Columbus Day will be celebrated this year on Monday, October 9th. Columbus Day is a United States holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century, but did not become a federal holiday until 1937. (History.com authors. “Columbus Day 2023”. History.com 28, September, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/columbus-day) In 2021, Nebraska celebrated its first Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a result of the passage of LB848, proposed by Senator Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, which was signed into law in 2020 by Governor Pete Ricketts. LB848 designates the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. (Merza, Sarah. “Nebraska celebrates first Indigenous Peoples’ Day”. NebraskaNewsService.net. 28 September, 2023. https://nebraskanewsservice.net/diverse-voices/nebraska-celebrates-first-indigenous-peoples-day/#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20first%20year,year%20as%20Indigenous%20Peoples’%20Day.)

This week I will finish sharing with you portions of LB92 which was a Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee priority bill that amended thirteen other bills into it to become an omnibus bill.

• LB68 increases the amount of liability coverage that must be carried by physicians, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and hospitals in order to qualify for Excess Liability Fund coverage under the Nebraska Hospital-Medical Liability Act. The increase would be from $500,000 to $1 million as the minimum amount of proof of financial responsibility of medical malpractice liability for healthcare providers beginning January 1, 2024, and increase professional liability insurance from $1 million to $3 million for aggregate limits for physicians and CRNAs.
• LB145 expands health insurance coverage to include new forms of diagnostic imaging, lowers the age of insured annual breast examinations, and empowers physicians to set the frequency and type of annual breast examinations for women with a family history of breast cancer who are younger than 40 years old beginning January 1, 2024.
• LB383 requires coverage of at-home colorectal cancer screening kits and prohibits imposition of a deductible, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing requirement for screening colonoscopies, including those performed as a result of a positive non-colonoscopy, stool-based preventive screening.
• LB392 allows for employers, employee organizations, or the trustees of an employment association sponsoring a health benefit plan to consent to electronic document delivery on behalf of their represented employees. This consent is contingent upon the sponsors meeting required criteria for e-delivery and allowing employee opt-out.
• LB779 specifies that if there were a national shortage of an insulin drug, a covered individual would be ensured access to insulin at a maximum of $35 per 30-day supply until such time the national shortage ends to prevent disruptions in patient access.
• LB669 was introduced at the request of the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance to allow the department to prescribe conditions on certain financial institutions as a part of any order, decision, or determination required under the statutes governing those institutions.
• LB674 updates state law that governs digital asset depository institutions and digital asset departments within banks to improve regulation and make technical corrections.
• LB616 aligns business incentives to the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America in order to give Nebraska-based applicants for federal investment the greatest chance of a successful application with the United States Department of Commerce.
• LB617 creates the Economic Development Cash Fund within the Department of Economic Development to provide matching grants to a Nebraska-based covenant entity that qualifies under the federal CHIPS of America Act.
  (Portions of this taken from “Banking regulation bill broadened, advanced from first round after cloture”. Unicameral Update. April 19, 2023. http://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=34178)

With October being designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I would like you to “Fill up with Purpose”. The Nebraska Ethanol Board released a press release talking about their Fuel the Cure campaign. You can join this campaign at your local participating gas stations and make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. This is how it works:

• Choose Ethanol Blends: Opt for higher ethanol blends, such as E15 to flex fuel E85, available at gas stations listed at FueledbyNebraska.com/pink.
• Your Fill-Up Makes an Impact: For every gallon of higher ethanol blend sold between October 1-31, nearly 50 Nebraska fuel retailers will donate 3 cents toward cancer research and services within the state.
• Look for Pink: Identifying the retailers supporting this vital cause is easy; just look for the pink Fuel the Cure signate at the pump, on the windows, and at the counter. Since 2018, Nebraska’s Fuel the cure campaigns have raised over $45,000 for cancer research, primarily benefiting the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha.
  (Rucker, Amber. “Fill Up with Purpose: Your Gas Tank Can Help Fund Cancer Research”. Nebraska Ethanol Board press release. 28 September, 2023. https://ethanol.nebraska.gov/fill-up-with-purpose-your-gas-tank-can-help-fund-cancer-research/. 29 September, 2023.)

As always, I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions by calling my office at (402) 471-2716 or emailing me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov.