Effective July 18, 2026, Nebraska Legislative Bill 921 (LB 921) implements a set of employment‑related reforms affecting layoffs, health care staffing agencies, language access in the workplace, and public safety benefits. The legislation adopts two major new employment statutes: the Nebraska Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and the Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act. It also amends several existing labor and public safety laws.
New WARN‑Style Notice Requirements for Large Layoffs
LB 921 adopts the Nebraska Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, establishing a state‑level advance notice requirement for business closings and mass layoffs. Covered employers planning a closure or mass layoff affecting 100 or more employees must now provide at least 90 days’ written notice to impacted employees and the Nebraska Department of Labor. This state requirement operates independently of the federal WARN Act and carries its own enforcement penalties, including civil fines of up to $100 per day for noncompliance.
Annual Registration for Health Care Staffing Agencies
The bill also creates the Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act, requiring health care staffing agencies operating in Nebraska to register annually with the Department of Labor. Registered agencies must maintain documentation verifying worker licensure, required credentials, and insurance coverage. Failure to comply may result in civil penalties of up to $500 for a first offense and $5,000 for subsequent offenses, as well as registration revocation for up to one year. These provisions reflect heightened oversight of contingent health care staffing arrangements.
Expanded Language Access Requirements for Employers
LB 921 lowers the coverage threshold under the Non‑English‑Speaking Workers Protection Act, expanding employer obligations to provide language assistance. Employers with more than five percent (down from more than ten percent) of employees who speak the same non‑English language must now provide an interpreter and a referral agent to ensure access to workplace rights and benefits. This change substantially broadens the number of Nebraska employers required to implement language‑access accommodations.
Additional Employment and Public Safety Reforms
The legislation also includes several notable changes beyond WARN and staffing agency regulation:
- Marketplace network contractor exclusions under Nebraska employment law are narrowed to apply only outside cities of metropolitan or primary class, potentially expanding employment‑law coverage in urban areas.
- Under the Employment Security Law, individuals may be disqualified from benefits for 12 weeks if they fail to respond to job offers or interview requests within one week.
- The bill creates new statutory presumptions for public safety officer deaths, covering heart attacks, strokes, exposure‑related cancers, and cumulative traumatic events for firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel, and correctional officers.
- Counties may file claims related to correctional institution incidents, clarifying compensation and responsibility frameworks.
Employer Takeaway
Beginning July 18, 2026, Nebraska employers, particularly those with large workforces, health care staffing operations, or significant non‑English‑speaking employee populations, must comply with new notice, registration, and language‑access requirements. Employers should promptly review restructuring plans, staffing agency practices, workforce language demographics, and compliance systems to account for LB 921’s expanded obligations and enforcement mechanisms. Early preparation will be critical to avoiding penalties and operational disruptions under Nebraska’s updated employment law landscape.