Nebraska Passes Landmark Agricultural Data Privacy Law

Bill also includes new regulations for AI chatbots to protect minors

Mar. 30, 2026 at 3:42am

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A vibrant, abstract painting of a tractor speeding through a field, with overlapping geometric shapes and waves of color, conceptually representing the intersection of technology, data rights, and agricultural interests.Nebraska's new agricultural data privacy law aims to empower farmers in the digital age, while also regulating emerging AI technologies to protect vulnerable users.North Platte Today

The Nebraska legislature has passed a new law, LB 525, that establishes comprehensive privacy protections for agricultural data. The bill gives farmers sole control over their agronomic, climate, weather, land, livestock, management, and sustainability data, and prohibits the sale of this raw data by anyone other than the producer. The law also includes provisions from LB 1185 to regulate conversational AI chatbots, requiring disclosure when users are interacting with an AI and adding safeguards to protect minors from inappropriate content or emotional reliance on the technology.

Why it matters

This legislation makes Nebraska the first state in the country to pass this type of agricultural data privacy law, addressing a 'massive gray area' in state laws around data ownership. It aims to give farmers more control over their information in an era of increasing data collection and commercialization. The chatbot regulations also seek to protect minors from potential harms of interacting with AI systems that can feel 'personal, emotional and real' but are not designed with their best interests in mind.

The details

LB 525 requires controllers and processors of agricultural data to enter written consent agreements with producers before using or selling that data. It prohibits the sale of raw data by anyone other than the producer who controls it, and mandates reasonable security practices to protect the information. Starting January 1, 2027, any new contracts involving agricultural data must include a provision prohibiting the selling of that data without the producer's express written consent. Violations can result in civil penalties of $1,000 per incident, enforced by the state attorney general.

  • LB 525 was introduced in the Nebraska legislature in March 2026 by Sen. Mike Jacobson on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen.
  • The bill, as amended, was advanced to select file on March 24, 2026 in a 35-0 vote.

The players

Mike Jacobson

A state senator from North Platte who introduced LB 525 on behalf of the governor.

Jim Pillen

The governor of Nebraska who supported the agricultural data privacy legislation.

Eliot Bostar

A state senator from Lincoln who sponsored the provisions in LB 525 regulating conversational AI chatbots.

Tanya Storer

A state senator from Whitman who spoke in support of the chatbot regulations to protect minors.

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What they’re saying

“The question of who owns agricultural data is a 'massive gray area' in state law that LB 525 is a first step toward clarifying.”

— Mike Jacobson, State Senator

“Conversational AI tools are increasingly designed to simulate human conversation in ways that can feel personal, emotional and real. For minors, those design features can create real risks.”

— Eliot Bostar, State Senator

“Anything that we can continue to do to protect minors online is important and I will champion that in every corner.”

— Tanya Storer, State Senator

What’s next

The bill will now move to select file for further debate and potential amendments before a final vote in the Nebraska legislature.

The takeaway

This landmark legislation in Nebraska establishes new standards for agricultural data privacy and ownership, while also taking steps to safeguard minors from potential harms of conversational AI technology. It represents a significant step forward in addressing the growing challenges of data rights and digital protections in the modern agricultural industry.