LINCOLN —Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval to LB203, a bill introduced by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth that limits the authority of local public health directors to impose communitywide health measures. The change primarily affects the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, which previously had broader authority than other districts. Under the bill, public health directors must receive approval from a city council or county board before implementing a directed health measure, with Kauth arguing that decisions restricting personal liberties should rest with elected officials accountable to voters.

The measure allows public health directors to make recommendations but leaves final decisions to local governing boards. An amendment permits local health boards to act quickly in emergencies, though any communitywide order must be ratified by an elected body within seven days. The bill passed 35-12 and now heads to the governor’s desk, along with three other measures that clean up outdated appropriation language, adjust health care facility permit timelines, and update notification procedures in abuse and neglect investigations.

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