OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska’s unique Unicameral Legislature relies heavily on you - the people of Nebraska.
State residents can make their voices heard on potential bills and laws in the state legislature without attending committee hearings in person at the Capitol.
The video above shows you the step-by-stop process.
Finding specific bills
Start by visiting nebraskalegislature.gov.
If you know the name of a specific bill, you can type it in the search box in the top right corner. For example, typing in "LB 1034" will bring up detailed information about that particular piece of legislation.
The bill's page provides background information on what has been introduced and by who, and offers a way to share your thoughts with legislators.
Submitting public comments
To comment on a bill, click the "Submit Comments Online" button. A pop-up will appear explaining that all comments will be available to legislators and staff, and will be included in the public record.
From there, simply fill out the form with your comments. However, there's an important deadline: public comments must be submitted by 8 a.m. on the day the public hearing takes place.
Finding bills by committee schedule
If you don't know the specific bill name, navigate to the "Calendar" section on the left-hand side of the website. This section shows updated daily schedules for committee hearings.
On any given day, multiple committees may be holding hearings. Click on the day's schedule to see each hearing listed. From there, find the bill or action you want to comment on and click the "Submit Comment Online" button.
Remember, if you want to comment on a potential bill, your submission must be completed before 8 a.m. on the day of the hearing.
