Legislative Bills We’re Watching

These are the bills NRC has been monitoring in the Nebraska Legislature this session.

LB 367 – Litter Fund Extension
Extends the funding of the Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Fund to September 2025. It also strikes language allowing transfers of that fund to the General Fund. Last year, the Legislature transferred self-generating funding from the Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Fund to the General Fund for the first time in the fund’s history, which drastically cut recycling and litter prevention programs across the state. This bill prevents that from happening again, and extends the funding for 5 years.
Status – The Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved LB 367. It has been added as an amendment to LB 858, one of the committee’s designated priority bills. It is likely to get a floor debate and has a better chance to pass this session.

LB 861 – Ban on Bans
LB 861 would bar municipalities or counties from establishing bans or fees on the sale or use of any single-use plastic bag, container, and packaging, and on general “consumer merchandise”.
Status – Amended and placed on General File by the Natural Resources Committee.

LB 905 – Plastic Bag Fee
Sets a 5-cent fee on single-use plastic bags and establishes a program to provide reusable checkout bags to the public. The fee would be distributed as follows: $0.01 to the retailer, $0.03 to the General Fund, and $0.01 to a new Plastic Bag Reduction Fund.
Status – Referred to the Revenue Committee. Committee hearing was on January 30, 2020. No action taken by the committee.

Check the status of these bills by going to https://nebraskalegislature.gov/