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Legislature advances bill to expand at-home postpartum nurse visits, adds statutory definition and reporting
Summary
Lawmakers adopted two floor amendments and advanced LB22, which funds at-home nurse visiting through the Medicaid excess profit fund and adds a Family Home Visitation definition and a three-year reporting requirement.
LB22, a bill to authorize at-home nurse visiting for postpartum care, was amended on the floor and advanced to engrossing after lawmakers adopted two amendments intended to clarify funding and program definitions.
The bill requires that state expenses tied to LB22 be paid from the Medicaid excess profit fund rather than the general fund; lawmakers adopted AM 2 58 to state explicitly that LB22 "will not come from the general fund." Senator Merman explained that the amendment answered prior committee concerns about general-fund impact and that the fiscal note had been sharply reduced in negotiation with the department. Senator Duncan introduced the bill on the floor and asked for a green vote.
A second amendment, AM 3 48 offered by Senator Raybould, added statutory language defining "voluntary, evidence-based home visitation programs" and directed Department of Health and Human Services to submit annual reports on home visiting for 2026–2028. Senator Raybould said the amendment, deriving from her LB104, would place definitions and a short-term reporting requirement in statute to align state reporting with the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program timeframe. The Health and Human Services Committee had previously advanced related language unanimously and without a fiscal note, according to Raybould.
The Legislature adopted AM 2 58 on a recorded vote, 44 ayes and no nays, and adopted AM 3 48 by voice vote announced as 38 ayes, no nays. After adoption of the amendments, Senator Greca moved to advance LB22 to E & R for engrossing; the motion was agreed to and the bill was advanced.
Supporters framed LB22 as a transparency and quality measure for home visiting programs that also preserves state budget protections by restricting funding sources to the Medicaid excess profit fund. Opponents did not record substantive floor opposition during the amendment debate. The bill now proceeds to the engrossing process before further floor action.
Lawmakers did not adopt a fiscal-year appropriation in the floor debate; Senator Ballard noted the Department of Labor had earlier estimated additional personnel costs in another bill's fiscal note as context for funding questions. The bill’s floor sponsors and committee reports indicated no immediate general-fund obligation so long as the Medicaid excess profit fund supports implementation.
Votes at a glance: AM 2 58 — adopted 44–0; AM 3 48 — adopted (voice) 38–0; LB22 — advanced to E & R for engrossing (motion adopted).
