Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signs school cellphone ban, social media age limit into law

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Legislation intended to protect children online was signed into law Tuesday in Nebraska.

Gov. Jim Pillen put his signature to two bills that were introduced in the Legislature on his behalf.

One of them, Legislative Bill 140, bans students from using cellphones on school property.

There are exceptions for emergencies or when it is authorized by a school district for educational purposes.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska Legislature passes social media age verification bill

LB 383 requires social media companies to verify users’ age when they sign up.

Anyone under 18 will need parental consent to create an account.

That bill was amended to include LB 140, also backed by Pillen, which updates the state’s child pornography laws to include content created with artificial intelligence.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska state senators introduce three bills on children and social media