This blog post is to inform you that Nebraska has completed its 2026 legislative session.
NE L 258 Wage and Hour Act
Starting January 1, 2027, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually by 1.75%. The Nebraska Department of Labor must publish the adjusted rate by October 15 of each preceding year. Employers may pay a rate of $13.50 per hour to non-emancipated minors aged 14 and 15; this rate is scheduled to increase by 1.5% every five years starting in 2030. Additionally, a training wage of $13.50 per hour may be paid to new hires aged 16 to 19 for their first 90 days of employment. An additional 90-day extension is permitted if the employee is enrolled in an approved on-the-job training program. This training wage will increase by 1.5% annually starting January 1, 2027. The law is scheduled to take effect July 18, 2026.
NE L 320 Human Trafficking Posters
Effective July 18, 2026, hotels and similar public lodging establishments are required to display human trafficking awareness posters in both English and Spanish. These posters must include the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline. A “hotel” is defined as any facility where the public may obtain sleeping accommodations for consideration, including motels, tourist homes, campgrounds, courts, lodging houses, inns, state-operated hotels, and nonprofit hotels. Additionally, hotels may provide approved human trafficking awareness training to employees and implement formal reporting procedures and prevention policies. Any owner, operator, or employee of a hotel or similar lodging establishment who fulfills these training and posting requirements shall be granted immunity from liability for any acts or omissions related to human trafficking committed by a third party at the establishment.
NE L 921 State Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification Act
This law, also known as the Nebraska Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 90 days of advanced written notice before a business closing or mass layoff. An employer who violates this shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $100 for each day of the violation. Employers with more than five percent non-English speaking employees who speak the same language must provide an interpreter and referral agent. law is scheduled to take effect July 18, 2026.
