LB1126A is the appropriations companion bill for LB1126. It makes a limited fiscal appropriation from the Service System Fund to the Public Service Commission for Program 31, specifically to support implementation of the substantive provisions enacted in LB1126 during the 109th Legislature, Second Session. The bill is a funding measure rather than a policy bill, and its text is narrowly focused on providing the money needed to carry out the underlying legislation.
The bill also includes a standard restriction that no expenditures for permanent or temporary salaries or per diems for state employees may be made from the funds appropriated in this section. In practical terms, LB1126A authorizes state spending for the program identified in the bill while limiting the use of those appropriated dollars for personnel compensation. As an appropriation bill, it operates within Nebraska’s budget process and affects the Public Service Commission and the Service System Fund.
Impact
LB1126A amends state fiscal law by creating a specific appropriation from the Service System Fund to the Public Service Commission for Program 31 for the stated fiscal years. Its legal effect is to provide the funding authority necessary to implement LB1126, while also restricting the appropriation from being used for permanent or temporary salaries and per diem payments for state employees. The bill therefore affects state budgeting and the administration of the Public Service Commission more than it changes substantive regulatory law.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment around LB1126A appears strongly supportive and noncontroversial. It advanced unanimously at one stage, later adopted an amendment, and then passed final reading 49-0, indicating broad legislative agreement on the need for the appropriation. The bill was also approved by the Governor, reinforcing that it faced little opposition in the legislative process.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only recorded vote with opposition was on the adoption of Moser AM3074, which passed 27-7, suggesting some disagreement over the amendment rather than the underlying appropriation itself. No committee transcript is available, and the final passage was unanimous, so any debate likely centered on details of the amendment or the scope of the funding restriction rather than on whether the Public Service Commission should receive the appropriation at all.