Bill
Bill > LB317
NE LB317
NE LB317Merge the Department of Natural Resources with the Department of Environment and Energy and change the name to the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, create the position of Chief Water Officer, and provide, change, and eliminate powers and duties relating to water, conservation, state game refuges, and low-level radioactive waste disposal
summary
Introduced
01/16/2025
01/16/2025
In Committee
01/21/2025
01/21/2025
Crossed Over
04/02/2025
04/02/2025
Passed
05/01/2025
05/01/2025
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
05/06/2025
05/06/2025
Introduced Session
109th Legislature
Bill Summary
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment; to amend sections 2-408, 2-969, 2-1501, 2-1504, 2-1508, 2-1509, 2-1510, 2-1511, 2-1588, 2-1592, 2-1593, 2-1594, 2-1595, 2-2626, 2-3202, 2-3225, 2-3241, 2-3254, 2-3279, 2-3280, 2-4602, 2-4603, 2-4604, 2-4901, 13-1701, 13-2008, 13-2009, 13-2042.01, 16-6,106, 25-1062.01, 25-1064, 25-1920, 25-2159, 25-2160, 31-415, 31-509, 31-515, 31-516, 31-1003, 31-1015, 37-707, 37-708.01, 46-106, 46-122, 46-190, 46-192, 46-193, 46-1,155, 46-1,157, 46-205, 46-226, 46-226.01, 46-226.02, 46-226.03, 46-227, 46-229, 46-229.01, 46-229.02, 46-229.03, 46-229.04, 46-229.05, 46-229.06, 46-230, 46-231, 46-233, 46-233.01, 46-234, 46-235, 46-235.01, 46-235.02, 46-235.03, 46-235.04, 46-236, 46-237, 46-238, 46-240.01, 46-241, 46-242, 46-250, 46-252, 46-254, 46-256, 46-258, 46-261, 46-263.02, 46-273, 46-286, 46-288, 46-289, 46-290, 46-291, 46-292, 46-293, 46-294, 46-294.01, 46-294.02, 46-294.05, 46-297, 46-2,101, 46-2,104, 46-2,105, 46-2,108, 46-2,109, 46-2,110, 46-2,111, 46-2,112, 46-2,113, 46-2,114, 46-2,115, 46-2,116, 46-2,116.01, 46-2,116.02, 46-2,117, 46-2,118, 46-2,119, 46-2,120, 46-2,122, 46-2,123, 46-2,124, 46-2,125, 46-2,128, 46-2,130, 46-2,139, 46-302, 46-303, 46-304, 46-305, 46-312, 46-315, 46-514, 46-515, 46-516, 46-517, 46-518, 46-519, 46-521, 46-522, 46-524, 46-525, 46-526, 46-527, 46-528, 46-529, 46-530, 46-536, 46-541, 46-583, 46-601.01, 46-602, 46-604, 46-606, 46-609, 46-610, 46-613.01, 46-613.02, 46-637, 46-638, 46-639, 46-640, 46-641, 46-642, 46-644, 46-645, 46-648, 46-649, 46-653, 46-654, 46-655.01, 46-676, 46-677, 46-678, 46-679, 46-680, 46-682, 46-683, 46-683.01, 46-684, 46-685, 46-686, 46-686.01, 46-688, 46-691, 46-703, 46-704, 46-705, 46-706, 46-707, 46-709, 46-711, 46-712, 46-713, 46-714, 46-715, 46-716, 46-717, 46-718, 46-719, 46-720, 46-721, 46-722, 46-723, 46-724, 46-725, 46-726, 46-728, 46-729, 46-730, 46-731, 46-732, 46-733, 46-736, 46-737, 46-739, 46-740, 46-742, 46-743, 46-744, 46-745, 46-746, 46-748, 46-749, 46-750, 46-751, 46-753, 46-754, 46-755, 46-801, 46-802, 46-803, 46-804, 46-1001, 46-1004, 46-1005, 46-1011, 46-1023, 46-1102, 46-1108, 46-1109, 46-1204.01, 46-1207, 46-1217, 46-1222, 46-1224, 46-1235, 46-1301, 46-1304, 46-1403, 46-1404, 46-1502, 46-1605, 46-1606, 46-1607, 46-1611, 46-1613, 46-1614, 46-1636, 46-1637, 46-1639, 46-1640, 46-1641, 46-1642, 46-1645, 46-1646, 46-1647, 46-1648, 46-1649, 46-1650, 46-1651, 46-1652, 46-1653, 46-1654, 46-1655, 46-1656, 46-1657, 46-1658, 46-1659, 46-1660, 46-1661, 46-1662, 46-1663, 46-1664, 46-1665, 46-1666, 46-1667, 46-1668, 46-1669, 46-1670, 54-2417, 54-2421, 54-2429, 54-2430, 57-1407, 57-1502, 57-1609, 57-1614, 57-1619, 58-202, 60-6,363, 60-6,364, 60-6,367, 60-6,368, 61-201, 61-202, 61-203, 61-204, 61-205, 61-207, 61-208, 61-209, 61-210, 61-211, 61-215, 61-216, 70-669, 71-3508.04, 71-3524, 76-2,124, 77-3,112, 81-101, 81-102, 81-2,294, 81-502, 81-829.05, 81-1108.55, 81-1316, 81-1502, 81-1503, 81-1537, 81-1540, 81-1561, 81-15,118, 81-15,120, 81-15,124, 81-15,124.04, 81-15,124.05, 81-15,125, 81-15,126, 81-15,127, 81-15,129, 81-15,149, 81-15,159, 81-15,159.01, 81-15,159.02, 81-15,166, 81-15,170, 81-15,175, 81-15,177, 81-15,178, 81-15,179, 81-15,180, 81-15,183, 81-15,184, 81-15,185, 81-15,185.01, 81-15,185.02, 81-15,185.03, 81-15,186, 81-15,213, 81-15,229, 81-15,235, 81-15,242, 81-15,243, 81-15,260, 81-15,262, 81-15,263, 81-15,292, 81-15,299, 