Nebraska committee hears bill to streamline labor enforcement and contractor registration (LB747)

Sen. Tony Sorrentino introduced LB747 to the Business and Labor Committee, saying the bill updates several Department of Labor programs to reduce administrative burdens while preserving worker protections. The measure would stop automatic filing of youth employment certificates unless the department requests them; retain employers’ obligation to keep certificates for one year; and align Nebraska’s child-labor practice with other states.

The bill also would amend the Wage Payment and Collection Act to remove a criminal infraction for failure to provide a wage statement and instead allow administrative citations and penalties, Sorrentino said. The proposal clarifies that the Commissioner of Labor may seek a court order to enforce subpoenas when recipients do not comply.

Katie Thurber, commissioner of labor, told the committee LB747 ‘‘harmonizes our enforcement tools without being overly burdensome for employers’’ and noted the department catalogs about 2,500 child-labor certificates a year. She said the Department will retain authority to investigate and will continue to accept complaints through an online form and a general phone line even if a dedicated Employee Classification Act (ECA) hotline is repealed.

Business groups signaled partial support but urged caution. Ryan McIntosh, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (testifying also for multiple chambers and the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association), said the bill contains positive pro-business provisions in sections easing youth hiring, but expressed concern about expanded DOL authority under some WPCA sections and asked the committee to hold the bill while stakeholders work on those provisions.

On contractor registration, Thurber said the bill would remove annual fee exemptions for certain self-employed contractors, low-pay employers (under $3,000 in wages), and some specialty trades, requiring standard annual registration and the $25 fee; DOL estimated the change would generate about $81,250 yearly and require a one-time system update of about $4,800.

Committee members asked how complainants would find the new consolidated reporting process if the hotline is removed. Thurber replied the website would be updated to redirect users and the department would not remove resources immediately.

The committee closed the LB747 hearing after neutral testimony and no letters recorded in the committee packet. No formal vote occurred during the hearing; the measure was left for further consideration.