[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6316132,"mediaKeyId","2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240","parentId",2377653,"title","Committee hears bill to make deputy directors and agency attorneys discretionary, allow temporary rehiring without 120‑day wait","audioSeconds",1208,"startMs",2435000,"endMs",3643000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240&start=2435&end=3643","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240/thumbnail_2435000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6316132/Nebraska/Committee-hears-bill-to-make-deputy-directors-and-agency-attorneys-discretionary-allow-temporary-rehiring-without-120day-wait","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316132-4eab0149003523d9e2927a407fe0e69d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136345&Signature=IqDUJ6~n5fCbckJ00IDl3tpb7K7YrimSOK94KgMxaKc4I2P69rmhxZjcD5s7L5t50ZitScrDlcxJLavsteWpBckgRYBaMiZCU8XlxrKFF2VQ6hl5aBBHslp2FWIJSVD0baENbZhE5Yk0E-ZB2JxX8RUQObfsUS2-0fRt~YFYAEsZC8F4tjxEfiBoTeUFmLSQXzf7qsFuKSFCwIu1Yplj5H9AlRe1gOrz5aTPZajWY64Sn31uT9vIX4nA4x3QPN4q8UbVls8xvWnJL7GTJbnNxxIVdDaaGHASc2cqHMuQ7~RLfogmh1YlTyMWrjQUPwn2Lk36Zaz0BWZESkunWTegcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nebraska Legislature","date","2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Tony Sorrentino, representing Legislative District 39, introduced LB433 on behalf of the Department of Administrative Services, saying the bill “was brought at the request of the Department of Administrative Services” and that its intent is “to, 1, exclude deputy directors and attorneys in the state personnel system, thus making them discretionary employees, and 2, allows previous permanent employees to be rehired as a temporary employee without having to wait for the hundred and 20 day break in service required by the State employee retirement system.”

Supporters told the Retirement Systems Committee that exempting deputy directors and attorneys from the State Personnel System would allow agency leaders to recruit and retain executive and legal talent by offering discretionary pay and clearer at-will authority. Lee Will of the Department of Administrative Services said the change would help agencies remain competitive with other public-sector employers and the private market and that attorneys are licensed professionals similar to MDs and pharmacists already exempted in statute.

Department of Health and Human Services Chief Legal Officer Beau Botelho testified that pay limitations have led the department to lose experienced attorneys and that a discretionary classification would aid recruitment. Sorrentino and DAS cited examples where rehiring a permanent employee on a temporary basis—such as nurses at the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs—was constrained by the current 120-day rule for retirement contributions.

The Nebraska State Bar Association opposed the bill. Tim Hruza, speaking for the bar, said the association’s core concern is protecting attorney independence and preventing real or perceived retribution when government lawyers give legally required advice that may displease superiors. Hruza noted the bill (or versions of it) has been introduced in prior sessions and said a narrower compromise—making deputy directors at-will while preserving protections for agency legal counsel—had been acceptable in earlier discussions.

Committee members asked for clarifications and fiscal information. Senator Tom Conrad requested data on how much the state currently spends on outside legal contracts as part of weighing the fiscal tradeoffs of paying higher in‑house salaries; representatives agreed to follow up.

No committee vote occurred at the hearing. Senator Sorrentino closed by asking the committee to give the bill “strong consideration” and to continue negotiations on potential amendments.

Ending: The hearing showed a split between administrative efficiency and recruitment aims on one side and professional‑ethics and independence concerns from the State Bar on the other; further negotiation, possible ethics advisory input and fiscal analysis were requested by committee members.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee 2/22/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senator Tony Sorrentino introduced LB433 to make deputy directors and agency attorneys discretionary employees and to allow rehiring former permanent employees as temporary hires without the current 120‑day break in service for retirement contributions.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NE, Nebraska","taxId",77675,"location","Nebraska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316136,"Neb. committee hears testimony on LB76 to raise State Patrol survivor benefit, increase COLA cap",2180,205000,2385000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240&start=205&end=2385","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240/thumbnail_205000.jpg","/articles/6316136/Nebraska/Neb-committee-hears-testimony-on-LB76-to-raise-State-Patrol-survivor-benefit-increase-COLA-cap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316136-7d5e61c9775238581d1421ef80234710/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136345&Signature=ZHR0T5S9PCEgacWRT~dw9S0db7bZ5HJqCsZAN4okhpbzKtuvqLIKljPprN4ZbYlujOJid7uwHdMNxb6PFMZ37QJStd6afGSFpZxiW7miNNQw5T6HG6AH6Tkg3lzNXd9i7IP9n4GztTT1ufVGx8PlFaMze5txaISM82w8wkfjPhrZX52xoNGvW8QjQRm9B3~4GJh8U0VbpbvIkwAgvmwtOlR6Xvk2Y4d0vy4MpiUXw8NVGQTcb8zlKhfva8KvoUoBZ1I3Qp0Q58CokcZSXtjV1BHXCvlO5jveMD75zgNfOFgdgPsvcmK4uU7m0wys3DDPLs9B-OinlgyliNBv~~an-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Eliot Bostar, sponsor and chairing legislator for Legislative District 29, introduced LB76, saying the bill “makes 2 changes to the retirement benefits of members of the Nebraska State Patrol” to better compensate troopers and their families for career risks.

The proposal would increase the surviving spouse benefit from 75% to 100% of a trooper's annuity and set the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) cap for retired state patrol officers at the lesser of the change in the consumer price index or 4% for all members, replacing existing tiers that capped earlier hires at 2.5% and later hires at 1%.

