Frequently Asked Research Questions and Tips
How do I research a bill or law?
How can I find bills proposed for a particular area of interest?
How do I find information about a bill if all I know is a general topic?
What legislative documents are available online?
Bill copies, committee statements, statements of intent, fiscal notes and the legislative journal, which includes a record of floor proceedings and votes, are available online.
Is there a way of tracking bills? How do I find the status of a bill?
Use the search bills and laws features of the web site either through the menu or the quick search.
The BillTracker service provided through Nebraska.gov can track bills of interest and will notify users when the status of their bill changes.
Where can I find assistance interpreting the status of a bill?
For online assistance visit Lawmaking in Nebraska for an explanation of the process and terminology and theGlossary of Legislative Terms.
How can I view the text of a bill?
Enter the bill number in the quick search box. Click on the Go button to open the page for the bill information. There will be links to the pdf copies of the bills and related documents.
What does the underlining and overstriking in bill and amendment text mean?
Underlining indicates new language that will be inserted, whereas overstriking indicates current text that will be deleted.
How can I find bills from previous sessions? For example, the forty-fifth legislature?
Indices of bills introduced back to 1998 will provide the bill number and subject matter.
Use the search bills page from the menu or the link to the Search Past Legislation to see bills and their related documents back to 1999. For years prior to that, you will need to contact:
Legislative Historian
Clerk of the Legislature's Office
State Capitol, Room 2014
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-3215
E-Mail: histories@leg.ne.gov
I don't have a statute number. How do I find a particular law on the web site?
You have two options: you can search by keyword for a particular law or you can browse statutes by subject.
Who can help me interpret what a specific law means?
If you would like to know what a passed bill will do, contact the office of the senator or committee that sponsored byt bill.