reports of Public Counsel investigations as not being public records.
    • Establishes confidentiality protections for records shared with the Public Counsel; unlawful disclosure by employees is grounds for dismissal.
    • Permits coordinated sharing/coordination between the Office of Public Counsel and the Division of Legislative Oversight when necessary for complaint referral or joint investigations.
  • Revises Inspectors General statutes:
    • Moves the child welfare and correctional-system Inspector General offices under the Division.
    • Revises appointment, term, certification, independence, reporting, and investigative procedures for those offices (including timelines and duty to receive law-enforcement reports and to suspend legislative investigations if requested by law enforcement).
  • Eliminates the separate Legislative Performance Audit special committee and incorporates related duties into the new Legislative Oversight Committee and Division.
  • Subpoena procedure: Executive Board may authorize subpoenas at Public Counsel’s request; Executive Board required to vote within a short statutory timeframe (committee language referenced a 10‑day vote).
  • Includes legislative findings of the Legislature’s inherent investigative power and intent statements clarifying oversight roles.

Who is affected

  • Legislative entities: Legislative Council, Executive Board, Legislative Oversight Committee, Legislative Audit Office, Legislative Fiscal and Research offices.
  • Oversight offices: Office of Public Counsel; Offices of Inspectors General (Child Welfare; Correctional System).
  • State agencies, regional behavioral health authorities, contracted providers, county/municipal correctional facilities, and political subdivisions to the extent they are subject to oversight or investigation.
  • Agency employees and contractors who may be the subject of inspections, investigations, or subpoenaed testimony/records.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • LB 298 passed the Legislature (final reading May 30, 2025; vote reported 46-2-1) and was presented to the Governor on May 30, 2025. Approved by Governor June 4, 2025 with an emergency clause (effective on enactment).
  • Multiple floor and committee amendments were adopted during consideration (AM1504 and subsequent amendments). Certain proposed amendments (e.g., creating a separate Inspector General for political subdivisions) were proposed and defeated.
  • Fiscal notes were prepared (available May 22 and Feb 14, 2025); the bill moved and reallocated oversight functions and staff, which has budgetary implications reflected in those fiscal notes.

Practical effect

LB 298 centralizes legislative oversight authority in a new Division and Committee, strengthens confidentiality and subpoena procedures for legislative investigations, relocates and restructures Inspector General offices under legislative oversight, and ends a prior special-performance-audit committee — intended to provide a more coordinated, full‑time legislative oversight capacity.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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