Many Disability Advocates Believe Olmstead Laws are the Wave of the Future as State Governors Continue to Fail Us

"After the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision in 1999, Disability Rights Nebraska began to urge the state to develop an “Olmstead Plan”. For 17 years, our efforts to gain traction on the issue with the Governor’s office, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Legislature were to no avail.

"Last year, Senator Kathy Campbell approached Disability Rights Nebraska with an opportunity to develop the initial language for an Olmstead Plan bill. Senior Staff Attorney Dianne DeLair and Disability Rights Nebraska’s Public Policy Team cooperated with Senator Campbell’s office to produce the final version of LB 1033.

"The bill became law on April 18, 2016. The law requires the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services to “develop a comprehensive, effective working plan for placing qualified persons with disabilities in the most integrated community-based service settings…”

​"Additionally, LB 1033 created a stakeholder advisory committee to assist in the Olmstead plan’s development."

Nebraska Olmstead Bill Becomes Law