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Nebraska committee hears bid to freeze and roll back building, electrical and energy codes to address housing costs
Summary
Sen. Kathleen Kauth introduced LB 11-34 to limit state and local updates to residential, electrical and energy codes and require independent proof that code changes are necessary for safety; supporters said targeted rollbacks could lower initial construction costs, while opponents warned of higher long‑term energy bills, reduced safety and lost local control.
Senator Kathleen Kauth (District 31) told the Urban Affairs Committee that LB 11-34 is intended to address Nebraska's housing affordability crisis by restricting future state and local updates to building, electrical and energy codes and by requiring independent third‑party evidence that proposed changes are necessary for safety. "Nebraska is currently facing a significant housing crisis," Kauth said, adding that "one of the primary drivers of this increasing cost is a regulatory cartel of ever updating and increasingly stringent building codes that add thousands of dollars to the price of every new home."
Supporters from the home‑building and affordable‑housing sectors urged the panel to focus on the…
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