Supporters told the Retirement Systems Committee that the changes would address health, financial and workforce problems tied to state patrol service. Lucas Bolton, legislative representative for the State Troopers Association in Nebraska and a criminal investigator with the patrol, testified that the 4% cap “is a reasonable compromise” and said he would prefer no cap but saw 4% as a safeguard against extreme inflation. Multiple retired troopers and spouses gave personal accounts of financial strain after line-of-duty and service-related illnesses. Linda Spiegel, whose husband served 26 years with the State Patrol and later as a county sheriff, said the 75% surviving-spouse reduction was “truly disturbing” when she encountered it after her husband's death.

Senator Tony Sorrentino and others on the committee questioned the fiscal and actuarial impacts. Sorrentino asked whether the actuarial chart included both the surviving-spouse change and the COLA adjustment; the committee was told both changes were reflected and that the baseline and post-change funding levels would move from roughly a $16 million baseline to a roughly $21 million projected cost, a difference described in committee discussion as about $4.2 million. Senator Rob Clements pressed on whether the 100% surviving-spouse benefit would continue if a dependent reached age 19; a trooper representative clarified that when a child reaches age 19 the spousal benefit would drop to 75%.

Supporters framed retention as a central goal. Senator Bostar, testimony and supporters noted state patrol vacancy rates, citing 72 vacancies in 2024 out of an authorized strength of 482, and referenced research on elevated health risks for law enforcement cited during the hearing. Testifiers argued improved retirement terms could help recruitment and retention. Opponents did not testify during the oral record; the sponsor noted written support letters outnumbered opposition letters for the committee record.

The committee heard 12 written letters in support and one in opposition for the record. Committee members asked actuarial questions; no final committee vote on LB76 was taken at the hearing.

The committee closed the LB76 hearing and proceeded to other bills on the agenda.

Ending: The LB76 hearing provided detailed testimony from troopers, retirees and spouses and included committee questions about cost and funding implications. The committee did not take a vote at the hearing and will consider the bill and submitted material as it moves toward future deliberations.","Senator Eliot Bostar introduced LB76 to the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee, seeking to raise the surviving-spouse annuity for Nebraska State Patrol retirees from 75% to 100% and to set a uniform COLA cap of the lesser of CPI change or 4% for all members.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316127,"Technical fix proposed for judges' retirement funding path in LB420 (AM198)",337,3633000,3970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240&start=3633&end=3970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377653-a19e40bf6e955cb139841e29b1f1b240/thumbnail_3633000.jpg","/articles/6316127/Nebraska/Technical-fix-proposed-for-judges-retirement-funding-path-in-LB420-AM198","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316127-239e2804896d838646bb791881abc7c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136345&Signature=WDzX-hsDw9SUusSlVOOm9xRo4H~qX4sa4VKDo90ydWmUUk86ODhcqN8JywPEw9hsOXDCUpjkqplhIhIOrHXMtDxTxIYYgyGX67whMORayDUpmi8tgEKL-sWVaAy0eZqi0x-gktSn1E4wgFfmJRSTNfGGT91vZTwslarHOmUujRPjBK~3s9HWduujrf1t8Q9jJ~qBvQpEK4zptaB0M3CVgfBNjQ0qKIRRVCgcuny~-6LJy~xaNobEd4WNLBbOcn3sNil3tbaO27tZw3Csa1f2vkuWBqFUiTiulOEMMUhEkW3FNyheWHGghCgMORjUGeOK20JOv0zZB3h0f-HPbOPaLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trevor Fitzgerald, committee legal counsel, introduced LB420 on behalf of the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee and explained that Senator Ballard filed amendment AM198 to replace the placeholder bill with language to address a technical funding-path anomaly in the Nebraska Judges Retirement Act identified by the Auditor of Public Accounts.

Fitzgerald said the auditor’s management letter noted that statutory language referring to a transfer by the state treasurer produced a duplicate appropriations request in practice. The amendment strikes the reference to an administrative transfer and instead directs that “the state shall contribute the required amount to the plan,” aligning the statutory language with current budgetary practice and preventing the duplicate entry noted during the audit.

Tad Herbeck, legal counsel for the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (NPERS), appeared as a proponent and told the committee that LB420 with AM198 “fixes what is a technical funding path anomaly in the Nebraska Judges Retirement Act” and that the change brings the statute into line with how transfers and contributions are managed.

Eric Asbo, administrative fiscal analyst for the judicial branch, asked the committee to clarify that contributions be made “from the general fund,” providing proposed language to reinstate those words to make funding origin explicit; Asbo said he had discussed the proposed change with NPERS legal counsel and fiscal staff and encountered no opposition to the clarification.

No opposition testimony was offered; the committee took the technical testimony and closed the hearing. The issues are procedural and described in the auditor’s management letter; the committee did not take a vote at the hearing.

Ending: The amendment to LB420 is a technical statutory fix requested in response to an auditor finding. Committee members accepted explanations from NPERS and judicial fiscal staff and suggested the simple clarifying insertion specifying “from the general fund.”","LB420, amended by AM198, would replace language requiring an administrative transfer by the state treasurer with statute stating the state will contribute the required amount to the Nebraska Retirement Fund for judges. The change responds to an auditor finding that the prior language created a duplicate appropriation pathway; committee heard the","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill to make deputy directors and agency attorneys discretionary, allow temporary rehiring without 120‑day wait

Neb. committee hears testimony on LB76 to raise State Patrol survivor benefit, increase COLA cap

Technical fix proposed for judges' retirement funding path in LB420 (AM198)