81-15,300, 81-15,302, 81-15,312, 81-1604, 81-1606, 81-1607, 81-1609, 81-1611, 81-1612, 81-1625, 81-1635, 81-1636, 81-1637, 81-1638, 81-1640, 81-3449, 81-3453, 84-166, 84-602.04, 85-162.03, 86-570, and 88-550, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, and sections 2-414, 2-415, 2-416, 2-1507, 19-1201, 19-1202, 19-1203, 19-1204, 19-5706, 31-508, 37-806, 37-814, 46-1,164, 46-1,165, 46-296, 49-506, 49-617, 54-2940, 58-221, 61-206, 61-218, 61-222, 61-224, 61-226, 61-227, 61-228, 61-303, 61-305, 61-401, 61-403, 61-404, 61-405, 61-502, 61-520, 66-203, 66-204, 66-301, 66-302, 66-303, 66-304, 66-489.02, 66-1004, 66-1009, 66-1105, 66-1344, 66-1504, 66-1518, 66-1529.02, 66-2001, 66-2201, 66-2216, 69-2011, 69-2502, 70-1003, 71-2433, 71-3503, 71-5301, 71-5316, 71-5328, 71-6406, 72-804, 72-805, 76-2602, 76-2608, 77-27,150, 77-27,151, 77-27,152, 77-27,153, 77-27,154, 77-27,187.01, 77-27,236, and 77-3442, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024; to merge the Department of Natural Resources with the Department of Environment and Energy; to rename the department, the director, and certain funds; to change procedures for appointment of the director; to create a new position; to provide, change, transfer, and eliminate powers and duties; to provide exemptions from the State Personnel System; to change and eliminate provisions relating to irrigation districts and natural resources districts; to eliminate provisions relating to the Conservation Corporation Act, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Act, the Nebraska Soil Survey Fund, and the state water planning and review process; to eliminate obsolete provisions; to change provisions relating to the Water Sustainability Fund and the boundary lines of state game refuges; to harmonize provisions; to provide an operative date; to repeal the original sections; to outright repeal sections 2-1596, 2-1597, 2-1598, 2-1599, 2-15,100, 2-15,101, 2-15,103, 2-15,105, 2-15,106, 2-3277, 2-3278, 2-4201, 2-4202, 2-4203, 2-4204, 2-4205, 2-4206, 2-4207, 2-4208, 2-4209, 2-4210, 2-4211, 2-4212, 2-4213, 2-4214, 2-4215, 2-4216, 2-4217, 2-4218, 2-4219, 2-4220, 2-4221, 2-4222, 2-4223, 2-4224, 2-4225, 2-4226, 2-4227, 2-4228, 2-4229, 2-4230, 2-4231, 2-4232, 2-4233, 2-4234, 2-4235, 2-4236, 2-4237, 2-4238, 2-4239, 2-4240, 2-4241, 2-4242, 2-4243, 2-4244, 2-4245, 2-4246, 46-199, 71-3508.02, 81-15,254, 81-15,255, 81-15,256, 81-15,257, 81-15,258, 81-15,259, 81-15,293, 81-15,294, 81-15,295, 81-15,296, 81-15,297, and 81-15,298, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska; and to declare an emergency.
AI Summary
This bill: merges the Department of Natural Resources with the Department of Environment and Energy to create the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, effective July 1, 2025. The new department will be led by a Chief Water Officer who will take over many of the responsibilities previously held by the Directors of Natural Resources and Environment and Energy. The bill makes extensive changes to numerous state statutes, updating references from the old department names to the new Department of Water, Energy, and Environment. Key provisions include transferring all existing employees, preserving their current rights and benefits, and ensuring that all existing contracts, permits, and legal proceedings will continue under the new department structure. The bill also creates a new position of Chief Water Officer who will retain the water-related powers previously held by the Director of Natural Resources, including responsibilities for water rights, water appropriations, dam safety, and water resource management. Additionally, the bill eliminates some existing programs and consolidates various water-related functions under the new department, with the goal of creating a more streamlined and efficient water management system for the state.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Approved by Governor on May 6, 2025 (on 05/06/2025)
Official Document
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