The Natural Resources Committee is responsible for processing legislation involving the following subject areas:

• Water
  • ground and surface water
  • water rights
  • water wells
  • irrigation
  • flood control
  • drainage
  • Department of Natural Resources
• Public Power
  • public power districts
  • Nebraska Power Review Board
  • other utilities; electric co-ops
  • oil and gas; pipelines; ethanol
• Natural Resources Districts; Natural Resources Commission
• Environment
  • hazardous waste; underground storage; oils and fuels; combustibles
  • litter reduction; recycling; drink containers
  • Department of Environmental Quality; Environmental Quality Council
  • pollution; Environmental Protection Act; chemigation
  • air pollution
• Energy
  • Nebraska Energy Office
  • wind energy
• Recreation
  • hunting; fishing; trapping; game farming
  • Game and Parks Commission
  • parks, recreation areas; recreation roads
  • endangered species; wildlife damage
  • boating

During session, the Natural Resources Committee meets on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Room 1525 on the 1st Floor of the west side of the Capitol.

Nebraska’s unique Unicameral Legislature relies heavily on the “second house” – the citizens of the State of Nebraska. Ensuring that members of the public have the opportunity to have their voices heard is vital to the legislative process. The link below explains the ways for citizens to share their views on a bill with the Legislature.

Public Input Options.

The Chairman of the Committee is Senator Bostelman, LD 23.

The Vice Chairman of the Committee is Senator Moser, LD 22.

The Legal Counsel of the Committee is Cyndi Lamm.

The Committee Clerk for the Committee is Katie Bohlmeyer.

Natural Resources Committee is a Wednesday/Thursday/Friday committee that meets in Hearing Room 1525 on the first floor of the State Capitol.

Wednesday, January 19th at 1:30pm:

-LB804 (Hughes): Change compensation of certain members of the Nebraska Power Review Board

-LB 809 (Moser): Change powers and duties of the Department of Environment and Energy and provisions relating to the use of certain funds relating to water

-LB 746 (Friesen): Eliminate the requirement that the Director of Natural Resources be a professional engineer

-LB 775 (Brewer): Prohibit land disposal of wind turbine blades and their component parts

Wednesday, January 26th at 1:30pm:

-LB925 (Gragert): Adopt the Resilient Soils and Water Quality Act and state intent regarding appropriations

-LB981 (Hilkemann): Revive the Trail Development Assistance Act and State intent to transfer funds

-LB978 (Hughes): Provide powers and duties to the treatment of dredged and fill material under the Environmental Protection Act

-Gubernatorial Appointments (Nebraska Game and Parks Commission): Patrick Berggren, Douglas Zingula

Thursday, January 27th at 1:30pm:

-LB1047 (Bostelman)– Change requirements regarding annual load and capability reports filed with the Nebraska Power Review Board

-LB1046(Bostelman) – Change provisions relating to selection of the board of directors and chief executive officer of certain public power districts

-LB736 (Bostar) – Redefine E-85 for grants for ethanol infrastructure projects

Friday, January 28th at 1:30pm:

LB806 (Bostelman)– Change provisions relating to drainage of land by the landowner

LB924 (Brewer)– Include cities of the first class as grant recipients under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Act

LB1058 (Brewer)– Provide requirements for public power suppliers relating to base-load units

Wednesday, February 2 at 1:30pm:

LB1082 (Gragert) – Require the Game and Parks Commission to provide certain organ and tissue donation information on applications for certain hunting and fishing permits

LB803 (Hughes) – Redefine immediate family for purposes of obtaining limited permits for deer, antelope, wild turkey, or elk

LB1045 (Bostelman)– Change qualifications of certain public power district board members

Thursday, February 3 at 1:30pm:

LB1102 (Bostelman)– Adopt the Nebraska Environmental Response Act and change provisions relating to enforcement of environmental protection 

LB1262 (Murman)– Adopt the Recreation Area Assistance Act and state intent regarding appropriation of federal funds

Wednesday, February 9 at 1:30pm:

LB1015 (Hilgers) – Adopt the Perkins County Canal Project Act

LB1099 (Bostelman)– Create the Nebraska Hydrogen Hub Industry Work Group

Thursday, February 10 at 1:30pm:

Nebraska Ethanol Board: Scott McPheeters & Taylor Nelson

LB1023 (Hilgers)– Adopt the Lake Development Act and the Water Recreation Enhancement Act

LB1185 (Morfeld)– Change provisions relating to the powers of an electric cooperative corporation

Wednesday, February 16 at 1:30pm:

Game and Parks: Scott Cassels (Reappointment) 

LB1081(Bostar) – Provide for a grant program for the design, construction, and implementation of water transport infrastructure under the Department of Natural Resources and state intent to appropriate federal funds

LB1186 (Bostar) – Rename and change provisions of the Oil Pipeline Reclamation Act

Thursday, February 17 at 1:30pm:

Power Review Board: Bridget Troxel Peck (Appointment)

Wednesday, February 23 at 1:30pm:

Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission: Paul Stroman & Dallen Juelfs

Wednesday, March 16th at 12pm:

LR102 (Wishart) – Provide the Legislature take steps to combat the climate and ecological crisis

Please familiarize yourself with the new updated policies for public input below.

If you are not testifying in person at a public hearing on a bill or resolution and would like to submit written comments to be included in the official hearing record as an exhibit, you will find a link to submit your comments online on the chamber viewer page for each bill or resolution. Comments are allowed once a bill has been scheduled for public hearing and must be submitted prior to NOON on the last work day prior to the public hearing to be included in the official hearing record. 

The comments submitted online prior to the deadline and identified as comments for the public hearing record will be the only method for submission of official hearing record comments other than testifying in person. Letters and comments submitted via email or hand-delivered will no longer be included as part of the hearing record although they are a viable option for communicating your views with an individual senator. 

Submission of Online Comments

In order to facilitate public input on legislation, a feature was added to the Nebraska Legislature’s website for submission of written comments on pending legislation on the Legislature’s website at any stage of the process. (To access this feature, search for the bill you wish to submit a statement on and click the corresponding button near the top of the bill page.) This feature will appear once a bill has been scheduled for a public hearing.

Persons submitting comments online will have the option to request the comments be included in the official public hearing record as an exhibit if the comments are submitted prior to noon on the last work day prior to the public hearing.

[Disclosure Statement drop down box on each submitted comments page]

This feature on the Nebraska Legislature’s website is intended to encourage public participation. Comments submitted through this portal will be available to all legislators and staff. Additionally, they may be read and/or discussed during hearings and floor debate. 

New this year, comments submitted online prior to the deadline and identified as comments for the public hearing record will be available to anyone requesting a public hearing transcript with exhibits. 

There should be no expectation of privacy and these comments will be made available to others upon request. Thank you for your interest in the legislative process.