NE LB36

Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Act establishes a producer-funded stewardship program for portable and medium format batteries, requiring battery stewardship organizations to submit plans by January 1, 2027, with collection operations beginning January 1, 2028; sets recycling efficiency targets of 60% for rechargeable and 70% for non-rechargeable batteries; prohibits point-of-sale fees to consumers

Home Weatherization Clearinghouse is established within the Department of Environment and Energy to serve as an information hub for weatherization grants, loans, and programs and to coordinate home weatherization projects across state and local agencies

Department of Transportation is authorized to establish mitigation banks or in-lieu-fee programs for compensatory mitigation of threatened/endangered species habitat, wetlands dredging/filling, and habitat restoration on transportation projects; property owners must pay sums in lieu of ad valorem taxes for land acquired after July 1, 2026

Game and Parks Commission fee changes increase annual park permit caps from $35 to $50 for residents and temporary permits from $7 to $10; reduce aquatic invasive species stamp maximum from $15 to $30; limit mountain sheep auction permits from two to one; modify elk permit qualifications for landowner leasehold interests

Ground water allocation provisions clarify that municipalities and commercial/industrial users in fully or overappropriated areas remain subject to integrated management plan controls after January 1, 2026, with new or expanded commercial/industrial users exceeding 25 million gallons annually required to provide mitigation reports