LB 1108 — Change provisions related to contracts entered into by and bidding requirements and exceptions for joint entities and public power districts

LB1108 LB1108 2026 LEGISLATURELEGISLATIVE OFBILL NEBRASKA1108 ONEApproved HUNDREDby NINTHthe LEGISLATUREGovernor SECONDApril SESSION14, LEGISLATIVE2026 BILL 1108 FINAL READING   Introduced by Clouse, 37.

Read  firstA timeBILL JanuaryFOR 16,AN 2026ACT Committee:relating to the public entities;

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the public entities;

Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska, -1- LB1108 LB1108 2026 Section 1.

13-824.0113-824.01 (1) (1) A joint entity shall cause estimates of the costs to be made by some competent engineer or engineers before the joint entity enters into any contract for the construction, management, ownership, maintenance, servicing, or purchase of an electric generating facility and related facilities.

(b) Any contract for which the governing body has approved an engineer's certificate described in subdivision (a) of this subsection -2- LB1108 LB1108 2026 shall be advertised once in three issues, not less than seven days between issues, in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the municipality or county where the principal office or place of business of the joint entity is located, or if no newspaper is so published then in a newspaper qualified to carry legal notices having general circulation therein, and in such additional newspapers or trade or technical periodicals as may be selected by the governing body in order to give proper notice of its intention to enter into such contract, and any such contract shall not be entered into prior to twenty days after the last advertisement.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of subsection (2) of this section or sections 13-824.02 and 13-824.03, a joint entity may, without advertising or sealed bidding, purchase replacement parts or services relating to such replacement parts for any generating unit, transformer, or other transmission and distribution equipment from the original manufacturer of such equipment upon certification by an engineer or engineers that such manufacturer is the only available source of supply for such replacement parts or services and that such purchase is in compliance with standards established by the governing body of the joint -3- LB1108 LB1108 2026 entity.

After such certification, but not necessarily before the governing body's review, notice of any such purchase shall be published once a week for at least three consecutive weeks in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the -1- LB1108 LB1108 2026 municipality or county where the principal office or place of business of the joint entity is located and published in such additional newspapers or trade or technical periodicals as may be selected by the governing body in order to give proper notice of such purchase.

-4-13-824.02 Prior LB1108 LB1108 2026 13-824.02 Prior to advertisement for sealed bids, plans and specifications for the proposed work or materials shall be prepared and filed at the principal office or place of business of the joint entity.

or (b) The purchase of any materials, machinery, or apparatus to be -5- LB1108 LB1108 2026 used in the projects described in subdivision (1)(a) of this section.

and (iii) The district advertises notice of its intention to enter into such contract, the general nature of the proposed work, and the name of the person to be contacted for additional information by anyone -6- LB1108 LB1108 2026 interested in contracting for such work.

(c) Any contract for which the board has approved an engineer's certificate described in subdivision (b) of this subsection shall be advertised once in three issues not less than seven days between issues in one or more -2- LB1108 LB1108 2026 newspapers of general circulation in the district and in such additional newspapers or trade or technical periodicals as may be selected by the board in order to give proper notice of its intention to enter into such contract, and any such contract shall not be entered into prior to twenty days after the last advertisement.

A written statement containing such certification and a description of the resulting purchase -7- LB1108 LB1108 2026 of replacement parts or services from the original manufacturer shall be submitted to the board by the engineer or engineers certifying the purchase for the board's approval.

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