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LEGISLATIVE BILL 904
Approved by the Governor April 7, 2026
Introduced by Arch, 14.
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Nebraska Political Accountability and
Disclosure Act; to amend section 49-1401, Revised Statutes Cumulative
Supplement, 2024, and sections 49-1480 and 49-14,126, Revised Statutes
Supplement, 2025; to change provisions relating to Chinese military
companies; to harmonize provisions; and to repeal the original sections.
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
Section 1. Section 49-1401, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024,
is amended to read:
49-1401 Sections 49-1401 to 49-14,142 and section 4 of this act shall be
known and may be cited as the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure
Act.
Sec. 2. Section 49-1480, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is amended to
read:
49-1480 (1) Every person employed, retained, or authorized as a lobbyist
shall, before commencing any lobbying activity:
(a) File an application with the Clerk of the Legislature for registration
as a lobbyist, and if the clerk is satisfied that the application has been
properly prepared the registration shall be deemed to be complete. The
application shall be on a form prescribed by the clerk and approved by the
Executive Board of the Legislative Council, and shall include as a minimum the
following:
(i) The name, permanent residence address, and office address of the
lobbyist;
(ii) The name and address of the principal of such lobbyist;
(iii) The nature of the business of such principal and the amounts or sums
given or to be given the lobbyist as compensation or reimbursement for
lobbying. A lobbyist who is salaried or retained by a principal need only
report that portion of compensation or reimbursement reasonably attributable to
lobbying;
(iv) A description of the business activity of the lobbyist;
(v) An identification of the matters on which the principal or lobbyist
expects to lobby;
(vi) If the principal is a Chinese military company, an affirmative
acknowledgment by the lobbyist that such lobbyist is lobbying on behalf of, and
thereby acting as an agent of, a foreign adversary of the United States;
(vii) If the principal is an industry, trade, or professional association,
a specific description of the industry, trade, or profession represented by the
principal and the names and addresses of its officers;
(viii) If the principal is not an industry, trade, or professional
association, a specific description of the interests and groups represented by
the principal and the names and addresses of its officers; and
(ix) The name and address of any official in the legislative or executive
branch, and of any members of any such official's staff or immediate family,
who are employed by the lobbyist or any person acting on behalf of such
lobbyist if such information is known or reasonably should have been known to
the lobbyist.
(b) If any such lobbying activity is on behalf of a Chinese military
company, disclose that such Chinese military company is a foreign adversary of
the United States. For purposes of this subdivision (b), lobbying activity
includes, but is not limited to, lobbying by means of telephone, electronic
mail, United States mail or other mail delivery service, in-person meetings, or
testimony at legislative hearings.
(2)(a) Every person employed, retained, or authorized as a consultant for
a Chinese military company shall, before commencing any influencing activity in
Nebraska for such Chinese military company:
(i) File with the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission,
information that shall include as a minimum, the following:
(A) The name, permanent residence address, and office address of the
consultant;
(B) The name and address of the Chinese military company represented by
such consultant;
(C) A description of the business activity of the consultant;
(D) An identification of the matters on which the consultant expects to
conduct influencing activity on behalf of such Chinese military company;
(E) An affirmative acknowledgment by the consultant that such consultant
is influencing on behalf of, and thereby acting as an agent of, a foreign
adversary of the United States; and
(F) The name and address of any official in the legislative or executive
branch, and of any members of any such official's staff or immediate family,
who are employed by the consultant or any person acting on behalf of such
consultant if such information is known or reasonably should have been known to
the consultant; and
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(ii) Disclose that such Chinese military company is a foreign adversary of
the United States.
(b) For purposes of this subsection, influencing activity includes, but is
not limited to, influencing by means of telephone, electronic mail, United
States mail or other mail delivery service, or in-person meetings.
(2) (3) Any person who violates subdivision (1)(a)(vi) or (1)(b) or
subsection (2) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of one
hundred thousand dollars for each violation. For any subsequent violation, the
civil penalty shall be increased by one hundred thousand dollars more than the
previously assessed penalty, not to exceed one million dollars per violation.
All penalties collected under this section shall be remitted to the State
Treasurer for distribution in accordance with Article VII, section 5, of the
Constitution of Nebraska.
(3) (4) For purposes of this section, Chinese military company has the
same meaning as in section 4 of this act 1260H of Public Law 116-283, as such
section existed on April 1, 2025, and includes any subsidiary of a Chinese
military company or any company owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by a
Chinese military company.
Sec. 3. Section 49-14,126, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is amended
to read:
49-14,126 (1) The commission, upon finding that there has been a violation
of the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act or any rule or
regulation promulgated thereunder, may issue an order requiring the violator to
do one or more of the following:
(a) Cease and desist from the violation;
(b) File any report, statement, or other information as required;
(c) Pay a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars for each
violation of the act, rule, or regulation; or
(d) Pay the costs of the hearing in a contested case if the violator did
not appear at the hearing personally or by counsel.
(2) Upon finding that there has been a violation of section 4 of this act
or of subdivision (1)(a)(vi) or (1)(b) or subsection (2) of section 49-1480,
the commission shall issue an order paying any person who provided the
commission information that resulted in the finding of such violation a sum of
fifty thousand dollars. Such payment shall be contingent upon the commission
recovering any civil penalty sought under subsection (3) of section 49-1480 or
section 4 of this act.
Sec. 4. (1) Every person employed, retained, or authorized as a
consultant for a Chinese military company shall, before commencing any
influencing activity in Nebraska for such Chinese military company:
(a) File with the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission,
information that shall include at a minimum, the following:
(i) The name, permanent residence address, and office address of the
consultant;
(ii) The name and address of the Chinese military company represented by
such consultant;
(iii) A description of the business activity of the consultant;
(iv) An identification of the matters on which the consultant expects to
conduct influencing activity on behalf of such Chinese military company;
(v) An affirmative acknowledgment by the consultant that such consultant
is influencing on behalf of, and thereby acting as an agent of, a foreign
adversary of the United States; and
(vi) The name and address of any official in the legislative or executive
branch, and of any members of any such official's staff or immediate family,
who are employed by the consultant or any person acting on behalf of such
consultant if such information is known or reasonably should have been known to
the consultant; and
(b) Disclose that such Chinese military company is a foreign adversary of
the United States.
(2) Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a civil
penalty of one hundred thousand dollars for each violation. For any subsequent
violation, the civil penalty shall be increased by one hundred thousand dollars
more than the previously assessed penalty, not to exceed one million dollars
per violation. All penalties collected under this section shall be remitted to
the State Treasurer for distribution in accordance with Article VII, section 5,
of the Constitution of Nebraska.
(3) For purposes of this section:
(a) Chinese military company has the same meaning as in section 1260H of
Public Law 116-283, as such section existed on April 1, 2025, and includes any
subsidiary of a Chinese military company or any company owned or controlled, in
whole or in part, by a Chinese military company; and
(b) Influencing activity includes, but is not limited to, influencing by
means of telephone, electronic mail, United States mail or other mail delivery
service, or in-person meetings.
Sec. 5. Original section 49-1401, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,
2024, and sections 49-1480 and 49-14,126, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025,
are repealed.
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