Gov. Pillen Addresses Bills to be Signed in Coming Week

LINCOLN, NE – A slate of bills – all priorities of Governor Jim Pillen – will be signed into law in the coming week. They include a group of measures aimed at protecting children from harm resulting from exposure to and the use of online services and social media.
 
LB140, introduced by Senator Rita Sanders, requires school boards to create rules and standards limiting when students can use cell phones. Exceptions are included for when such use would be allowed.
 
LB383 from Senator Tanya Storer was amended with LB172. LB383, the Parental Rights in Social Media Act, establishes various parental controls over social media accounts. LB172, introduced by Senator Brian Hardin, makes it a crime to create or distribute AI-generated child pornography.
 
“Our kids are our greatest investment and I’m excited that we will pass these protections into law this session. Experts have long known that repeated and relentless exposure to social media results in situations that can impact mental health, reduce attention spans, and interrupt learning while in school,” said Gov. Pillen. “These bills will provide schools, parents and law enforcement with the tools they need.”  
 
A fourth related bill sponsored on behalf of the Governor – LB504 – has been advanced to the final round of debate. Introduced by Senator Carolyn Bosn, the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act requires that online services protect user data, implement design features that will reduce harm resulting from compulsive use, and enables parents to have access to privacy and account settings.
 
The Nebraska Legislature also gave final approval to two other pieces of legislation aimed at protecting two of the state’s most significant industries – public power and agriculture. LB526 was sponsored on the Governor’s behalf by Senator Mike Jacobson and cleared final reading on a unanimous vote. It helps to preserve electrical service to homes, businesses and other Nebraska customers, by establishing requirements for cryptocurrency mining operations. In addition to notifying power utilities in advance, the bill also provides for payment or a letter of credit covering costs associated with potential infrastructure upgrades.
 
Finally, LB246 brought by Senator Barry DeKay, will make changes to the Nebraska Pure Food Act by banning the production, distribution, promotion and sale of lab grown meat.
 
“Nebraska is an ag-dependent and economically driven state. We need to support the hard-working farmers and ranchers who raise their crops and animals to feed the world and save the planet,” said Gov. Pillen. “When people across the globe buy our products, they want the highest quality available. It’s important to support our home-grown industry and protect consumers from something that has not been tested and determined to be safe for consumption.”
 
Other bills championed by the Governor, which have advanced to the final round of debate include LB89 (Stand With Women Act), LB346 and LB644 (Foreign Adversary and Terrorist Agent Registration Act).