New laws are now on the books in Nebraska

LINCOLN — More than 100 new Nebraska laws took effect Wednesday, Sept. 3, touching everything from school libraries to the state’s move-over rule.

Under Article III, Section 27 of the Nebraska Constitution, most laws take effect three calendar months after the Legislature adjourns, unless two-thirds of senators vote to accelerate implementation. With the 2025 session adjourning June 3, the new laws became effective Sept. 3.

LB 41 updates prenatal testing requirements for syphilis and HIV. In addition to initial screening, physicians or other authorized obstetric providers must now offer testing in the third trimester and at birth. Providers must inform patients,— clearly and in plain language — that testing is voluntary, and patients may decline verbally or in writing.

LB 195 broadens legal protections that previously covered the use of naloxone to include additional opioid overdose reversal medications.

The change extends liability protections to emergency responders, medical professionals and Good Samaritans who act in good faith to aid someone overdosing on substances such as fentanyl or heroin.

LB 266 bars political subdivisions, including cities and counties, from adopting ordinances that effectively impose rent control on private property. Nebraska has not enacted rent control, though some states and localities elsewhere have.

LB 390 requires each public school district, by the 2026-27 school year, to adopt a policy giving parents and guardians access to specific library information.

Districts must provide an online catalog of library books by school and a notification system — via website, email or phone app — that alerts parents when a student checks out a book, including the title, author and due date. Implementation details may vary by district.

LB 530 expands Nebraska’s move-over law.

Drivers must now slow down and, when reasonable, move over for all stopped vehicles and for vulnerable road users along highways, including pedestrians, bicyclists, people in crosswalks and agricultural vehicles or equipment.