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NebraskaLB397109th Legislature 1st and 2nd SessionslegislatureWALLET

Change and eliminate provisions relating to workplace safety committees and a workplace safety program and terminate a fund

Sponsored By: Mike Moser

Signed by Governor

Business and Labor Committee

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 2 mixed.

Pay and protection for safety committees

You cannot be fired or punished for safety complaints to the committee or a government safety agency. If you are fired, you get your job back and back pay and benefits. If you serve on the safety committee, your employer pays your regular wage and benefits for meeting time and duties.

Employers must set up safety committees

All employers covered by Nebraska workers' comp must have a safety committee and a written injury-prevention program. If you use a PEO, your company still must set up the committee (in effect since Jan. 1, 2012). Public employers with unions can create the committee through bargaining. Other public employers must have equal employee and employer members, with employee members chosen under Labor Department rules.

Safety lapses risk quick cancellation

If your business must have a safety committee and you are not in compliance, you cannot get assigned-risk workers' comp coverage. Insurers can cancel or not renew your workers' comp policy with 10 days' notice when the reason is safety-committee noncompliance. Usually, other reasons require 30 days' notice.

Stronger safety inspections and fees

The Labor Department can inspect workplaces with or without notice and stop dangerous equipment until fixed. Employers must keep up-to-date safety records recommended after a consultation or inspection and give them to the Department on request. The Commissioner sets fees for consultations and inspections, and employers pay them. After notice and hearing, civil penalties can reach $1,000 per day for each violation, and cases can be sent to federal OSHA or to court.

Legal protection for hazard reports

If you in good faith report workplace hazards, accidents, or their frequency to state agencies, you are protected from libel or slander lawsuits. You must give the information without malice and have reasonable cause to believe it is true.

Safety fund ended and rules repealed

The law ends the Workplace Safety Consultation Program Cash Fund on the act's effective date. The State Treasurer moves any money left in the fund to the General Fund. Two statutory sections (48-444 and 48-445) are repealed.

New rules for assigned-risk coverage

The Insurance Director can make agreements, up to five years, with insurers to cover assigned-risk employers. If no insurer will cover risks below an average rate of 2.5 times prospective loss costs without broad loss sharing, the Director can set an alternative system that shares premiums and losses across all workers' comp insurers and risk pools. The Director can also split losses so only part stays with the assigned-risk insurer and the rest is assessed to all insurers and pools.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Mike Moser

    legislature

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 272 • No: 26

legislature vote • 4/24/2026

Vote

Yes: 38 • No: 1 • Other: 10

legislature vote • 4/24/2026

Vote

Yes: 44 • No: 0 • Other: 5

legislature vote • 2/20/2026

Final Reading

Yes: 35 • No: 13 • Other: 1

legislature vote • 2/9/2026

Vote

Yes: 38 • No: 1 • Other: 10

legislature vote • 2/9/2026

Vote

Yes: 44 • No: 0 • Other: 5

legislature vote • 2/9/2026

Vote

Yes: 42 • No: 0 • Other: 7

legislature vote • 1/27/2026

Vote

Yes: 31 • No: 11 • Other: 7

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by Governor on February 24, 2026

    2/25/2026legislature

  2. Dispensing of reading at large approved

    2/20/2026legislature

  3. Passed on Final Reading 35-13-1

    2/20/2026legislature

  4. President/Speaker signed

    2/20/2026legislature

  5. Presented to Governor on February 20, 2026

    2/20/2026legislature

  6. Placed on Final Reading with ST51

    2/17/2026legislature

  7. Enrollment and Review ST51 filed

    2/17/2026legislature

  8. Enrollment and Review ST51 recorded

    2/17/2026legislature

  9. Cavanaugh, J. FA964 to AM1945 filed

    2/9/2026legislature

  10. Cavanaugh, J. FA964 adopted

    2/9/2026legislature

  11. Cavanaugh, J. AM1945 adopted

    2/9/2026legislature

  12. Advanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment

    2/9/2026legislature

  13. Cavanaugh, J. AM1945 pending

    2/6/2026legislature

  14. Cavanaugh, J. AM1945 filed

    2/5/2026legislature

  15. Pending

    2/5/2026legislature

  16. Placed on Select File

    1/30/2026legislature

  17. Pending

    1/27/2026legislature

  18. Advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial

    1/27/2026legislature

  19. Pending

    1/26/2026legislature

  20. Title printed. Carryover bill

    1/7/2026legislature

  21. Provisions/portions of LB397 amended into LB532 by AM692

    6/6/2025legislature

  22. Placed on General File

    2/28/2025legislature

  23. Notice of hearing for February 24, 2025

    2/5/2025legislature

  24. Referred to Business and Labor Committee

    1/22/2025legislature

  25. Date of introduction

    1/17/2025legislature

Bill Text

  • Introduced

    2/25/2026

    PDF

  • Enrolled / Slip Law

    PDF

  • Final / Enacted

    PDF

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