Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen recently signed into law LB 921, the Nebraska Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act. The new requirements, which include annual registration with the state department of labor, take effect July 1, 2027, and apply to all health care staffing agencies operating in Nebraska, including app- and platform-based companies.

The original bill, which was introduced in 2022, contained several onerous provisions, including a ban on conversion fees and a requirement for quarterly reporting to the department of labor. ASA, along with its Nebraska lobbyist Sean Kelley, met several times with the bill’s sponsors to discuss the staffing industry’s concerns.

After three years of negotiations, which included meetings with the governor’s office, ASA was able to obtain two major concessions: First, the outright ban on conversion fees was replaced with language that allows agencies to charge conversion fees to facilities, subject to a prorated reduction reaching zero following 720 hours of service. Second, the requirement for firms to submit operation and billing reports to the state department of labor quarterly was removed.

The law grants the state department of labor authority to investigate complaints, conduct random audits, and impose civil penalties of up to $500 for a first violation and $5,000 for each subsequent offense—a public registry of registered agencies will be maintained on the department’s website.

ASA will continue to monitor implementation rule making by the Nebraska Department of Labor, and members with questions about compliance should contact the ASA legal department.