The proposed Recreational Trail Easement Property Tax Exemption Act aims to enhance public health, economic development, environmental conservation, and community connectivity in Nebraska by establishing recreational trail easements. The bill defines "eligible holders" of these easements, which include municipalities, counties, accredited land trusts, and certain nonprofit organizations. Property owners who encumber their land with a perpetual recreational trail easement can receive an annual property tax exemption of ten cents per square foot of the encumbered area, subject to specific qualification and application processes. The bill also amends existing statutes to clarify the requirements for filing statements related to recorded easements and property tax exemptions, ensuring that qualifying easements must be recorded and provide public access to connect with existing or planned regional trails or local attractions.

In addition to the recreational trail easement provisions, the bill introduces a tax exemption for broadband equipment deployed in areas funded by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program or in qualified census tracts within metropolitan cities. Owners must apply to the county assessor by December 31 of the year prior to the exemption taking effect, and the county assessor is required to approve qualifying applications within thirty days. The bill also defines "data center" and specifies components of broadband equipment while clarifying terms related to broadband communications service. It establishes that the act will become operative on January 1, 2026, and repeals original sections 76-214 and 77-202 from the Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 76-214, 77-202