Bill > LB698

This bill amends the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act by modifying several key definitions and enforcement provisions. The bill changes the definition of an employer from businesses with one or more employees to those with eleven or more employees, effectively raising the threshold for businesses covered by the act. It also expands the list of employee exemptions to include seasonal agricultural workers, railroad employees subject to specific federal regulations, and individuals under sixteen years of age. The bill modifies the definition of a small business to mean employers with at least eleven but fewer than twenty employees. Regarding enforcement, the bill removes provisions that previously allowed employees to directly sue employers for violations, instead focusing enforcement power solely with the Commissioner of Labor, who can issue citations and administrative penalties ranging from $500 for first violations to $5,000 for subsequent violations. Employers with unpaid citations will be barred from state contracts until the citation is resolved. The bill maintains the existing process where employers can contest citations within fifteen working days and where citation information will be made publicly available, with the exception of contested citations.

Business and Industry

https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59344