NE LB549

School boards may employ chaplains, including as volunteers, to provide academic, career, emotional, and behavioral health support to students without requiring a state teaching certificate

Chaplains must be licensed, ordained, or endorsed by their religious organization and trained to serve in secular environments

Chaplains must undergo criminal history background checks through the Nebraska State Patrol and FBI; the Commissioner of Education may deny eligibility based on felony convictions or misdemeanors involving abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct

School boards must develop employment policies covering hiring, discipline, continuing education, and termination before employing a chaplain

Employment of a chaplain shall not be construed as endorsement of any particular religion, and school boards are not required to hire chaplains