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Lawmakers approve narrow DHHS cleanup amendment to cut outdated reports
Summary
The Legislature approved a narrowed amendment to LB 376 that removes or modifies dozens of statutorily required Department of Health and Human Services reports and lifts an unfunded county office-space requirement, while directing further interim work on broader policy items.
The Nebraska Legislature on general file adopted an amendment narrowing LB 376 to focus primarily on removing obsolete Department of Health and Human Services reporting requirements and related technical fixes.
The measure, read on the floor as a DHHS cleanup bill, originally contained a broad set of programmatic changes across multiple chapters of statute. Speaker Mike Arch, who took the lead for the revised language, described AM 13-12 as a “scaled‑back version of LB 376” that would eliminate 28 DHHS reports, modify six report deadlines, and sunset two other reports. Arch said the tighter focus would preserve reports the legislature still needs and allow the department to modernize online reporting.
Why it matters: Senators said the bill would let DHHS spend less time on statutorily required reports that are obsolete or duplicative and more time on current public-health functions. Senator Hardin, chair of Health and Human Services Committee, noted the change removes an unfunded county mandate that required counties to provide office space to DHHS — a provision department witnesses had flagged as problematic.
On the floor, supporters stressed the bill preserves data and transparency while freeing staff time. Senator Arch said the department and his office worked with stakeholders to identify items that are obsolete, duplicative, or not read and that the agency can provide more useful, web-based dashboards instead.
A procedural motion adopted the scaled-back amendment AM 13-12 and the committee amendment (AM 4-11) was also adopted by the body. Senators then advanced LB 376 to enrollment and review for engrossing.
Key details from debate included: the amendment eliminates many older reports that the department now publishes more usefully on its website; it modifies deadlines so agencies can assemble quality data; and it removes the requirement that all 93 counties maintain DHHS office space, which the department said was an unfunded mandate. Arch and Hardin emphasized legislators can restore any specific report the body wants to retain between general and select file.
The vote: AM 13-12 passed on the floor and later LB 376 was advanced to E & R initial after adoption of committee technical changes.
Next steps: The bill moves to further consideration on select file, and sponsors indicated they will continue working with stakeholders between general and select to revisit any report that members consider important.
